Regulations Are Tightening &
Your Margins Are Shrinking
You need a way to acquire and retain customers while building a marketing moat that secures your business's future.
Clients We've Helped
Does This Sound Like You?
Your store is invisible
Your visibility is declining
Your customers don't stick
Your margins are at stake
Here's How We'll Help
We’ll build an acquisition channel that predictably brings you new customers
We’ll implement a local search engine optimization (SEO) strategy that ranks your store at the top of Google and AI platforms for high-value local keywords like “dispensary near me” and “cbd near me.” Now you’ll be visible to potential customers in your area at the exact moment they’re searching for products you sell – instead of hoping and praying that passers-by stop in and visit your store.
We’ll build a retention engine that turns first-timer buyers into repeat customers
We’ll implement an email and SMS marketing strategy that turns one-off buyers into customers who visit your store repeatedly by sending them valuable content and carefully-timed discounts that they’ll actually open, read, and take action on. Now you’ll be able to cultivate a profitable fanbase of satisfied long-time customers instead of relying on transient buyers who are just looking for a discount.
We’ll help you future-proof your business against regulations and competition
By implementing a marketing system that acquires customers predictably while retaining and building relationships with your existing ones, we’ll help you ensure your business stays profitable, even as laws change and the stores around you race to the bottom. We’ll help you identify and market robust product categories that are more immune to regulatory changes, while also building the type of customer loyalty that goes beyond just getting the best deals possible.
How It Works
1. Discovery call
We’ll jump on a 20-minute call to discuss your business’s needs, go over your current marketing situation, and see if we’re a good fit to work together. No sales pitches; the sole purpose of this call is for us to learn about each other and see if working together makes sense.
2. Custom strategy
We’ll build a custom marketing strategy for your business, based on your current situation, your market, your goals, and your budget. The tactics we execute within each channel – and the velocity with which we execute – is a completely custom and based on what your business needs to reach new heights.
3. Aggressive execution
We’ll execute aggressively for your business the second our engagement begins. Strategy and initial audits will be completed in the first week, after which we’ll move right into shipping the new items and changes needed to build your business’s customer acquisition and retention. Many agencies start slow and take 1-2 months to accomplish anything major. Not us.
4. High-impact reporting
We deliver two types of ongoing reporting: 1) weekly updates recapping what was done, what we’re focused on next, and the trajectory of the project, and 2) easy-to-understand monthly reports on the metrics that actually indicate business growth: revenue, traffic, conversion rate, and Google Business Profile engagements. You’ll always know exactly what’s happening and how it’s working.
Cannabis Verticals We Serve
Cannabis Dispensaries
Cannabis Delivery
CBD Stores
Smoke & Vape Shops
Here's What Our Clients Think
We’ve worked with Aperture Growth on multiple projects, and as a satisfied client, I can confidently say they consistently deliver both reliability and results. Wells is a pleasure to work with – always friendly, punctual, competent and honest. His ability to communicate a clear plan of action and keep us informed every step of the way has made a huge difference. Whether it’s a site optimization project or broader growth strategy, the team has shown a strong grasp of what drives measurable performance. If you’re looking to elevate your company’s online presence or improve your website’s impact, I highly recommend Aperture. They’ve been an integral part of our growth efforts, and we’re grateful for their continued support and professionalism.
– Dr. Sacha Nemcov, Founder of RickSimpsonOil.Com
Working with Wells from Aperture has been nothing short of transformational for our business. He has been instrumental in taking us from a small local presence to a true national brand. Wells is honest, straightforward, and always sets clear expectations. He doesn’t shy away from challenges and consistently finds solutions that drive results.
One of his biggest successes has been getting us top rankings for multiple competitive keywords, which has been a huge driver of our visibility and growth. What really sets Wells apart is his ability to pivot beyond just SEO. He’s helped us with email marketing campaigns and flows, website design, and other growth strategies that have skyrocketed our sales.
His guidance has been invaluable, and we’re incredibly thankful for everything he has done for us. Wells is not only an essential part of our growth story but also someone we see as a long-term partner in our business. We look forward to continuing this successful relationship for many years to come.
– Noah Fishbane, Co-Founder, Carolina Hemp Cafe
Wells Westmoreland
Wells Westmoreland is the founder of Aperture, the marketing agency built specifically to help restricted retailers grow their revenue while building a moat against regulatory changes, market commodification, and the many other stumbling blocks that trailblazers in cannabis, hemp, and similar verticals face.
He has more than 5 years of SEO, email marketing, and brand development experience in the cannabis, hemp, and tobacco industries.
He’s seen restricted brands get sold down the river by clueless agencies that don’t know the vertical they’re operating in, and he’s seen entire product lines get wiped out overnight by rogue regulations that help politicians and giant lobbies, but deprive customers of the wellness products they rely on to have a quality of life – and the businesses that sell them of an amazing opportunity to create change.
Through Aperture, he’s on a singular mission: help cannabis, hemp, and other restricted-vertical retailers acquire customers, retain them, and build a marketing moat that ensures their survival through the toughest regulatory and market difficulties.
Book Your Marketing Audit + Discovery Call
Frequently Asked Questions
Who do you work best with?
We work best with cannabis dispensaries, cannabis delivery companies, CBD stores, and smoke/vape shops doing a minimum of $25k/mo in revenue. If this is you, book a call with us to see if we’d be a good fit!
On the flipside, we likely won’t be a good fit if: 1) You expect a specific marketing tactic, channel, or agency to save your business from failure. 2) You aren’t investing in other local marketing efforts. 3) You just want to try out digital marketing for a couple of months to see how it works.
How long does it take to see results?
Most SEO and marketing agencies say it takes 6 months to see results, but most businesses can actually see results much sooner with the proper execution.
You can expect it to take 1-2 months for initial revenue increases, and 4-6 months for large gains. Our service has two primary parts: SEO, to acquire customers, and email marketing, to retain them. SEO takes 3-6 months to begin driving significant amounts of new customers, while email marketing begins working nearly instantly once it’s set up.
What’s the typical ROI on your services?
Our clients frequently see a 5-6x ROI on their spend with us in the first 6 months, and due to the compounding nature of our acquisition and retention system, there is essentially zero limit on the ROI you can see over the long term. We have several clients generating a 10x ROI or better on their investment with us.
Do you guarantee results?
We can’t guarantee SEO or email marketing results because we have no direct control over Google and search platforms.
However, we do strictly abide by our promise: we’ll add $10-30k of revenue to your brand’s bottom line in 6 months or less, or we’ll work for free until we do.
What makes you different from other marketing agencies?
Three big things.
1) We only work with cannabis, hemp, and other restricted brands. We have in-depth knowledge of the industry – the challenges, laws, customers, and so forth – and dozens of connections with industry media platforms and specialty service providers. Simply put, we’re able to execute a marketing program for your business far more effectively than an agency that doesn’t work much in the space.
2) We build a revenue growth system for your business; we don’t just sell you deliverables. The services we provide for your business are designed to work together to help you acquire more customers and retain them for longer. Many brands struggle because their SEO and email marketing agencies don’t communicate, which results in the creation of a fragmented customer experience that doesn’t result in as much revenue growth as it could. Additionally, many agencies sell cookie-cutter packages of deliverables (e.g. monthly blog posts, monthly email campaigns) that aren’t well-adapted to the marketing gaps and needs your business actually has. When you work with us, our team designs and executes a customer marketing system that converts potential customers to paying customers by influencing them from the moment they discover your brand to when they’re making their 10th purchase from you.
3) We’re business owners ourselves. Our founder is also the co-founder of a local home service business and is intimately aware of the marketing systems needed to acquire and retain local customers in a way that actually creates business growth. We treat your business like it’s one of our own, from the way we strategize and execute to the way we serve as a sounding board for you as you navigate complex issues around marketing regulations, product selections, and the balance between online and in-person local marketing.
Do you require a long term contract?
Absolutely not. We work on a month-to-month basis and believe in winning your business month in and month out by executing relentlessly, driving great results, and delivering you attentive customer service from people who actually care and are invested in your success.
Our average client stays with us for over a year: not because we force them to, but because we’re dedicated to delivering results for and helping them in any way we can, day in and day out.
Do you work with e-commerce businesses in the cannabis, hemp, and tobacco industries, too?
Yes, we do. While our bread and butter is restricted-vertical brick-and-mortar retail growth, we do work with quite a few e-commerce brands to help them drive more organic and email revenue. Reach out!