As the owner of an online weed store, you know that the competition is more fierce than ever.

With the stigma surrounding both medical and recreational marijuana use continuing to decline, more cannabis businesses seem to pop up around the globe.

This means that, while you’ll certainly have a broader customer base, you’ll also need to ensure that common web design mistakes don’t cost you business.

What are the main web design flaws that will send your profits up in a puff of smoke — and not the good king?

Read on to find out. Then, learn where you can access the web design tips you need to succeed.

1. Your Site Can’t Be Accessed On Mobile Devices

When it comes to the most common web design mistakes for an online weed store, you might think that the cardinal sin has something to do with poor menu options or a failure to clearly display your contact information.

And while those poor choices certainly have consequences, trust us when we tell you those errors are nothing compared to the amount of business you’ll lose if your site isn’t mobile-friendly.

Why?

Because in today’s world, mobile access to websites has officially surpassed desktop usage.

This means that, if users can’t reach your online weed store on their smartphones or other portable electronic devices, you’re going to miss out on over half of your target market.

Always make sure that your website is mobile-friendly, there are a few things you need to remember:

• Choose small sizes for font, text effects, and clickable buttons
• Ensure any images are high-resolution
• Continuously test your mobile-friendliness
• Create viewport meta tags

2. You Don’t Take Security Seriously

If you’re not considering your overall site security as a part of your web design process, then you’re setting yourself up for failure.

Especially when you’re working in the cannabis industry, ensuring discretion and protecting your clients’ sensitive information is absolutely essential.

But with an astounding 30,000 websites hacked every single day, even the more secure sites are still at risk.

So, how can you make your web design as secure as possible, without inconveniencing your customers?

First of all, take a hard look at the hosting platform you’re using. Does the hosting company run frequent, daily, security checks? Do they have both digital and physical barriers in place? How do they scan for unusual activity, and how frequently do they run security updates?

Next, make sure that your employees know not to access unsecured wireless networks when working out of the office. Also instruct them to avoid opening personal emails from unknown senders at work.

Finally, give customers the option of whether or not they’d like to create password-protected accounts and save their credit card information on their site. Never automatically save credit cards without permission — it’s just not worth the potential risk and loss of customer trust if you’re hacked.

3. Your Navigation Isn’t Intuitive

No matter what you’re trying to buy online, chances are that you won’t buy from a website that makes it practically impossible to find the product or service that you’re looking for.

Navigation that’s unintuitive and overly complicated is going to cost you serious business.

Have photos of different strains, vapes, or even bongs on your website?

Make sure that when a user clicks on those photos, they’re taken directly to the specific product page. Additionally, make sure to include a drop-down menu at both the top and bottom of your internal pages.

Finally, ensure that you’ve listed all of your contact information on each internal page of your website.

Why?

Chances are, you’re going to link out to — or be linked to from — another website in your content. Maybe you want to reference a specific product in a blog post or direct a user to your FAQ page on another internal page.

Treat each page of your website as a standalone option, and you’ll make it easy for your customers to get in touch with you or learn more about your online weed store.

4. You’re Doing Too Much

The final web design fail we see far too much of, especially in the online web store market?

Websites that are just trying to cram way too much information down visitors’ throats.

You know the type: dozens of pop-ups, pressure to sign up for newsletters, instant messaging, endless videos, and extra information that no one really needs.

Before your website goes live, take a hard look at it and decide what you do and do not need. This won’t just make it much easier to navigate, it will also ensure that your website loads quickly and maintains a professional look that doesn’t bog users down.

For an example of an online weed store that’s not trying to do too much or to little, check out Cheeba’s website.

They have clear menu options, high-resolution images that engage the user, intuitive navigation, and even product samplings on their home page. They even allow users to sort their weed preference according to strain, which certainly helps to increase conversions.

Follow their lead if you want your own cannabis website to be as much of a success.

Need Help Growing Your Online Weed Store?

Thanks to this post, you know the kind of web design mistakes that will cost your online weed store serious business.

Just remember to keep things intuitive, clear and concise, secure, and mobile-friendly.

While these basics are important, keep in mind that they are just that: basics.

When you’re ready to take your website’s design to the next level, you’re going to need to know a lot more than just what it takes to keep pace with your competition.

For more information about photoshop, photo effects, general graphic design, and much more, we invite you to spend some time on our website and blog.

We’ll help you to learn the tricks of the trade you need in order to increase your website conversions, overall brand recognition, and most importantly, your number of loyal customers.