How to sell CBD on the Internet?

The popularity of CBD (cannabidiol) has been exploding in recent years, particularly in Europe where its democratisation is fairly recent. Well known for its therapeutic virtues and multiple health benefits, CBD can be found in physical shops as well as online. That being said, CBD shops online are very popular with consumers who can access a wide range of products in a fast, efficient and secure way.

If you too are interested in developing your CBD business online, then this article is for you. Without further ado, we'll explain how to sell CBD online and what the main steps are to get you started tomorrow.

Do you need a license to sell CBD?

No, you don't need a licence and there are no specific steps for marketing CBD products in the UK. It is therefore possible to offer CBD products in a shop specialising in the sale of vape without having to carry out any additional steps. However, in some countries such as the US, the law requires a business licence, whereas in the UK, you only need to be registered with the Registre du Commerce et des Sociétés (RCS).

To sell CBD products online, the first thing to do is therefore to obtain a registration number from the RCS.

How to sell CBD online in 4 steps.

Find a certified supplier

Once your company is registered, the first step is tofind a reputable and serious supplier to provide you with premium quality CBD products. This is also the time to choose the products you will offer to your customers: flowers, resins, oils, crystals, capsules, etc.

Although you do not need a license, your supplier, on the other hand, must have the necessary certifications to sell you their product. Don't hesitate to ask your wholesaler questions to find out more about the provenance, production and quality of the product. Take the time to check that the products have been laboratory tested and that all accreditations are reliable.

This first step may seem tedious but it is absolutely necessary for the sustainability of your Internet CBD business.

Build your website

After the paperwork and product selection, you will finally be able to find a name for your brand and create your website. So you'll need a unique domain name that is consistent, original and captivating.

You can easily get your domain name from most website creation platforms. On the internet, you will find many platforms that allow you to create an e-commerce site quickly (Wordpress, Shopify, Wix, etc).

The construction of your website encompasses several missions: the creation of pages, the choice of colours, the writing of SEO-optimised articles and product sheets, webmarketing campaigns, and many others. Done with care, this step naturally reinforces the credibility and notoriety of your website.

You also need to set up a secure credit card payment system, which can be tricky for CBD products as the payment gateway landscape has changed significantly in this industry.

Market your CBD products

Now that your website is live, it's time to bring in the buyers. You might think the mantra "build it and they will come" rings true but in reality, it's far from it.

In a country where it is difficult to market CBD using many popular methods (such as Facebook ads, YouTube ads and other common e-commerce marketing channels ban these products from their advertising platforms), there are still two viable options that have the potential to bring in a lot of profit if you play your hand right.

The first is SEO, or the art and science of getting Google to rank your site above others in search results to show your website to potential buyers first. To be successful with SEO, you will need a professional SEO to audit your site. They can ensure that Google looks favourably on things like your site speed, metadata, image optimisation and other components. These elements help Google believe that your website is worthy of being shown to visitors.

You can also create a blog, master keyword research skills and publish new content that captures the attention of what people are searching for. Make sure you target terms that attract potential buyers, not just visitors looking for information on the topic.

Once you start attracting organic visitors to your website through your SEO efforts, you can create a mailing list and use your website to grow it. In exchange for an email address, you can offer discounts or even free informative PDFs and CBD training.

Fulfill and ship customer orders

Of course, you're going to need a system to store your CBD products and manage inventory over time. When you start out, this can be done at home. After several months, you can expand to become a distribution centre by signing a warehouse lease or outsourcing the distribution.

Just make sure your order processing technology syncs well with your e-commerce platform, payment processor and other software. For example, there are technology-based fulfillment companies with warehouses to help you spend less time worrying about packaging and shipping orders and more time building your brand.

The challenges of selling CBD online

Once your CBD shop is up and running, you'll likely face new challenges as you grow. And one of the biggest challenges regarding selling CBD online is competition.

In a saturated market, it is imperative that you consider your competitors. Consider the following questions: What keywords do your competitors rank for and how can you write better content to outrank them? What types of products do they offer and how can you stand out? What can you do differently from your competitors? What are your brand strengths and what do people like about your website?

By answering all these questions and putting your best intentions into them, you will be able to open your CBD shop online and grow it without any problems.