In the years following state-by-state legalization, most budtenders need to be proficient in the properties of the plant—but more importantly, consumers want to know what they're getting into. A well-rounded understanding of the cannabis products you're selling leads to more informed purchase decisions and a better shopping experience.
In this article, we'll discuss why it's critical that your cannabis POS system and Ecommerce solution "talk" to each other in order to provide accurate product information that syncs to your menu. Specifically, we'll cover:
Let's get started.
There are a few elements that make up a given strain's unique profile:
Outdated knowledge about cannabis and its true effects can add to the misconception that one type (indica, sativa, hybrid) has a singular effect. In a previous post, we discussed other nuances of the plant, including the two major compounds that indicate what specific effects each strain may cause and how our bodies react that information. These two compounds work in unison, and are known as terpenes and cannabinoids.
Terpenes are essentially the scent combination of a particular cultivar. An understanding of terpenes basically provides the consumer with a virtual jar. It tells the story of the plant—its scent and taste, and makes ecommerce shopping feel more tangible.
Cannabinoids can also help the user predict their body’s reaction to the high; which senses will be heightened and which parts of the body may be affected. Cannabinoids ebb and flow with body chemistry.
Lastly, most potential users are concerned with the contents of the plant they might be consuming, and rightly so. Testing data provides answers and removes the mystery from this natural yet newly-regulated substance.
Inaccurate or incomplete product profiles can cause consumers to be hesitant to purchase new products or brands. Even worse, it might convince shoppers to not return to your dispensary at all. No retailer wants that!
Highlighting terpenes, cannabinoids, and strain types on your ecommerce menus demonstrates to your customers that you're a trustworthy source of information, with accurate product genetics readily available.
How are consumers today deciding which cannabis strains to try? There are several criteria that go into shoppers' purchase decisions , including:
When customers are well-informed, they're able to make better decisions about which cannabis products to try. Those who have specific parameters for why they consume cannabis can learn from their budtender, or teach themselves with articles and research. Ecommerce's goal is to simplify this via the creation of virtual education across channels. If we had to guess, we'd say your customers probably don't want to have to be searching for strain information on their own, or trying to interpret chemical compounds and plant genetics from scientific research.
Instead, give them the support of a budtender or product specialist from the comfort of their own home, from a singular reliable resource.
Guide your shoppers along their buying journey by adding informative details to each product through our genetic library. Helpful learning icons are included to help your customers visualize the genetic background of each product. The icons show either an aromatic symbol for terpenes or the molecular structure of a particular cannabinoid.
These visual cues act as an associative technique for scientific education. Like the plant itself, this menu feature is about stimulating the senses which engages the customer and expands their interest.
It’s common knowledge that the longer a shopper spends on your website, the more likely they are to make a purchase. Adding reputable and cross-verified information can only help boost trust in the product for a consistent high, everytime. Now, this important genetic information is directly connected to the product. It engages the customer to connect to each product on a new level.
Once consumers are comfortable “budtending” themselves, they can grow their knowledge to more sophisticated products. It might increase the sales of higher value products once the user understands the complex process in preserving terpenes, but it should certainly open the eyes of those who shop based on THC percentages alone.
Cannabis education is the primary driver in making your menu more engaging. Dutchie aims to facilitate this by creating visual representations of the plant for an interactive learning experience.
If your cannabis POS system and Ecommerce solution are part of a unified solution from a single vendor, you won’t be susceptible to these critical integration and data gaps.
Dutchie POS stores batch test data at the inventory level, transferring and displaying accurate THC levels, and terpene and cannabinoid profiles on your ecommerce menu. And unlike other POS providers, our real-time integration with Metrc increases operational stability, provides peace of mind, and helps maintain compliance by automatically reporting actions performed directly in Dutchie POS to Metrc.
Ready to explore Dutchie POS? Contact us today to schedule a demo.
Dutchie is the leading technology partner for cannabis retailers of all sizes. With a range of solutions covering point of sale, payments, ecommerce, insurance, and more, Dutchie empowers dispensaries to run efficiently, scale their operation easily, stay compliant, and offer outstanding experiences to the customers who rely on them.
