The WhatsApp Business feature will help merchants to expand their business and increase their reach
The on-going COVID-19 pandemic has moved business operations online. To tap into the present environment, WhatsApp unveiled new features. The new WhatsApp business features include QR code to start chats, lions to product categories, and ‘open for business’ sticks for businesses.
WhatsApp Business helps businesses to amplify their presence on the messaging app. The features on the app include Business profile, away messages, greeting message, and verification. With the new WhatsApp business features, the app is trying to creating a chatting platform between potential customers. With new stickers, it is easy to show that business is back.
WhatsApp said that there are 50 million WhatsApp business users, of which 15 million are Indian users. WhatsApp stated that as businesses across the world are beginning to re-open, they will need to get in touch with the customers and give them an idea about their business and catalogue sharing. For this, WhatsApp business brought three new features using like using QR codes to start a chat, the ability to share links for catalogue sharing, and a new sticker pack.
Start a Chat using QR
Chatting with businesses on WhatsApp business is still the same. Presently users need to add business contacts on their phone and after that, they can chat with them. With the new WhatsApp Business feature, customers can scan a QR code that a business has on its product, storefront, or bill receipts to start chatting with the business owners.
WhatsApp Business users can click on More options > Business Tools > Short link > View QR Code to enable the QR Code.
Open for Business stickers
The WhatsApp Business ‘open for business’ sticker pack contains more than 20 newly designed animated stickers. These stickers are mainly for helping people and businesses stay connected. The sticker designs include closing soon, free delivery, sale, open for business, we are open, out of stock, back in stock, shop local, and several other designs. These stickers will be available on WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business.
New Catalogue
WhatsApp Business users can create a catalogue sharing of their products to showcase the products they sell. According to the company, this feature has been useful to businesses. Now with the new updates, a business can share its product catalogue sharing and individual products to potential customers on social media like Facebook, Instagram, etc. This will help in creating a mini online shopping store for small and medium businesses.
WhatsApp Business app used by merchants to sell their products is growing and helping the company to establish a business platform. The app helps in interacting with WhatsApp users to market their products. The business version now has over 50 million downloads, this number is growing swiftly. India is the biggest market with 15 million monthly active users, and then Brazil with 5 million monthly active users. The catalogues created by businesses have 40 million viewers.
WhatsApp faced some hits while it was trying to grow the business aspect on its app. Recently WhatsApp launched payments service in Brazil. However, the country blocked it, fearing the competition for existing services. In India, the company had started testing the payment service back in 2018. It is yet to launch WhatsApp pay officially.
India is a big market for the company as it has 400 million users. Whatsapp users can be accessed by Jio, according to the Jio-Facebook deal for growing the JioMart business. During the lockdown, many local businesses used WhatsApp for taking orders from customers.
WhatsApp globally touched 2 billion downloads when compared to this, 50 million Whatsapp business users stand nothing. Competitors such as Google pay are already providing payment services for business. The use of app especially for small and medium businesses to conduct their operation; this is what the company is now focusing on. Adding more such small businesses will give the app a monetizing potential and pave its way into the business sector.