How eCommerce Stores Can Get the Most Out of WhatsApp Business and its New Payments Features

WhatsApp was first founded in 2009, and a little over a decade later, it has become one of the most prominent communication platforms in the world. Today, the app logs over 100 million calls in a single day, and the app is still just getting started. 

Over the years, WhatsApp has added video capabilities as well as group chat options. All of these unique features made it the perfect spot for businesses to interact with consumers in a more laid-back setting. 

The app has done a lot for companies over the years, including adding an off-shoot app called WhatsApp Business. If your organization isn’t currently utilizing this advantageous feature, then you’re missing out on a fantastic opportunity to increase engagement and boost sales.

How companies can leverage WhatsApp Business

In the modern digital age, businesses need to have multiple locations. In addition to a physical storefront and website, companies also need to have presences on social media and apps so that consumers can access them anytime, anywhere.

While organizations can create their own apps to sell products, they can do the same thing by downloading WhatsApp Business for free. Through this application, companies can establish mobile storefronts to show products as well as prices and images. Also WhatsApp Business has many useful features.

In the past, companies would need to send one product at a time. Now, people who use the app can see an entire catalog effortlessly. Businesses can utilize this through the “Catalog” feature of the app.

It’s for this reason many businesses have begun to send customers to their WhatsApp pages rather than their websites, according to Reuters. For many people, it’s simpler to navigate WhatsApp on a phone than a website on a computer.

Through seamless integration, businesses can turn passive consumers into active buyers. And if customers have any questions or comments, then they can contact the business directly through the app.

It’s no secret that Internet calling has transformed the way many companies do business. If consumers have any questions, they can press a button and talk to someone in a matter of seconds. You’re doing them a huge favor by having everything accessible on a single platform. 

How the WhatsApp Business payments feature works

It’s critical to have an efficient, secure payment system regardless of what platform you use. According to one study, 59 percent of consumers remain loyal to a company based on the speed by which payments are processed. And you can ensure your payments are optimized when you utilize WhatsApp Business.

WhatsApp is powered by Facebook Pay’s software. Therefore, payments through the app will be similar to that of Facebook. Users will be able to enter their credit card information in the settings area and from there pay for anything with a few clicks.

Although there are misconceptions that WhatsApp is not secure based on the fact the U.N. banned the app, the platform has made serious strides in ensuring customers’ and businesses’ information remains safe. For starters, the app asks users to identify themselves with a six-digit pin number or a fingerprint scan.

Therefore, customers can start a chat with a business, and directly in the chat, they can pay for a product that will then be sent to them. WhatsApp also retains chat histories for up to a year, so users can pick up from previous conversations if they decide to buy something later. Chat histories can be backed up longer with a specific service, so businesses can retain that user relationship for quite some time.

This opens up an entirely new revenue stream for businesses. They can talk to a customer about a product, similar to talking with someone in the store before they buy something.

This makes the purchasing process feel much more personal. Additionally, companies can better track customers’ journeys. There will inevitably be some conversations that fizzle out without a purchase, and you can see what you can improve upon to boost your conversion rate.

How to create a mobile messaging strategy

Storefronts are quickly becoming a thing of the past. With the help of WhatsApp integrations with popular eCommerce platforms, practically anyone can create an online shop and sell wares to consumers. However, without a storefront, owners face a new challenge: getting the word out about the business.

Many of these eCommerce platforms give you the tools you need to study analytics to see how many consumers visit the site in question and how many of those visitors result in sales. Conversion rate is merely one Key Performance Indicator to keep an eye on. You can see just how far customers got on your website before clicking away. But WhatsApp allows you to do something a bit different.

The chat feature available with WhatsApp presents unique opportunities you won’t get elsewhere. For starters, the conversation doesn’t have to end just because a purchase was made. The representative can reach out to the customer to inform him or her when the package ships.

The representative can check in some time later to see how the customer has enjoyed the product. This leads to more brand trust because the customer feels more of kinship toward the organization.

As time goes on, the business can reach out to inform the customer of promotions and even make upsells. The customer feels more inclined to stick with this business because there’s more of a bond there. Over 3 million businesses have already started using the app, so don’t fall behind the competition and download it for your own use today.

Give your eCommerce business a boost

eCommerce is the way of the future. But even solely having a website seems quaint these days. You need to make sure your business can be found on an array of apps and websites, and WhatsApp Business is a great place to start. It’s also important to develop a comprehensive understanding of how the web works will help you and your customers to deal better with complex online issues.

With multiple streams, you can analyze each one to see where you get the most conversions and where you get the least. With a little analysis, you learn where to devote most of your energy so that your business can thrive.

The app streamlines the process so that people who work for you can easily navigate it to help customers. It may just become an integral component of your sales processes once you get going.