The CBD market has grown exponentially in the last few years with it expected to grow to just short of £1 million by 2025 and according to a recent study, 78% of respondents said they had heard of CBD and 59% supported the regulation of CBD products. So it’s clear to see that selling CBD online is a lucrative business that many are getting into.
We’re going to be looking at how to sell CBD online and what’s involved in properly marketing and selling CBD products.
What is CBD?
CBD is also known as cannabidiol, a compound found in the cannabis plant and can help with anxiety and pain management. CBD is typically found in higher percentage of Hemp meaning there will be very little THC, which means it does not get you high – a common misconception.
There has been a lot of stigma associated with CBD products but in recent years research has shown that CBD is not harmful and can be used in a wide range of products. More recently the stigmas associated with CBD are starting to dissipate as there is more information about CBD readily available and it is starting to appear in more and more products.
Finding your supplier
CBD is subject to many restrictions and while it is legal in the UK, licenses for oil medicine have not been granted which means that if you intend to sell CBD products, you must not make any health claims about the product and must follow the MHRA guidelines. There are also legal limits on the amount of THC in CBD products currently set at 0.2% and a limit of 1mg per container bottle, no matter the size.
When looking to sell CBD online try to make sure that you’re getting your supply from a trusted source and if applicable to the type of product you’re selling, be made in a ISO-certified lab.
You may already know a good supplier that you’re happy using but if not a quick Google search should help you find suppliers initially, but make sure you’re doing your research. Buying from a wholesaler in bulk will save you money in the long run. Some of these include CBD Supermarket, CBD Bible UK and more. If you’d prefer to look into the dropshipping side of selling CBD online, Surepure Scotland do offer a dropshipping solution for CBD products.
Setting up an online shop
Once you’ve settled on a supplier, it’s time to set up your brand new online shop. You’ll want to also do your research and ensure that the ecommerce provider you choose has everything you need to sell CBD online from the expertise to helping you market the product to being partnered with a payment gateway that accepts CBD products. You don’t want to get caught out not being able to take payments online.
You’ll, of course, need your business name and branding across your website to match what you either already have for your brick and mortar business and ensure it’s across every channel you use including your social media.
Once you have chosen a theme for your online shop and it’s the way you want, you’ll need to start uploading your products. Depending on your provider there are a few different ways to do so but the most common and easiest is to do an import to your online shop – making sure that your categories and subcategories are matched up so you don’t end up with products in the wrong place!
Tackling the obstacles
Most CBD products are sold in brick and mortar shops but selling those products online presents their own obstacles to overcome.
Advertising
Unfortunately, Google doesn’t allow advertising of CBD products on Google AdWords and neither does Facebook so advertising your CBD products may be a bit challenging online. However there are other ways to promote your new CBD business online which we will cover later on in this article.
Payment Gateways
You’ll also want to consider if your provider works with a payment gateway that accepts CBD sales. Luckily EKM works with a few payment gateways that work with CBD retailers including Paytriot and Nochex.
Marketing your online CBD shop
Now you’re all set up you need to get the word out about your new online business and there are several ways you can do this.
Content
One of the best ways to help not only provide advice and education about CBD but also to help your online shop rank for keywords and phrases is to create high quality, relevant content on your blog.
Content is one of the most powerful tools in your arsenal and can really help you climb the search engine ranks whilst also being a point of valued information for customers. Topics can include general questions about CBD to news surrounding legislation and even case studies from your customers. The possibilities are endless with content creation and it will help your business as an alternative to running ads.
Email Marketing
If you already have a customer base perhaps from your brick and mortar shop, if they have consented and provided you with their email address, you can reach out to them to let them know about your brand new online shop. Perhaps offer an incentive for loyal customers to encourage them to shop online with you.
Loyalty Programmes
Which leads nicely onto loyalty programmes. You may already have a loyalty programme in place that you can simply transfer to your online shop too but if not, creating one is a sure way to reward your customers for buying with you. It also helps to give more possibilities such as offering additional discounts or points when checking out with a larger order. There are many easy ways to increase your sales with a customer loyalty programme.
Social Media
Lastly, if you don’t already share content via social media channels then this is something you’ll need to start doing in order to gain followers, increase your brand awareness and share news about your latest products or offers.
This is also a great way to build a relationship with your customers and build rapport with them. Interacting with them on your social media channels will help encourage them to engage with you and share with people they know too.
If you have any questions about setting up your own online CBD shop our team is more than happy to help.
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