Three years ago, instant messaging service WhatsApp launched its own e-commerce platform called WhatsApp Business, which targeted small business owners to make it easy for them to communicate with their clients. The application, which is independent of the WhatsApp Messenger, has started to roll out more and more shopping features to develop the platform into a full-fledged e-commerce hub for businesses and consumers to seamlessly interact with one another.
WhatsApp recently released its latest feature, called Collections, which allows businesses to categorize their products to make it easier for customers to view groups of similar items, such as specific articles of clothing.
The Collections feature is a subset of WhatsApp Business’ Catalogs feature, which lets businesses showcase the products they offer for users to navigate with ease.
HOW TO CREATE COLLECTIONS WITH WHATSAPP BUSINESS
Creating a collection is easy. Simply log on to the WhatsApp Business app, click the “More” down arrow, then “Catalog,” then “Add new collection.”
You can quickly manage, rename and delete collections in the “Collections” tab underneath the “More” arrow.
HOW SHOPPING WORKS IN WHATSAPP
With WhatsApp Business, small businesses can effortlessly communicate with customers by responding to questions and can even fulfill orders placed on the app. Messenger users can also easily view and interact with a store’s products by clicking the shopping button on a store’s page in their contacts.
Users do need to have both apps installed on their devices and a WhatsApp account set up.
WHY YOU SHOULD USE WHATSAPP FOR YOUR E-COMMERCE BUSINESS
WhatsApp Business is perfect for small businesses that are intent on providing a stellar customer service experience. The platform helps shops and customers communicate efficiently using WhatsApp’s refined instant messaging services, which includes the ability to set up an automated response system that answers frequently asked questions.
The catalog feature is a powerful tool that can help businesses create a digital storefront to display their products and services without requiring customers to leave the app and view an external website. In fact, catalogs negate the need to create a website in the first place, which is beneficial to smaller businesses with limited resources.
One of WhatsApp’s greatest strengths is its massive international audience, as it is one of the single most popular messaging services outside the United States. According to Business of Apps, WhatsApp now boasts more than 2.5 billion monthly users and is the most used messaging app in more than 100 countries. WhatsApp Business can help smaller stores reach and instantly connect with customers from all over the world.
