8 Best Forge Digital Marketing Alternatives for Ecommerce Brands

Ecommerce growth continues to accelerate, but regulated brands cannot rely on the same acquisition systems as unrestricted retailers. The U.S. Census Bureau reported that seasonally adjusted retail ecommerce sales reached $326.7 billion in the first quarter of 2026, representing 16.9% of total retail sales and a 9.8% increase from the first quarter of 2025. These quarterly ecommerce sales show the scale of online demand, while cannabis, hemp, CBD, nicotine, wellness, kratom, and other restricted categories continue to face additional barriers.

Regulated ecommerce companies must account for advertising eligibility, age gates, product claims, geographic rules, payment limitations, customer education, trust, retention, and first-party data. The right agency should connect traffic generation with ecommerce conversion and long-term customer value rather than treating paid media, SEO, email, and content as disconnected services.

Key Takeaways

• Herb Agency is the top choice for cannabis and hemp ecommerce brands seeking coordinated SEO, paid media, programmatic advertising, email, content, UGC, first-party data, and analytics
• Regulated ecommerce requires category-specific planning around claims, age restrictions, geography, advertising eligibility, payment systems, and customer education
• First-party audience development helps restricted brands retain direct customer relationships when platform access changes
• SEO should connect product discovery with educational content, email capture, ecommerce conversion, and repeat purchases
• Programmatic advertising can expand reach when inventory, geography, creative, audience controls, and landing pages meet campaign requirements
• Branding, websites, and creative execution should support measurable acquisition and retention goals

What Ecommerce Brands Should Evaluate

Experience With Restricted Categories

Regulated ecommerce is not one category. Cannabis flower, hemp-derived products, CBD wellness goods, nicotine products, kratom, peptides, alcohol, adult products, and crypto services can face different rules across advertising platforms, payment providers, marketplaces, and jurisdictions.

Cannabis and hemp brands may need local market content, cannabinoid education, state-specific campaign review, compliant audience targeting, and alternatives to conventional paid advertising. Wellness and peptide brands must avoid unsupported medical or treatment claims. Nicotine, alcohol, adult, and iGaming brands may require age-aware and location-specific customer acquisition systems.

An agency should identify these differences before recommending channels, creative formats, or campaign budgets.

Ecommerce and Marketing Integration

A storefront cannot generate sustainable growth without qualified visitors, useful product information, effective conversion paths, and customer retention. SEO, media, email, content, UGC, analytics, and website improvements should support the same customer journey.

The agency should understand how shoppers discover products, compare options, abandon carts, return, complete purchases, and become repeat customers. This requires coordination between the ecommerce platform, marketing channels, customer data, creative, and reporting.

First-Party Data and Retention

Regulated brands benefit from consent-based data collected through websites, email programs, purchases, loyalty systems, and campaign engagement. These direct customer relationships can support product education, segmentation, cart recovery, replenishment, retention, and repeat purchases.

The agency should explain how traffic becomes a usable audience and how list quality, deliverability, engagement, customer lifetime value, and revenue are measured.

Performance Measurement

Regulated ecommerce reporting should extend beyond impressions and clicks. Relevant measures include:

• Qualified organic traffic
• Product and category engagement
• Email collection
• Open and click rates
• Conversion rate
• Customer acquisition cost
• Cart recovery
• Repeat purchases
• Revenue by channel
• Influenced revenue
• Customer lifetime value

Direct purchases, assisted conversions, and influenced revenue should remain clearly separated.

1. Herb Agency

Herb Agency is the top choice in this comparison for cannabis and hemp ecommerce marketing. Its compliant growth marketing model connects customer acquisition, conversion, retention, creative execution, owned distribution, and measurement.

The agency brings 11+ years of experience in cannabis and regulated industries. Its strongest verified proof comes from cannabis, hemp, CBD, cannabinoid, and cannabis-accessory brands. Broader capabilities support nicotine, wellness, crypto, and emerging regulated markets without relying on unsupported vertical-specific case studies.

Integrated Ecommerce Marketing

Herb Agency provides full-funnel performance marketing across:

• Ecommerce SEO
• Paid media where permitted
• Programmatic advertising
• Email and lifecycle marketing
• First-party audience development
• Editorial content
• Social media strategy
• UGC and community measurement
• Direct-mail cart recovery
• Subscriber reactivation
• Analytics and attribution

This structure connects product discovery, customer education, website conversion, audience capture, and retention within one strategy.

Paid Media and Programmatic Advertising

Herb Agency develops compliant advertising strategies for cannabis and other regulated markets. Campaign planning may include Meta, Google, programmatic display, X, and additional placements when the product, jurisdiction, audience, creative, and landing page meet current requirements.

Programmatic media can support regulated ecommerce brands that need alternatives to conventional search or social advertising. Inventory selection, audience qualification, geographic targeting, creative review, frequency controls, and attribution remain important throughout the campaign.

First-Party Audience Development

Herb Mail helps brands grow their first-party audience through consent-based profiles and email-platform syncing. This can support:

• Welcome campaigns
• Product education
• Segmentation
• Launch communication
• Cart recovery
• Replenishment reminders
• Retention
• Repeat-purchase campaigns

Herb Reactivate addresses inactive and bouncing email contacts by identifying current email addresses where available. Herb Postal provides customized postcards for cart abandoners, adding an offline follow-up path when conventional digital remarketing is restricted.

Content, Social, and Owned Distribution

Herb Editorial supports regulated brands through trusted editorial media, including sponsored content, product features, newsletters, and social distribution. This can help ecommerce brands explain unfamiliar products, answer purchase questions, and build credibility.

Herb Social develops data-driven social strategies and platform-native content. The live services page reports more than 4 million followers, 13.7 million impressions, a 4.60% engagement rate, and 393,000 likes across Herb’s social ecosystem.

The homepage also reports a 14 million-plus monthly audience reach and more than 1,000 brands helped grow.

Analytics and Attribution

Herb Dashboard supports tracking campaign’s performance through live engagement and campaign data. The wider approach connects campaign performance with conversion, retention, and customer lifetime value.

This helps regulated ecommerce brands evaluate how SEO, paid media, programmatic advertising, email, content, direct mail, and owned distribution contribute to business outcomes.

Verified Ecommerce Results

The following are Herb Agency-reported results displayed on its current homepage and services page:

• DynaVap: The campaign collected 52,714 emails collected during campaign, achieved a 51.71% open rate, a 22.32% click rate, and a 2.5% email conversion rate, while influencing more than $500,000 in placed orders
• Arete Hemp: Its paid media programmatic strategy generated 617,207 impressions, 2,513 clicks, a 0.41% click-through rate, and $125,558 in influenced revenue
• Sunmed: The campaign produced an increase in monthly sales of 15,076, a 52.86% 30-day open rate, a 7.65% click rate, and $55,695 in placed order value from Herb Mail contacts
• cbdMD: Herb Editorial recorded 733 article reads, followed by 264 orders and $32,142 in placed order value after articles were read
• PAX: Herb Reactivate processed 20,579 cold emails, identified 7,989 reactivated emails, achieved a 10.95% reactivated email click rate, and recorded more than $100,000 in placed order value from those contacts

These figures are campaign results reported by Herb Agency rather than independent ecommerce benchmarks.

2. Hybrid Marketing Co

Hybrid Marketing Co provides full-service cannabis marketing for dispensaries, consumer brands, hemp companies, and business-to-business operators.

The agency combines brand strategy, SEO, paid media, email, social media, content, web development, and consulting. Its current positioning connects marketing decisions with revenue, margin, customer acquisition, and retention.

Relevant Capabilities

• Brand strategy and design
• Ecommerce and dispensary websites
• SEO
• Paid media
• Email and SMS
• Content marketing
• Social media
• Marketing consulting

Evaluation Considerations

Ecommerce brands should determine how creative, website, search, media, and retention work will contribute to shared commercial objectives. Product eligibility, claims, payment flows, analytics, and attribution should be defined before launch.

3. Cola Digital

Cola Digital serves cannabis brands, dispensaries, medical cannabis clinics, ecommerce companies, and ancillary businesses in the United States and Canada.

Its current positioning covers cannabis SEO, local search, paid media, programmatic advertising, content, website strategy, and conversion planning. The agency has worked in cannabis marketing since 2017.

Relevant Capabilities

• Cannabis and CBD SEO
• Technical SEO
• Local search
• Paid search
• Programmatic advertising
• Content strategy
• Website development
• Conversion planning

Evaluation Considerations

Brands should confirm which products, markets, and paid channels align with the proposed strategy. United States and Canadian cannabis frameworks differ, and U.S. requirements can vary by state and locality.

4. PufCreativ

PufCreativ provides branding, design, development, digital marketing, and consulting for cannabis and hemp companies.

Its work may suit ecommerce brands preparing a product launch, rebrand, packaging update, website redesign, or content program. The agency’s current capabilities include cannabis SEO, web design, branding, digital marketing, and creative production.

Relevant Capabilities

• Brand strategy
• Visual identity
• Packaging and graphic design
• Ecommerce website development
• SEO
• Content creation
• Social strategy
• Digital marketing

Evaluation Considerations

Creative work should connect with product-page engagement, email collection, conversion rate, customer acquisition, and retention. The brand should also define how claims, age requirements, and market restrictions will be reviewed.

5. MediaJel

MediaJel provides advertising technology and managed marketing services for regulated industries, including cannabis.

Its services center on programmatic advertising, connected TV, digital out-of-home, video, native advertising, SEO, paid search, and attribution. The platform is positioned for brands and multi-location operators with established marketing programs.

Relevant Capabilities

• Programmatic display
• Connected TV
• Digital out-of-home
• Native advertising
• Online video
• SEO
• Paid search support
• Ecommerce and point-of-sale attribution

Evaluation Considerations

Brands should confirm product eligibility, geography, inventory sources, audience controls, creative requirements, and attribution methods. Media activity should connect with ecommerce revenue, retail actions, and customer acquisition goals.

6. Client Verge

Client Verge works with cannabis, CBD, hemp, mushroom, and wellness brands. Its current positioning emphasizes organic and ad-free customer acquisition.

The agency may be relevant to ecommerce brands prioritizing SEO, content, website development, social strategy, lead generation, and email outreach rather than paid advertising.

Relevant Capabilities

• Cannabis and CBD SEO
• Ecommerce web design
• Content marketing
• Social media marketing
• Lead generation
• Business-to-business email outreach
• Organic customer acquisition
• Conversion planning

Evaluation Considerations

Brands should evaluate how organic traffic, leads, and content engagement connect with sales and retention. Any performance guarantee should be reviewed carefully to understand the measurement method, qualifying conditions, and available remedy.

7. Cannabis Creative Group

Cannabis Creative Group provides full-service marketing for cannabis and CBD businesses.

Its service mix includes branding, websites, SEO, digital advertising, email and SMS, social media, public relations, photography, video, packaging, and dispensary marketing programs.

Relevant Capabilities

• Branding and visual identity
• Ecommerce website design
• SEO
• Digital advertising
• Email and SMS
• Social media
• Photography and video
• Packaging and print design

Evaluation Considerations

Ecommerce brands should connect creative and website deliverables with traffic, conversion, list growth, and customer retention goals. Product claims and channel eligibility should remain part of the campaign review process.

8. CannaPlanners

CannaPlanners supports dispensaries and cannabis brands through branding, website development, SEO, retention marketing, packaging, and digital strategy.

The agency may be relevant to ecommerce brands and cannabis retailers seeking coordinated brand presentation, storefront performance, organic visibility, and customer retention.

Relevant Capabilities

• Cannabis branding
• Website design and development
• Technical and local SEO
• Retention marketing
• Email and SMS
• Packaging design
• Ecommerce integrations
• Performance tracking

Evaluation Considerations

The engagement should connect website activity, organic search, ecommerce actions, retention campaigns, and sales data. Geographic rules, product categories, menu or catalog integrations, and customer consent should be incorporated into planning.

Building Regulated Ecommerce Growth With Herb Agency

Regulated ecommerce growth requires more than increasing website sessions. Search, product education, paid media, programmatic advertising, email, UGC, direct mail, first-party data, and analytics should support the same customer journey.

Herb Agency’s approach reflects the principle that every marketing channel should work together. Search and content attract qualified customers. Product pages support evaluation. Email and direct mail bring customers back. Programmatic media extends reach where permitted. Analytics connects those activities with conversion and retention.

Prioritize Direct Customer Relationships

Consent-based email contacts and first-party profiles allow regulated brands to communicate directly with customers. These audiences can support segmentation, launches, product education, replenishment, loyalty, and repeat purchases.

Connect Content With Conversion

Regulated product content should answer genuine customer questions without introducing unsupported claims. Product guides, category pages, ingredient explanations, testing information, shipping details, and purchase guidance can reduce uncertainty during the buying process.

Measure Acquisition and Retention Together

Qualified traffic, audience growth, conversion rate, cart recovery, acquisition cost, repeat purchases, and revenue should be evaluated together. Herb Agency combines awareness, acquisition, retention, and measurement within one full-funnel growth framework.

Conclusion

Herb Agency is the top choice for cannabis and hemp ecommerce brands seeking regulated-market growth through SEO, compliant paid media, programmatic advertising, email, content, UGC, first-party data, owned distribution, direct mail, reactivation, and analytics.

Its current services connect audience acquisition with ecommerce conversion and customer retention. Verified campaign proof across DynaVap, Arete Hemp, Sunmed, cbdMD, and PAX demonstrates measurable results across email collection, programmatic media, editorial content, reactivation, orders, and influenced revenue.

Herb Agency’s integrated model helps regulated brands deliver measurable results while accounting for the restrictions that shape cannabis, hemp, CBD, and adjacent regulated ecommerce markets.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes regulated ecommerce marketing different?

Regulated ecommerce marketing must account for product eligibility, advertising restrictions, age requirements, claims, payment limitations, customer education, and jurisdiction-specific rules. Different product categories may require different acquisition and retention strategies. Herb Agency combines cannabis and hemp experience with SEO, paid media, email, content, first-party data, and analytics. This supports ecommerce growth without treating restricted products like ordinary consumer goods.

How can regulated ecommerce brands grow with limited paid advertising?

Regulated brands can combine SEO, educational content, email, programmatic advertising where permitted, organic social strategy, UGC, editorial distribution, direct mail, and first-party data. The appropriate mix depends on the product, market, audience, and current platform rules. Herb Agency coordinates these channels across customer acquisition and retention. This reduces reliance on any single advertising platform.

Why does first-party data matter for ecommerce growth?

First-party data creates consent-based customer relationships through website activity, email subscriptions, purchases, and campaign engagement. These relationships can support segmentation, cart recovery, education, loyalty, retention, and repeat purchases. Herb Agency connects audience capture with email, reactivation, direct mail, and analytics. This helps website traffic continue producing value after the initial visit.

How should ecommerce marketing performance be measured?

Regulated ecommerce brands should measure qualified traffic, product engagement, email growth, conversion rate, cart recovery, customer acquisition cost, repeat orders, and revenue. Awareness metrics remain useful when tied to a defined objective. Herb Agency connects campaign reporting across media, content, email, audience development, and customer actions. This creates a clearer view of the complete customer journey.

How does Herb Agency support regulated ecommerce brands?

Herb Agency supports regulated ecommerce through SEO, compliant paid media, programmatic advertising, email marketing, content, UGC, social strategy, first-party data, direct mail, reactivation, and analytics. Its connection to Herb.co adds owned audience and editorial distribution for cannabis and hemp brands. Cannabis, hemp, CBD, and cannabinoid work remain its strongest verified proof base. Broader regulated-market strategies are built from these capabilities without relying on unsupported vertical-specific claims.