Dispensaries Building Business by Investing in Their Online Booking Systems

Since the pandemic, systems that shifted to online have become permanent alternatives. Modern online booking systems speed up customer service by enabling self-service.

You’ll need an efficient online booking system when growing a cannabis dispensary. This way, you can offer your staff extra convenience and streamline ordering for your customers.

Your customers can order without queuing in your store, around the clock. Also, your attendants will be able to plan inventories because of scheduled orders.

And there are many other ways your business benefits after embracing dispensary technology. Keep reading to learn how dispensaries can grow their businesses with online booking systems.

What Are Online Booking Systems

An online booking system is a software that allows customers to self-book their appointments online. These systems contain other tools to boost efficiency and improve the consumer experience.

Modern booking systems are more than the traditional point of sale systems. They take into account transformations in eCommerce and the evolving customer needs. Good software also focuses on how customers interact with your channels.

DaySmart Appointments offers handy features like social media integration, email notifications, and text message reminders. These tools help increase response speeds and prevent bounce rates.

Online Booking Systems in Cannabis Dispensaries

For many years, buying cannabis meant your customers had to visit dispensaries in person. Traffic was manageable so you could predict demand based on previous bookings and consultations.

But as cannabis becomes more mainstream, its demand is also increasing. In turn, many people (especially in the US) are looking to buy their cannabis online. Studies show more than 33% of cannabis users buy online from licensed vendors.

Cannabis is still one of the most regulated products in the world. This also means a longer buying journey for cannabis customers. They can’t just pop into your store and click buy on the spot.

A typical Cannabis customer must book an appointment and talk to a doctor before getting their cannabis card. In some states, the process is longer and so a massive frustration for legit sellers. In Louisiana, for instance, customers need a permit to buy cannabis from a few approved pharmacies.

You need to provide your customers with the best service to grow a thriving dispensary. Competition is increasing in the industry and customers expect more from online businesses. Dispensary technology is the way when you want to shorten the journey between your customers and the product.

The Role of Online Booking Software in Dispensaries

If you want to grow your dispensary online, investing in booking technology is a necessity. Customers may not be able to do immediate orders. So your accessibility must be predictable.

Booking technology helps in making the process of accessing you seamless and convenient. Your customers can plan for themselves and this saves them a lot of time. And the fact they’re booked is an excellent reason to wait for your product instead of seeking alternatives.

Also, speedy customer service is of the essence when you’re running an online business. 70% of customers hold in high esteem businesses with a proactive feedback system. A booking software keeps you on your toes because you’re ever updated and responsive with new bookings.

Online booking software also adds to your team’s efficiency by removing the workload of manual booking and tracking. With no emails or calls to respond to, your team can focus on ensuring effective order fulfillment.

Key Features of a Good Online Business System

Dispensary technology evolves as the cannabis industry expands. Meaning, it’s easy to come across many online business systems providers. Here are some features to consider when choosing the best booking software for your dispensary.

Easy to Use Systems

Dispensary technology is about improving the whole consumer experience. Part of the process of making your customers’ journey smooth is to use an easy-to-use system.

Your customers visit your business with the intention of booking or scheduling appointments. The process should be simple to prevent bouncing around and encourage usage. Your system should make the whole customer experience as smooth as possible.

Staff also need easy-to-use systems for optimal efficiency and productivity. In turn, efficiency allows you to save time, fulfill all appointments and provide effective customer service.

Real-Time Appointment Reminders

Appointment reminders are one of the best features to have in dispensary technology. Reminders can help to keep you on track by reminding you about upcoming appointments.

Reminders may also help to boost conversions by reminding customers about their appointments. You can create custom messages and email reminders for your clients. In turn, you can prevent no-shows, boost closed appointments and increase sales.

Time is a valuable resource for your customers and business. It helps to create some certainty by creating and sticking to schedules. Reminders can ensure you’re on the same page with clients and be priceless timesavers.

Third-Party Integrations

Running an online business exposes you to a range of digital communication tools. Above that, your business may need to combine various technologies for efficient operations.

It’s vital to consider how your booking software integrates with other platforms and tools. You need data from various platforms for effective decision-making. Also, marketing results may depend on how well your tools work together.

Having online booking software boosts customer service as well as impacts marketing. Good software should thus integrate with your best marketing tools. Some of the platforms that your software should work with include Google, Mailchimp, or Facebook Ads.

Reporting

Reports are the most effective way to tell the impact of dispensary technology on your bottom line. With booking software, it’s easy to track customer metrics, booking trends, no-show trends, and revenue growth rates.

Reporting helps to show customer challenges along your sales funnel. It’s the tool you need to know the effectiveness of your marketing efforts and the bottlenecks hampering customer service.

An online booking software that comes with real-time booking options is priceless. It saves your time and speeds up decision-making processes because you can access reports at any time.

Having real-time data throughout means you can tweak your strategies faster in the event of bad performance. Real-time reporting is one of the keys to boosting customer service and increasing sales.

Scalability

The global legal cannabis market, valued at USD 9.1 billion in 2020, is likely to grow at a compound annual growth of 26.7% from 2021 to 2018. Reports show that the demand for legal marijuana is expected to increase as more countries join the legalization band.

With the positive growth expected in the industry, it would be sensible to invest in scalable booking software. You want to cope with increased demand without going back to the drawing board to sample different technologies.

Scaling means you also have to consider integrations with different systems and third-party applications. With scalable software, you can adjust to emerging platforms and systems to sustain expansion.

Online Ordering

Allowing customers to order their cannabis online is one of the top reasons to invest in dispensary technology. More customers want to order products online. Many Americans turn to their smartphones first on any shopping occasion.

As a result, many dispensaries are shifting away from physical and face-to-face interactions. Dispensary technology has increasingly picked up apps and “click and collect” options are some of the top trends.

Digital technology allows for complete on-the-spot ordering and complete tracking of orders. This is another level of convenience─ customers can sample and order their favorite products from one page. Your business is likely to make more sales with a seamless ordering process.

Why Online Booking Systems for Your Dispensary?

As a dispensary owner, your goal is to attract more bookings, sell more products, and make profits. Yet, without an online booking system, your team relies on phone calling and emailing. This is hectic, and the reason why you need an online booking system.

Here are more benefits of investing in an excellent online booking system.

Promoting Telehealth

Telehealth involves providing patient care online without face-to-face visits. It’s a trend that has become extremely popular since the pandemic. Patients no longer feel safe doing physical visits and many are likely to opt for online consultations.

Online booking software allows you to conduct consultations online and promote telehealth. Your customers can easily book appointments from home. From your end, you can hold appointments and save your customers from the hassle of in-person visits.

Convenient Self Service

Online booking systems are akin to self-service portals. Your patients can book appointments based on the empty slots appearing on the system. They can do this from anywhere and when they feel most comfortable. Studies show that 91% of customers prefer self-service options.

Increase Sales With 24/7 Bookings

Ecommerce in any industry allows for around-the-clock sales. Potential customers have the freedom to buy anytime they want. But in the Cannabis industry, it can be challenging to operate 24/7 without reliable booking software.

Online cannabis business goes together with online booking systems. The need for bookings and consultations before ordering necessitates installing booking software. And booking of appointments comes before actual order.

Meaning, if you want to boost cannabis sales online, you need to invest in an online booking system. You want customers to be able to book as well as order your product 24/7.

Efficiently Manage Appointments

Efficiency is crucial when running an online business. Competition is fierce online and customer expectations are ever high. You have to be on top of your service game to outshine competitors and keep customers.

Online bookings will make you more efficient. You can receive instant notifications and you have less manual work to handle. You can also plan appointments and ensure each customer gets top-notch health care services.

Continuous updates of your availability help you to stay on top of your day. These systems can sync with your calendar to streamline bookings and make you more productive. You can make the most use of your day by seeing more patients.

Reduce No Shows

Telehealth patients are more likely to show up for their appointments. The chances of them forgetting reduce when you send reminders some hours before their appointment.

If a patient fails to show up, your booking system can notify your waiting list to fill the empty slot. You’ll have a predictable schedule and this allows you to maximize your time.

Reduce Workload and Save Time

Manual handling of phone calls and emails are some costly timewasters. Your staff may have too much workload on their plates. This affects the speed of service, efficiency, and customer satisfaction.

Automating bookings frees staff of the workload and allows them to focus on other tasks. These platforms can help to auto-sync your availability with the booking process. This cuts the need for manual work, removes double booking, and helps save your staff time.

Boost Revenues With Customer Follow-Ups and Upselling

One of the struggles of building a successful online business is finding an effective lead generation strategy. Studies show that the top challenge for 42.1 companies is finding a tactic that attracts potential qualified leads.

Online booking software not only boosts convenience but also boosts lead generation efforts. These tools can arm your marketing team with tons of valuable data that you can use for effective follow-up campaigns.

A typical marijuana patient can leave you with their names, contacts, emails, and data about their medical histories. This is data that you can leverage to launch personalized customer follow-up campaigns.

You have a chance of making more sales if you maximize customers’ data. You can create upselling packages and promote them to your patients based on their needs. You’ll give customers exactly what they need and, in turn, boost your revenues.

Transform Your Dispensary With an Online Booking Systems

Save time, speed-up customer service, and outshine your competitors with online booking systems. These systems can help boost customer retention and make your staff more productive.

DaySmart Appointments helps businesses reap the benefits of systems and efficiency. Take charge of your business by booking a free demo.