Creating a professional online presence for your dispensary can significantly boost your visibility and sales. With WordPress, building a website is accessible and manageable even for those with limited technical skills. This guide will walk you through the steps to set up a basic yet effective website, including how to embed Dutchie’s eCommerce menu.
Step 1: Setting Up WordPress
- Choose a Hosting Provider: Select a hosting provider that supports WordPress. Some popular options include WP Engine, Cloudflare, and Rocket.
- Install WordPress: Follow the hosting provider’s instructions to install WordPress. This often involves a simple one-click installation process.
- Select a Domain Name: Choose a domain name that represents your dispensary well. This will be your website’s address (e.g., www.yourdispensaryname.com).
Step 2: Choosing and Installing a Theme
- Access Themes: Log in to your WordPress dashboard. Go to
Appearance > Themes - Add New Theme: Click on Add New to browse free and paid themes. Choose a theme that suits your dispensary’s style and is mobile-friendly
- Install and Activate: Once you find a theme you like, click
Install and then Activate
Step 3: Creating Essential Pages
Homepage
- Go to
Pages > Add New - Title your page "Home"
- Add relevant content that introduces your dispensary and highlights key attributes of your dispensary
Order Online page
- Go to Pages > Add New
- Title your page "Order Online", “Shop Now”, “Menu”, etc...
- In the page content area, click on the + icon to add a block, search for Custom HTML, and select it
- Paste your Dutchie embed code into the content block
- In the Dutchie Admin, navigate to
Customize > Embed > Embed Your Menu > Copy Script
- Click
Publish to make the page live
About Us page
- Go to
Pages > Add New - Title your page "About Us"
- Add content that tells your story, mission, and what sets your dispensary apart
Contact Us Page
- Go to
Pages > Add New - Title your page "Contact Us"
- Add a contact form. You can use the built-in WordPress block or a plugin like Contact Form 7
- Include your dispensary’s address, phone number, and a Google Maps embed for easy location
Step 4: Menu Setup
Create a menu
- Go to
Appearance > Menus - Click
Create a new menu, name it, and click Create Menu
Add pages to menu
- Add your Home, Order Online, About Us, and Contact Us pages to the menu by checking the boxes next to each page and clicking
Add to Menu - Once all pages are added, click
Save Menu
Step 5: Basic SEO Best Practices
SEO plugin
- Install an SEO Plugin: Install a plugin like Yoast SEO to help manage your site’s SEO
Optimize your content
- Use relevant keywords throughout your site content
- Ensure each page has a unique meta title and description
- Add alt text to images to improve accessibility and SEO
Google My Business profile
- Go to Google My Business and create a profile for your dispensary
- Fill out all the details accurately, including your address, phone number, hours, and website link
- Verify your business to increase its credibility and visibility in local searches
Implementing an XML Sitemap (optional)
- From your Dutchie Admin, navigate to
Settings > SEO > XML Sitemap - Confirm that the Embed URL setting is correct. This must be the URL where the embedded menu is located on your website.
- Navigate to
Settings > Store Info > Embed URL
- Copy the sitemap file
- Websites with an existing sitemap:
- If your site already has a robots.txt file copy the sitemap rule shown and add it as a new line
- Websites without an existing sitemap:
- If your site does not have a robots.txt file create one using the rule shown in a new robots.txt file added to your website’s root.
- Submit sitemap to Google
Final Touches
- Test your site - ensure all pages are working correctly and the embedded menu is displaying your menu as intended.
- Backup your site - regularly backup your site using a plugin like UpdraftPlus to prevent data loss.
- Monitor Performance - use Google Analytics to track your site’s performance and understand visitor behavior. You can use Google Tag Manager to track the performance of marketing campaigns, e.g., social or email campaigns.
By following these steps, you can create a simple, functional website for your dispensary that facilitates online orders and provides essential information to your customers. Happy building!
