WhatsApp Business features to boost your retail business

What are the features of WhatsApp Business Platform?

WhatsApp Business Profile

WhatsApp Business Profile is a feature that allows people to establish their online brand by sharing key 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 it comes to making a purchase.

For example, a clothing retailer looking to promote their online business can use their WhatsApp Business Profile to give customers delivery and contact information as well as information about clothing items like shirts, trousers, sweaters and accessories available on the website. A customer looking to buy a new jacket will be able to see the full range of sizes, colours and styles available from the retailer and be able to 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, its location, and will have a general idea of the products and services that the retailer has to offer. 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 in terms of 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 that 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 messages from customers asking about the availability of certain baked goods or the location of the bakery. 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 that they were planning to have for Sunday brunch. Upon inquiring, a quick response could be sent by the business owner; providing the customer with real-time information and giving them the green light to go down 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 that require their immediate attention, like serving customers or putting the next batch of baked goods into the oven.

Product Catalog

In practical terms, a WhatsApp product catalogue provides businesses with a space to showcase their products and services within the app, thereby 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 through their catalogues in a way that's informative, easy to navigate, and time-efficient.

Imagine that the owners of a furniture business are looking to provide customers with more information about products in a bid to increase sales. Here, the WhatsApp product catalogue can show them all the necessary product descriptions; giving the dimensions, price, weight, colours, and availability of specific pieces of furniture. They can also display customer reviews that will help buyers feel more confident about making a purchase decision.

In short, rather than sending out paper copies of catalogues or other traditional communication channels, a WhatsApp product catalogue is a simple yet innovative way to showcase and share your products and services directly in the app, making it considerably easier 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 their mobile phones, it goes without saying that 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 highly attractive 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 information that's relevant to them. This allows companies to update large groups of people simultaneously with special offers, exclusive discounts, and new product announcements. Business owners can personalise 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 favourite companies and make instant purchases through the app: Businesses can reach those people with information that's relevant to them in a quick and easy way, 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 promotional WhatsApp messages in order to get people to sign up. The designer can explain to customers in simple terms that taking out a membership provides them with a number of benefits; allowing them to stay up to date 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

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

WhatsApp Business allows companies to create entry points for customers in order 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 make it possible for 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. Members of staff can invite customers to scan the QR code on the menu to connect with the business 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 the way in which they interact with customers by giving them the option 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" in order to make it easier for them to make purchases and find information. They can also program Quick Reply buttons to allow their customers to give instant responses 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 make it possible for users to take immediate action without having to leave the comfort of the chat window. On top of this, having such a clear and simple set of options is an effective way to bring down the user response time as well as the possibility of confusion that can sometimes be caused by users responding with longer or more convoluted sentences.

For example, a florist could make use of 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 provide businesses with access to metrics and data about their messaging channel, allowing them to see how many messages have been sent and received in a given time period as well as the number of customers that are being 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 behaviour.

For example, a marketer could make use of messaging statistics in order 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 organise their contacts by tagging and labelling them for convenient access, making it easier to categorise and manage customer conversations more efficiently.

From the business owner's point of view, these labels can help them prioritise customer conversations, thereby 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 having different customer conversations all mixed together; allowing you to place contacts into specific categories relevant to their needs.

Get Started With WhatsApp Business Platform

CM.com make it easy for brands to get started with 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 the needs of you and your company, 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.