The new and improved way to engage and convert potential and existing customers - WhatsApp commerce. Explore everything you need to know
The first point of contact poses the greatest challenge and opportunity for any brand to make an impression. But you might be wondering how WhatsApp can help.🤔
Let's start with some WhatsApp statistics to bring to your attention.
Did you know WhatsApp messages are opened 99% of the time?
In addition, people on average spent over 15 billion minutes talking each day during the pandemic.
But how do you use it for sales?
Introducing WhatsApp commerce!
That’s right. The new and improved way to engage and convert potential and existing customers.
In this article, we will learn everything you need to know about WhatsApp commerce and how you can use it for your brand.
WhatsApp commerce can be defined as a business model that allows brands to interact with customers by sending promotional messages, products, and offerings via WhatsApp. With WhatsApp Commerce, you can revolutionize customer experience in several ways:
âś…Engage with users conversationally with discounts and offers
âś…Recover abandoned carts
âś…Help customers with product discovery
âś…Use product recommendations while conversing with shoppers
âś…Personalize shopper's experience to increase average order value
To get started with WhatsApp commerce, customers must be aware of your presence. You can use multiple ways to introduce people to your WhatsApp shopping channel. They include:
Brands need to be where customers already are. And WhatsApp already has a user base of 2 billion across the globe.
A report found that 55% of customers feel more connected to a brand if they use messaging apps. This stat along with the huge user base makes WhatsApp the ideal platform for building deeper relationships with customers.
WhatsApp launched its WhatsApp Business API to help brands engage with their customers effectively. However, to ensure an exceptional customer experience, WhatsApp has strict rules to avoid spam. Every business-initiated message has to be approved by WhatsApp before brands can engage with customers.
Did you know reports have found that WhatsApp marketing campaigns have a success rate of 97%? In fact, in 2007 Netflix launched a campaign that allowed the brand to stay in touch with users via WhatsApp. Once a person clicks “I’m in” they would send watch recommendations based on their watch history and preferences. The goal of the campaign was to stay connected with customers even after the subscription expired. The recommendations acted as an alert for customers to go ahead and recharge to watch their favorite shows on Netflix.
For brands to engage with customers effectively a WhatsApp marketing strategy has to be in place. Here are some WhatsApp commerce use cases that will incentivize your customers to engage with your brand:
âś…Share new product launch updates
âś…Send product recommendations
âś…Recover abandoned carts
âś…Send new deals
âś…Share order status updates
âś…Share appointment reminders
Modern consumers prefer convenience. In fact, consumers are most likely to switch if the brand fails to provide a convenient shopping experience. Hence, the modern objective is to guide customers through the sales funnel and not merely convince them to purchase. It has become of utmost importance for brands to explore how to use WhatsApp commerce to boost customer loyalty and increase retention rates.
During the first stage of the buyer’s journey, here is how the most loved app can help. Let's take an example
Sarah, a customer, looking for dresses, lands on your Click-to-WhatsApp ad and gets redirected to your WhatsApp chat. She enquires about a dress that can worn on a dinner date and the WhatsApp chatbot helps the customer find the right product based on their preferences. Thus, powering the discovery stage of the buyer.
Once the customer adds the item she wanted to the cart, the bot can further help her to send product recommendations on WhatsApp. In this case, the bot can recommend a pair of jeans that matches the shoe and the customer may go ahead and purchase it as well, and ultimately increasing the average order value. Thus, powering the engagement stage of the journey.
Next, let's say the customer abandons the cart after adding the items. Your brand can send abandon cart alerts to remind Sarah about her cart. You can also offer discount offers to give him the final nudge to complete the purchase.
The customer comes back to your WhatsApp channel and finally agrees to avail the offer and complete the purchase. Your bot can send payment links to help the customer complete the order. Thus, powering the purchase stage of the buyer’s journey.
Your brand can also boost customer experience with WhatsApp. Customers love convenience while shopping. Hence, the ability to browse, shop and pay in one single window allows the customer to have a seamless experience and the convenience they constantly seek.
Upon completion of the order, your brand can send order status updates to the customer via WhatsApp. And in turn, your customer can initiate a session to enquire about the delivery status of their order. Thus, powering the loyalty stage of the journey.
After delivery, the brand can also engage in post-purchase conversation. Let's say, a customer received a defective shoe. He can immediately raise a query and get instant support on your brand’s official WhatsApp account. Whether it's a request for a return or checking the refund process, all of this can be processed using WhatsApp.
Furthermore, the brand can also send feedback surveys via WhatsApp to assess customer satisfaction and improve based on the responses received.
Did you know that 50% of existing customers are more likely to try a new product from your brand and spend 31% more than new customers? You can re-engage with your existing customer by targeting them with offers based on their browsing and purchase history. He can also join your brand’s loyalty program after spending a certain amount. In addition, loyal customers also become brand advocates. In this case, you can incentivize the existing customer to refer your brand for a reward in turn. All of these commercial activities can be conducted via WhatsApp.
Hence, the benefits of WhatsApp commerce are limitless. It can be used in each stage of the buyer’s journey. Using a less saturated channel like WhatsApp will also help your brand stand out from the crowd.
The pandemic has brought about massive changes in consumer behavior. Hence, introducing different strategies to incorporate “contactless shopping” has become of dire importance. In addition, customer experience has become an important factor and a key differentiator in the e-commerce industry.
Using WhatsApp promotional messages is a great way to reach customers at every stage of the buyer’s journey. It allows brands to connect with customers on a one-on-one level and also helps to build lasting relationships. However, it is essential for brands to get a WhatsApp opt-in before sending messages to customers
Let's take an example.
Lets say Christmas is around the corner. At this time, seasonal sales are one of the most popular forms of marketing to increase your sales. Shoppers are on the lookout for deals and discount offers around this time. Hence, using WhatsApp can be a great way to encourage shoppers to avail deals and complete their purchase.
Here's the template:
Hello 1, Need a gift to impress someone special?
Our Christmas collection is 2 off for the next 24 hours. Add gift wrapping on checkout to get your gift wrapped in silky, chic paper for FREE.
Another example can be sending sale reminders.
A reminder campaign right before the launch of your sale is a great way to create a sense of urgency. You can even let loyal customers have early access to browse through the products and keep them ready in their carts when the sale goes live.
Here's the template:
Hello, 1. Our summer sale starts in less than 1 hour! Are you ready?
Browse and add your favorite items to the cart for faster checkout. Get a 20% discount. No minimum order value. A discount code will be automatically applied at checkout.
Download 28 WhatsApp Promotional Message Templates for FREE
Here are some brands that are using WhatsApp to send messages to customers with exciting deals, new launches, and announcements
Zepto is incentivizing customers with redeemable cash so that shoppers can browse and shop to avail the offer.
Urban company sends reminders to customers based on their service purchase history.
Cred is using WhatsApp to send seasonal offers to users.
WhatsApp is making its way to win hearts across industries. Aviation industries are using WhatsApp to send flight booking details, flight status updates, and more. Telecom industries are using WhatsApp to send recharge alerts to users. The commerce capabilities of WhatsApp are limitless as it fits in almost every use case.
Shoppers want to hear from their favorite brands. And marketing notifications are an excellent way to engage with customers pre-purchase and post-purchase. In addition to the above-mentioned ways, WhatsApp can be used in the retail space in multiple ways.
Retailers can send 1:1 shopping advice based on their browsing history. In addition, your bot can enable a dynamic and personalized way to shop where the shopper can pick up the conversation anytime.
Download 28 WhatsApp Promotional Message Templates for FREE
The pandemic has made shoppers conscious. Hence, people avoid crowded places now more than ever. Booking appointments to visit your retail store can be a great way to increase your footfall.
You can also create online to offline conversational flows with Vizury’s Commercebot builder to help shoppers engage with their nearest shops and book store visits. You can send appointment reminders using WhatsApp before the visit.
A loyalty program is a great way to maintain your customer retention rate. You can do this in multiple ways.
In this example, the brand is informing the customer of the amount he needs to spend to become a member of the loyalty program. In addition, the message also lays out all the member benefits they would get once they would be a part of the program.
In this example, the brand sends alerts to loyal customers to grab their early access to the new autumn collection and avail discounts.
WhatsApp use can go one step further wherein brands can send reminders to their customers who have been dormant for a while. However, you must not spam users with too many notifications as this may hurt your Quality Rating.
Shoppers want to try on products before purchasing. The pandemic has forced shoppers to favor online shopping more than offline shopping. And WhatsApp commerce has allowed brands to conduct virtual clienteling. Shoppers can now ask questions about the product directly to the store manager and proceed forward with their purchase.
Along with virtual clienteling, multi-product messages allow brands to send a selection of up to 30 items from their inventory. Your conversation AI bot can help the customer discover products and navigate to a specific category.
These messages include text with a single product image from the brand’s inventory. This message is displayed in a Product Detail Page format. It is best when a customer wants to view a specific item.
WhatsApp Pay, a recently launched feature allows brands to process payments directly via WhatsApp. So customers can now browse, shop and pay on the go without any hassle.
Nearly 80% of American consumers say convenience, speed, and human touch, are critical elements of a positive customer experience. Positive brand experience is the most crucial factor for any brand. A happy customer is more likely to be a loyal customer. Here’s what you should ask.
Are your customers talking about your product or service to their friends or family? Are they recommending you on social media? Brands that have mastered exceptional customer experiences have been successful in sustaining their business.
With WhatsApp, your brand can guide customers every step of the way, ensure a better customer experience and offer support whenever they need it. Whether you want to help customers discover products or process payments, the WhatsApp Business API features allow brands to boost their sales funnel.
Brands need to be where customers are. And WhatsApp is the ideal channel to leverage customer data and transform customer experience. Letting your customers reach you through their channel of preference can improve your sales, boost customer loyalty and increase your retention rate.
WhatsApp commerce is the most effective way to build long-lasting relationships by personally engaging with customers. Are you ready to revolutionize your customer experience with WhatsApp? Book your demo with Vizury today.
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