What is WhatsApp Commerce?

WhatsApp Business makes it possible for eCommerce brands to automate their order-taking system, thereby greatly improving dialogue and communication with consumers and effectively driving their conversion rate. Users can browse through a company’s product catalog and get in touch with the business thanks to the one-to-one communication channel available on the app; resulting in a simplified ordering process that leaves people feeling happy with their overall customer experience.

How does WhatsApp Commerce work?

The main purpose of WhatsApp Commerce is to make it possible for eCommerce businesses to engage customers on a conversational level as you would in real life; with all the benefits that such interaction can bring in terms of customer satisfaction and engagement with your company’s products and services. From the consumers' point of view, think of it as having the same complete shopping experience that one would have in a physical store without having to leave the comfort of the WhatsApp Business platform.

Via the integration of technology such as chatbots and virtual assistants to the WhatsApp Business and WhatsApp Business API platforms, brands can significantly improve overall communication with customers on the app and guide them through their shopping experience, from the moment they arrive until it’s time to go to the checkout.

What are the benefits of WhatsApp Commerce?

You may already be familiar with the benefits of using WhatsApp Business as a communications channel for things like customer feedback and marketing. However, what some people aren't aware of is the immense potential of WhatsApp Commerce as a means of boosting sales, improving your company's conversion rate, and streamlining customer service operations.

WhatsApp Commerce use case examples

Integrated Product Catalog

WhatsApp Product Messages are interactive message features for WhatsApp Business. They make it possible for brands to showcase and share their products and services directly in the app, simplifying the way in which your customers can view your products and place orders. The idea is to offer consumers a complete shopping experience similar to that of visiting a physical store, including one-to-one communication with a virtual assistant that will allow them to reach a decision about the product or service on offer.

Brands can personalize messages to suit the buying patterns of each individual consumer and bring their favorite products directly to them. Consumers can then choose to learn more about the offer by asking questions about the products, services, or brands that have caught their interest. At this point, the WhatsApp chatbot will provide the customer with automated, timely responses that will help them with their purchase.

When they're satisfied with the information they've received, they can go ahead and place an order and even check out without ever having to leave the comfort of the chat. It’s all part of one seamless, efficient customer experience on a single communication channel.

Assisted Sales

Evidence shows that 88% of consumers say that they're more likely to invest in a product when companies offer a helping hand during the buying process or when recommendations are provided by a store employee. With this in mind, providing your customers with a similar service is just as vital when it comes to an eCommerce business.

Companies' sales slipping away from them as a result of customers’ last-minute doubts or concerns is an all too common problem in the world of eCommerce. Fortunately, help is at hand in the form of WhatsApp Business Assisted Sales, which allows you to successfully provide your customers with that much sought-after advice right at the point of sale and thereby clear up any doubts that consumers have about a product or service before they click to pay.

With WhatsApp Business, your chat button entry point provides your customers with a round-the-clock, permanently reachable source of information that they know they can depend on to provide immediate answers.

Conversational Commerce

Conversational Commerce via WhatsApp is a type of eCommerce that focuses on two-way conversations with customers via the use of online chat tools. The central idea is to allow brands to improve dialogue and overall communication with customers by using social messaging platforms and technology such as chatbots and virtual assistants.

Brands can use this technology to provide widespread personalized customer assistance, offer 24/7 customer support for quicker response times, and optimize the checkout process in order to boost sales.

How to comply with the WhatsApp Commerce Policy

Before getting started with WhatsApp Commerce, it's important to study the policies that all businesses using the platform must abide by.

These policies are:

1. Businesses using Commerce Catalogs on the WhatsApp Business app or providing any other commerce experiences to sell goods or services must comply with the policies and prohibitions listed on their website; as well as all applicable terms, laws, and regulations.

2. You and your business are solely responsible for your transactions and for providing any sales terms, privacy terms or other terms applicable to your interactions with users.

3. WhatsApp are not responsible for processing, paying for, or fulfilling any sales relating to your transactions.

4. You and your business are solely responsible for determining, collecting, withholding, reporting, and remitting all applicable taxes, duties, fees, and additional charges for sales relating to your transactions.

As well as this, certain products and services are not allowed under WhatsApp's policies. Firstly, businesses may not transact in the operations or exchange of illegal products or services. The following business verticals are likewise prohibited:

• Adult content

• Alcohol

• Animals, including pets or livestock sales

• Currency

• Dating

• Defense

• Digital subscriptions and digital content

• Drugs

• Gambling

• Tobacco

• Weapons, ammunition or explosives

How to start with WhatsApp commerce

Interested in designing your own WhatsApp Commerce strategy but unsure where to start? Whether you're looking to develop an integrated product catalog to display your products and services, drive your conversion rate with the help of assisted sales, or generally improve dialogue and communication between yourself and your customers, we at CM.com are here to help you make it happen.

We can help you get started using WhatsApp Business messaging as one of the main communication channels and pillars for your eCommerce business, providing you with the possibility to engage with customers on a conversational level like you would in real life using an app that they're both familiar and comfortable with.

Here at CM.com, we can help you get started using WhatsApp as a communication channel for your eCommerce business. You'll be able to make your customers' lives that little bit easier by condensing all of the information about the status of their product into short, clear messages and sending it to a familiar place where they're far more likely to see it. People will feel a sense of reassurance and transparency when dealing with your company, as they'll see that you're making a conscious effort to let them know what's happening with their order every step of the way.