Retail & Online Cannabis

Case Study
The Green Bouquet

The Green Bouquet Cannabis Inc. experienced significant challenges with their previous Squarespace website, including poor SEO performance, limited flexibility, slow loading speeds, and inadequate support. To address these issues, MGG Digital Consulting implemented a comprehensive digital development strategy with lead generation and SEO in mind. This involved migration to a WordPress platform, integrating BLAZE eComm – an SEO-friendly, cannabis-industry specific point of sale suite, an SEO-focused layout of website content, location-specific landing pages, new and updated blog posts, as well as ongoing SEO efforts. To measure the impact of these changes, key SEO metrics were analyzed to compare the current performance with the previous six months. Furthermore, future initiatives will focus on implementing a CRM system, a newsletter, and a chatbot to enhance customer engagement and drive business growth.

ABOUT THE CLIENT:

The Green Bouquet Cannabis Inc. is a female-owned and operated cannabis dispensary located in the Muskoka Lakes town of Port Sydney, Ontario. The company offers a wide variety of cannabis products and accessories, including flower, edibles, concentrates, and topicals. They offer delivery services when the weather permits, but they have a full online shop, and their brick and mortar store is open seven days a week.

The Green Bouquet stands apart in its industry through a focus on four key areas:

Locally Owned and Operated: Appeals to customer desire to support local businesses and fosters community engagement.
Wide Variety of Products and Accessories: Attracts customers seeking specific products or those looking to explore new options within the cannabis market.
Female-Owned & Operated: Appeals to customers seeking to support women in business and aligns with broader social movements.
Locally Sourced & Activist-Owned: Supports local economy, minimizes environmental impact, and resonates with customers valuing ethical and socially conscious businesses.
Focus on Fresh & Natural Products: Attracts discerning customers prioritizing health and wellness by offering high-quality, minimally processed cannabis.

THE CHALLENGE

The Green Bouquet Cannabis approached us with a significant problem: their website, hosted on Squarespace, was failing to meet the demands of their growing business. They were not ranking high enough in search engine results for local traffic, cottagers, or tourists from around the Muskoka region to find their website organically. While Squarespace can be a quick and accessible platform for smaller or less complex websites, it posed severe limitations for their business. Their site was slow, lacked flexibility for updates, and performed poorly in search engine optimization (SEO), which directly impacted their visibility and customer acquisition. Additionally, Squarespace’s support services made it challenging for them to resolve technical issues promptly, exemplified by a server crash that made the site inaccessible for an entire weekend. The rigidity of their website structure hindered any meaningful updates or improvements to keep up with their evolving needs.

This lack of functionality was particularly problematic for a competitive and highly localized industry like cannabis retail, where visibility and user experience are critical to standing out. The Green Bouquet Cannabis also recognized the need for a comprehensive digital marketing strategy, including content creation and ongoing SEO optimization, to improve their brand’s reach and authority in the market. However, their current setup made it nearly impossible to implement these strategies effectively. They needed a solution that could deliver both technical and strategic improvements.

OUR APPROACH

To address these challenges, MGG Digital Consulting began by migrating their website from Squarespace to WordPress. This transition was pivotal, as WordPress is a far more robust platform that offers flexibility, speed, and a strong foundation for SEO optimization. Here’s how we approached the project:

Website Migration and Optimization

SEO-Friendly Design: We created a sleek, modern website with an emphasis on SEO-friendly structure. WordPress allowed us to incorporate industry-best practices, such as clean URLs, optimized meta tags, and fast-loading pages.
Performance Improvements: Squarespace’s slow performance was replaced with a high-speed WordPress site optimized for both desktop and mobile users.
Flexibility for Updates: Unlike Squarespace, WordPress offered the flexibility to make continuous updates and changes to the website. This was crucial for keeping the content fresh and aligned with The Green Bouquet Cannabis’ evolving business goals.
Enhanced User Experience: We prioritized intuitive navigation, clear calls-to-action, and a user-friendly design to improve customer engagement.

Content Creation and Ongoing SEO

After the website migration, we implemented an ongoing SEO strategy to increase their visibility in search engines. This included:

Blog Posts: Monthly blog updates to establish The Green Bouquet Cannabis as a thought leader in their industry and attract organic traffic.
Keyword Strategy: We conducted thorough keyword research to identify terms that resonated with their target audience and integrated these strategically throughout the site.
Backlink Strategy: Partnering with relevant websites and directories to build high-quality backlinks.

Location Pages

One of the most impactful aspects of our SEO strategy was the creation and optimization of location-specific pages. These pages were designed to target local customers and drive foot traffic to their stores, particularly in high-priority regions. The success of the location pages underscored the importance of visibility among potential customers segmented by region, particularly in industries with a strong local component like cannabis retail:

Targeting Cottage Country: To capitalize on seasonal traffic from cottagers and tourists, we created region specific landing pages focused on popular cottage country locations like the popular tourist destination town, Huntsville. This included researching specific areas with high tourism and second-home ownership, crafting content that highlighted their proximity to The Green Bouquet Cannabis stores, and emphasizing the convenience of stopping by for cannabis products.
Localized SEO Optimization: Each location page was carefully optimized with localized keywords, directions, and area-specific offerings to ensure visibility in local search results. These pages not only boosted their presence in search engines but also positioned The Green Bouquet Cannabis as a go-to option for both residents and visitors.
Driving Engagement: By showcasing relevant products and promotions tailored to each location, we encouraged potential customers to visit in person, enhancing both foot traffic and overall sales.

Integrating Blaze ECom to Elevate E-Commerce with SEO-Integrated Solutions

We implemented Blaze ECom, a WordPress-compatible, cannabis-specific POS and e-commerce platform. From an operations standpoint, this platform allows us to sync The Green Bouquet’s retail and online stores, simplifying the checkout process with real-time data. From an SEO perspective, Blaze ECom is a tool that we used to complete a variety of lead generating and search engine optimizing tasks:

Indexable Product URLs: On The Green Bouquet’s previous online shop, products were not individually searchable outside of the shop’s own search feature. Now, we created static URLs for each product, category, and brand, allowing search engines to effectively crawl and index The Green Bouquet’s online store. This native integration connects these pages directly to the main domain, improving the site’s online presence and search engine rankings.
Optimized Menu Pages For Search Engines: Menus that are embedded, particularly those that use iFrames, are not SEO-friendly and cannot be crawled by search engines. We were able to utilize Blaze ECom to ensure that all The Green Bouquet’s store menus are both crawlable and indexable by Google.
Create Customized Meta Data: We customized SEO titles and meta descriptions to incorporate geolocation keywords and buyer intent phrases, enhancing visibility and engagement with local audiences for the brand’s menu pages.
Improved User Experience: MGG Digital Consulting improved the online shop in both customer usability as well as its organic rankings in search engines while simultaneously driving organic traffic to the online shop.

Exploring Additional Tools and Strategies

To support their growth further, we began discussions about implementing advanced tools. These additional tools are designed to streamline operations, enhance customer relationships, and create a seamless user experience across all touchpoints:

Customer Relationship Management (CRM): A CRM system to help them manage customer data, track interactions, and improve marketing campaigns.
Email Newsletters: Regular newsletters to keep customers engaged and informed about new products, promotions, and updates.
Chatbots: Automated chat solutions to provide instant customer support and improve lead generation.

THE RESULTS

While the project is still ongoing, early results are highly promising. The new WordPress site has already addressed the major pain points that The Green Bouquet Cannabis faced with their Wix platform. Here are some of the initial outcomes:

Improved Website Performance

Faster Load Times: The new site’s performance has significantly improved, with faster loading speeds across all devices. This not only enhances the user experience but also positively impacts SEO rankings.
Flexible Updates: The team at The Green Bouquet Cannabis can now make updates to their site with ease, keeping content relevant and engaging.

Enhanced SEO Metrics

Early indicators show:

Increased Organic Traffic: The SEO strategy, including optimized blogs and location pages, has already started driving more organic traffic to the website.
Higher Rankings: The site is ranking higher for targeted keywords, making it more visible to potential customers.
Better Local Reach: Location-specific optimizations have improved visibility in local searches, helping drive foot traffic to their stores.

Ongoing Content Updates

We are now updating their blog and web content monthly. This consistent stream of fresh, relevant content ensures that their website remains a valuable resource for both existing and potential customers. It also supports ongoing SEO efforts by keeping the site active and engaging for search engines.

Foundation for Future Growth

By migrating to WordPress and implementing a solid SEO strategy, we’ve laid the groundwork for future digital marketing initiatives. The discussions around CRM, newsletters, and chatbots reflect The Green Bouquet Cannabis’ commitment to staying ahead of the curve in customer engagement and retention.

LOOKING AHEAD

The partnership with The Green Bouquet Cannabis is far from over. We’re excited to continue driving results through:

Advanced SEO Reporting: Comprehensive metrics to track improvements and refine strategies.
CRM Integration: Helping the team better manage customer data and marketing campaigns.
Email Marketing: Building a robust newsletter strategy to maintain customer engagement.
AI Chatbots: Exploring automated solutions to enhance customer support and lead generation.

These ongoing efforts will ensure that The Green Bouquet Cannabis remains competitive in the rapidly evolving cannabis retail market. The combination of a strong digital foundation and innovative marketing tools positions them for sustainable growth.

The Green Bouquet Cannabis is a prime example of how a strategic approach to digital transformation can address key pain points and unlock new opportunities for growth. By migrating their site to WordPress, implementing ongoing SEO strategies, and exploring advanced tools like CRM and chatbots, we’ve equipped them with the tools they need to thrive in a competitive market. We look forward to building on this foundation and driving even greater results in the future.

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Case Study The Green Bouquet