The Problem: Your Dispensary Ecommerce Platform Isn’t Pulling Its Weight
You’re already spending thousands on your dispensary ecommerce site, POS system, loyalty tools, and everything else that keeps your dispensary running. But here’s the question most people forget to ask: is it giving anything back?
Of course its bringing in revenue, but since you can’t always write off the big stuff (thanks, 280E), you need to find other ways to make your tech stack work harder for you.
The good news? You can. And you don’t need to overhaul your operations; you just need to use your website the way the big retailers do.
Big Retail Moves: Merchandising = Revenue
Think about your favorite national retailers, Target, Walmart, Best Buy. You know what they don’t do? Give away homepage space for free.
Whether it’s an in-store endcap or a featured product online, those placements are monetized. Brands pay to show up where customers are already shopping. Those little “sponsored” or “ad” tags? That means someone paid to be in your line of sight. Because they know it works.
Your dispensary’s website has that same potential.
What Is a Featured Brand and Why Brands Will Pay for It
Featured brands are exactly what they sound like: brands that get premium placement across your site. Think homepage sliders, hero spots, landing pages, blog callouts, and more.
Brands want this visibility. It drives traffic to their products, increases sell-through at your store, and helps them stand out in a crowded market. It also builds a stronger relationship with you, the retailer.
And yes, they’ll usually pay for the opportunity.
Some dispensaries sell featured placement for extra revenue each month. Others offer it as part of wholesale agreements to get better prices on products. The bottom line? It boosts their visibility and your revenue.
How to Offer Featured Brand Placement
Turning your website into a revenue channel doesn’t have to be complicated.
Step 1: Look at Your Data
Start with the brands you already stock and identify which ones are the most popular with your customers. Look at your top sellers, your repeat purchases, and even seasonal favorites. These are the brands that benefit most from visibility, and they give you real leverage when you pitch the value of being featured.
Step 2: Define Your Real Estate
Not all placements are created equal. Think of your website like a retail shelf:
- Top Shelf (Hero Section Above the Fold): Premium homepage slider or featured block. The highest visibility. The highest value.
- Middle Shelf (Mid-Page Features): Still visible, but lower down. Think “editor’s picks” or “staff favorites.”
- Bottom Shelf (Lower Visibility): Still valuable, especially on landing pages or collection pages, but priced accordingly.
Pricing can vary from dispensary to dispensary.
Step 3: Pitch the Brands
Once you’ve got your list and your pricing, reach out. Highlight your audience, your traffic, and how many eyes their brand will be in front of. A quick one-pager or slide deck can help here.
Pro tip: Include a blog post or email feature to sweeten the deal.
Step 4: Set It Up and Go Live
Here’s where Rank Really High makes it easy.
With your native dispensary ecommerce site, you can add a featured brand slider to your homepage’s hero section or drop it into a blog post or landing page. No developer required. Just a few clicks and it’s live.
More Ways to Monetize with Surfside and Jane Media
Want to go beyond your own brand partnerships? Tap into two powerful media tools built for cannabis ecommerce.
Surfside:
Surfside helps you turn your site traffic into high-margin, passive revenue by activating brand-sponsored ads across your website. Only show ads for products you actually carry, and let Surfside handle the targeting, tracking, and revenue share.
It works seamlessly with your ecommerce platform, letting you offer:
- Sponsored product listings
- Interactive ads
- Native ad units throughout your storefront
And the best part? You control the placements and the partnerships.
Jane Media:
If you use Jane, their Media network lets brands pay to appear on your menu. It’s another way to turn product visibility into revenue, without doing any extra work.
You’re already using their platform. Why not get paid for it?
Your Website Is Valuable Real Estate. Start Monetizing It
You’ve worked hard to build your dispensary. You’ve invested in the tools, the team, and the website. Now it’s time to make sure those investments return the favor.
Your dispensary ecommerce website shouldn’t just list your products. It should pay for itself.
With featured brand placements, smart merchandising, and tools like Surfside and Jane Media, your website can become a new revenue stream, without compromising the customer experience.