PotMates is a cannabis delivery service based in Portland, Oregon, that leads with a customer-first mentality, pairing reliable, friendly service with a curated selection of high-quality products. Online orders represent the core of their business model, so providing a seamless online checkout experience was paramount. After struggling with clunky, disjointed WordPress builds and slow API integrations, they switched to the BLAZE unified ecosystem. By leveraging BLAZE POS, ECOM, and BLAZE Sites, PotMates transformed their digital storefront into a conversion-focused flagship that has significantly boosted revenue and operational efficiency.
The Challenge: Escaping the “Clunky” Custom Build
Before adopting BLAZE ECOM, PotMates operated on a WordPress site using WooCommerce. They attempted to build a custom solution using the Metrc API, but the results were underwhelming.
- Slow Site Speeds: The custom API integration made the website incredibly slow, hindering the user experience.
- Brand Disconnection: Previous POS platforms forced a “marketplace” look that didn’t allow for custom branding, making their e-commerce feel decoupled from their content.
- Operational Friction: Managing inventory and promotions across multiple platforms was labor-intensive and prone to error.
- Low Conversions: Despite having a decent website, they couldn’t optimize for conversions because their content site and e-commerce menu were separate.
The Solution: A Unified, Brand-First Ecosystem
The “aha moment” for PotMates owner Hammond Potter came during a BLAZE webinar showcasing the integration between BLAZE POS and ECOM, and later the launch of BLAZE Sites.
PotMates moved their entire digital presence to BLAZE to achieve:
- Seamless Branding: BLAZE Sites allowed for a fluid transition between content and e-commerce, ensuring the digital storefront matched the brand’s high-end aesthetic.
- Integrated Delivery Management: As a delivery-only business, PotMates needed a system that streamlined the path from online order to dispatch. The BLAZE dispatching and mobile delivery driver app enabled them to significantly improve delivery times.
- One-System Management: By unifying POS, ECOM, and Sites, they eliminated the need to manage inventory in multiple places. This saves valuable time and resources and provides a consistent brand experience from the moment they land on the homepage to the time they checkout and receive order updates.
Listen to Hammond Potter elaborate on why he chose to switch to BLAZE for a fully branded online shopping experience.
The Results: Seamless Ordering and Higher Revenue
1. Unprecedented Sales Growth
Since launching BLAZE Sites, PotMates has seen an immediate and sustained lift in business.
Significant Revenue Lift: YOY revenue increased by 20%
Record-Breaking Months: October and November were the strongest months for both revenue and profit in the company’s history.
Higher Order Value: The average order value (AOV) increased by $2–$3.
Customer Retention: There has been a 13% YOY increase in returning traffic and “win-backs” of customers who hadn’t purchased in a while.
2. Strategic SEO and Search Performance
Comparing the past four months on BLAZE Sites to the previous year, the platform has driven massive growth in visibility and engagement:
User Growth: 33% increase in total users (+2,475 users).
Organic Surge: 40% increase in organic traffic.
Traffic Quality: 13% increase in returning traffic and a 19% increase in total page views.
Product Discovery: 21% increase in e-commerce product page views.
3. Radical Operational Efficiency
The “one-system” approach has drastically reduced the time required for back-of-house tasks.
Faster Fulfillment: It now takes only 2–5 minutes to pack and process an order for delivery.
Streamlined Dispatch: Orders coming in batches are processed much faster, allowing the team to complete more deliveries per day.
World-Class Onboarding: The transition was supported by a methodical onboarding process with a dedicated guide for every step.
4. A World-Class Onboarding Experience
The transition to BLAZE was supported by a “methodical and thorough” onboarding process.
- Dedicated Support: A knowledgeable onboarding coach helped PotMates through every step until final launch.
- Fun Training: The self-paced “BLAZE University” allowed the team to hit the ground running.
- On-Time Delivery: Communication between BLAZE teams ensured the project stayed on schedule.
YOY Increase in Website Users
33%
YOY Increase in Organic Traffic
40%
YOY Increase in Revenue
20%
YOY Increase in Returning Traffic
13%
YOY Increase in Page Views
19%
YOY Increase in ECOM Page Views
21%
SEO and Search Performance: A Strategic Shift
Before migrating to BLAZE Sites, PotMates worked hard to establish a strong SEO foundation. While the transition to BLAZE Sites initially required a deeper look at some shifting metrics, the platform’s integrated tools allowed them to maintain a highly competitive search presence.
- Conversion-First Optimization: While some raw SEO numbers shifted during the change, the site’s revenue increased significantly, proving that the new layout was better at converting the organic traffic they already had.
- Seamless Transition: Working with City Park Design, PotMates was able to rebuild the specialized SEO content previously created by Range Marketing directly into the BLAZE Sites framework, ensuring their hard-earned search equity was preserved.
- Engagement Signals: The brand has observed an uptick in web sessions, indicating that customers are staying on the site longer and engaging more deeply with the content.
- Built-in Toolset: PotMates now utilizes BLAZE’s native SEO dashboard, which automatically identifies technical issues like broken links or missing meta tags to help them rank higher in localized searches.
Looking Ahead: AI-Driven Online Shopping
PotMates is currently looking toward the BLAZE innovation roadmap, specifically the BLAZE AI Budtender. Having experienced the performance of BLAZE’s AI product recommendations, Potter is eager to integrate a natural language chatbot to provide conversational, context-aware assistance to shoppers.