The art of selling cannabis online is not that different from other ecommerce categories. Customers want to see high-resolution images that help them visualize the quality of a specific product. Just like they would want to see magnified and well-lit jars of the flower in-store, they want to see the same online. Our research shows that photo variety is also particularly important to the younger demographic.
It makes sense because Instagram has surpassed other social media sites in popularity and it is an image-sharing media source. After a long day, people want to scroll through photos and tangibly place themselves in their ideal scenes. Think of it as finding a “happy place” in your mind, but now your imagination doesn’t have to do as much of the work.
To build a narrative, consider framing the item as a wellness product. Great photos help tell the story and ultimately help sell more products. Product photos are crucial to helping a consumer understand if a particular cannabis good fits their shopping criteria. Going back to our flower example, consumers want to know the bud structure, how the trichomes (plant “hairs” that hold the terpenes) look, and so on.
A product’s aesthetics are highly likely to influence a consumer’s purchasing decision. This is why packaging and merchandising are so important. Displaying just one photo of a product may not offer enough information for the buyer. Offering a series of images gives more information, like: How dense is the nug? Was it trimmed well? More advanced consumers can even determine some key factors of a strain’s quality based on its color.
Dutchie Ecommerce now enables you to show up to nine different images for each product. This can boost your online sales and minimize customer complaints during pickup.
Extra photos can help with the sale of other cannabis product categories besides flower, such as:
- Edibles: In the edible game, flashy packaging brings in extra hype. Consumers crave resealable containers that keep their gummies or chocolates tasting fresh with each bite. Dispensary customers also like to know if edibles are allergy-sensitive and match their dietary needs, meaning they like to see the nutrition label. All edibles are required to be sold in child-safe packaging, but a visual can help newer consumers understand how to squeeze or twist the items open for use.
- Concentrates: Of all the categories, dabbers really love to see their product. The imagery can help them determine the consistency of their concentrate. Certain methods of dabbing work better with smoother concentrates, like budder, and some work better with harder consistencies, like shatter. Beginners may not understand that items like RSO (Rick Simpson Oil) come in a syringe and are meant for eating rather than dabbing. Clearer pictures can help correct misconceptions about the different consumption methods.
- Vaporizers: For the vape category, customers like to understand the technology of the battery component and the quality of the oil within the cartridge. The hue of the oil, as well as the packaging, can tell a consumer if it was made with CO2, distillate, live resin, rosin, and more. Visuals also help indicate if the battery differs from the most popular 5/10 thread round battery, so customers can know what exactly they need to purchase.
- Pre-Rolls: When it comes to pre-rolls, images can sometimes cause weight confusion. Customers may want to know the length of the crutch so they can subtract it from the weight of the flower. Multiple photos on a product listing can also show whether the joints are infused (dipped in kief, etc.). Since many users can roll their own, dispensaries should be thoughtful about how they incentivize customers to buy their pre-rolls.
- Tinctures: As mentioned in How to improve your cannabis brand’s online presence, customers like to know the base used to make the oil. Tinctures are often made from grain alcohol or a coconut oil base. Because a lot of these sublinguals are packaged the same way (typically in 1-3 oz. glass bottles) the ingredients are what can make them stand out. Consider this when choosing your product image angles.
- Topicals: Just like concentrates, the texture of the product is a key factor for most shoppers when looking for topicals. No matter what kind of relief the customer is using them for, topicals come in many forms: oils, salves, creams, roll-ons, etc. You want imagery that shows their texture and how they melt into the skin when applied. Some consumers may also notice that the greener the color, the less they were strained during production, so they might have a stronger cannabis scent.
Each product has different qualities that you should present accordingly. High-quality photos and representation of a product could help consumers better gauge the overall look and feel of the product while shopping online. They can imagine the terpenes and predict the flavor of the inhale. This level of personalization will drive them to want the product more and be happier with the purchase afterward. That’s why we’ve made room for a better presentation on our menu with more possibilities for our partners.
