WhatsApp Business Features To Boost Your Retail Business

What Are The Features of WhatsApp Business Platforms?

WhatsApp Business Profile

WhatsApp Business Profile is a feature that allows people to establish their online brand by sharing critical information with their target audience.

In a nutshell, it serves as a point of contact between companies and their customers to provide the latter with a chance to learn more about the business and thus feel more confident when purchasing.

For example, a clothing retailer looking to promote their online business can use their WhatsApp Business Profile to give customers delivery and contact information and information about clothing items like shirts, trousers, sweaters, and accessories available on the website. A customer looking to buy a new jacket can see the full range of sizes, colors, and styles available from the retailer and make an informed decision from the comfort of their mobile devices.

So, without having to visit multiple pages, customers will know the name of the clothing business and its location and will have a general idea of the products and services the retailer offers. The contact information will be immediately visible, which helps to create the image of an open, transparent company that users can trust and respect.

Quick Replies

Using the WhatsApp Business Platform to create a system of quick replies to the most frequently asked questions can be a real game changer regarding a company's productivity and the overall efficiency of its customer service operations.

By allowing businesses to create and save responses to common customer inquiries, quick replies provide customers with the answers they need in a fraction of the time it would usually take them with more traditional customer service channels.

A small bakery dealing with multiple orders and requests could be frequently disrupted by customer messages asking about the availability of certain baked goods or the bakery's location. To stop this from happening, the owners could design a system of quick replies to answer such questions in a straightforward, timely manner.

For example, a customer might be worried about their local bakery being sold out of the croissants they planned to have for Sunday brunch. Upon inquiring, the business owner could respond quickly, providing the customer with real-time information and giving them the green light to go to the bakery and make a purchase.

Customer: Are there any croissants left?
Bakery: Yes - we’ve just made a fresh batch, come on down!

In this way, the customer is satisfied with the response, and the people running the business can get on with tasks requiring immediate attention, like serving customers or putting the next batch of baked goods into the oven.

Product Catalog

In practical terms, a WhatsApp product catalog allows businesses to showcase their products and services within the app, making it easier for customers to find and ultimately purchase items that interest them.

Companies can simultaneously boost sales and increase customer satisfaction by allowing people to browse their catalogs in an informative, easy-to-navigate, and time-efficient way.

Imagine furniture business owners looking to provide customers with product information to increase sales. Here, the WhatsApp product catalog can show them all the necessary product descriptions, giving the dimensions, price, weight, colors, and availability of specific pieces of furniture. They can also display customer reviews to help buyers feel more confident about purchasing.

In short, rather than sending out paper copies of catalogs or other traditional communication channels, a WhatsApp product catalog is a simple yet innovative way to showcase and share your products and services directly in the app, making it considerably more accessible for customers to view your products and place orders in real-time.

Broadcasting

Given that 80% of people visiting retail business websites do so from mobile phones, WhatsApp has immense potential as a communication and marketing channel. On top of this, WhatsApp has an open rate of 98% and a click-through rate of 45-60%, making it a desirable option for brands struggling to engage customers via more traditional communication channels such as email.

Broadcasting via WhatsApp means that messages can be sent from a brand's WhatsApp business account to a specific audience of customers with relevant information. This allows companies to update large groups of people simultaneously with special offers, exclusive discounts, and new product announcements. Business owners can personalize these offers based on special events like holidays and birthdays or annual promotions like Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

From the customers' point of view, broadcasting helps them stay informed about the latest products from their favorite companies and make instant purchases through the app: Businesses can reach those people with information that's relevant to them quickly and easily, which ultimately serves to drive sales and increase customer satisfaction.

For example, a fashion designer looking to promote a new membership initiative on their website can use WhatsApp messages to get people to sign up. The designer can explain to customers simply that membership provides several benefits, allowing them to stay updated about new clothing collections, accessories, or discounts from their brand. They could also send messages promising special rewards to customers who sign up for the newsletter, such as free delivery or a multi-buy promotion.

Entry Points

In simple terms, a WhatsApp entry point is the channel and/or link that serves as a portal for your customers, encouraging them to ask questions in private WhatsApp conversations that are more personalized and interactive.

WhatsApp Business allows companies to create entry points for customers to start chatting with them on the app. When customers interact with one of your brand's entry points, for example, by scanning a QR code or clicking on a link, they will be immediately directed to a WhatsApp conversation on your business platform.

Good-quality entry points allow businesses to reach new customers, grow their customer base, and build relationships with them. It can also be an effective way to carry out marketing and customer service operations.

For example, a restaurant might use entry points to allow customers to place a review about their experience or receive information about their business. Staff members can invite customers to scan the QR code on the menu to connect with the company on WhatsApp, where they can give feedback, receive offers, ask questions, and place orders via chat. This is a simple yet effective way to help restaurants build relationships with customers and interact with them on a conversational level.

Interactive Buttons

Interactive buttons allow businesses to simplify how they interact with customers by allowing them to reply using buttons rather than typing out responses manually. Companies can provide users with Call-to-Action (CTA) buttons such as "Buy Now" or "Contact Us" to make it easier for them to make purchases and find information. They can also program Quick Reply buttons to allow customers to respond instantly to questions about payment, delivery, and other things related to their orders.

Interactive buttons are a great way to improve the overall customer experience, as they allow users to take immediate action without leaving the comfort of the chat window. On top of this, having such a clear and straightforward set of options effectively reduces the user response time and the possibility of confusion that can sometimes be caused by users responding with longer or more convoluted sentences.

For example, a florist could use WhatsApp Interactive Buttons to answer questions about the availability of certain flowers. A customer looking to place a last-minute order of white roses, peonies, and carnations as they make their way to a friend’s baby shower doesn’t want to turn up to find that the florist has already sold out, forcing them to abandon their original plan and instead settle for a bunch of half-dead daisies from the nearest gas station. Here, the "Contact Us" button will immediately open up a communication channel with the business via WhatsApp, where they can double-check that the flowers they’re looking for are still available and receive an answer in real-time.

The florist could also employ Interactive Buttons when asking people about their preferred payment method. Those buying flowers for the first time can use the “Pay with new card” Quick Reply Button; while returning customers can select “Pay with card on file”. These simple yet effective features allow business owners to improve the overall customer experience and make it much easier for people to get what they need quickly and without complications.

Messaging Statistics

Messaging statistics give businesses access to metrics and data about their messaging channel. This allows them to see how many messages have been sent and received in a given period and how many customers have been reached.

From a company's point of view, messaging statistics can give them a helping hand when it comes to improving their business strategy and gaining a better understanding of their customers' preferences and behavior.

For example, a marketer could use messaging statistics to gauge to what extent their messaging channel is having an impact. The marketer can break down the simple metrics of how many messages were sent, delivered, and read in the last few months and adjust or edit their messaging strategy accordingly.

Contact Labels

Contact labels allow companies to organize their contacts by tagging and labeling them for convenient access, making it easier to categorize and manage customer conversations more efficiently.

From the business owner's point of view, these labels can help them prioritize customer conversations, ensuring that the most important interactions aren't overlooked.

For instance, imagine you're a member of a customer service team looking for an efficient way to manage return and replacement conversations. To help you manage these customers, you can create a label called "Return and Replacement" and add the relevant contacts to the group. It's a simple yet effective way to avoid mixing different customer conversations, allowing you to place contacts into specific categories relevant to their needs.

Get Started With WhatsApp Business Platform

CM.com makes it easy for brands to start using WhatsApp Business to establish their online brand, improve their retail and eCommerce services and boost customer satisfaction. By working alongside us to design the business platform to suit your and your company's needs, you'll have a unique opportunity to transform a simple WhatsApp message into a rich means of communication between you and the people who make your business tick.