Here are four features of WhatsApp Business that will ensure you grow, communicate better, work efficiently, and create an impact
The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted just how important local businesses are in connecting communities and providing a backbone to our economy. With this ongoing quarantine, MSMEs are functioning in survival mode. Businesses all around have been severely impacted. They are still coping with shortages in terms of working capital and a lack of means to sufficiently run their business. Reports suggest, MSMEs are the second-largest employment generator in the country. So, it is critical to enable access and availability to digital tools that can supplement the growth of small businesses in our country and help them grow.
As the country continues to transform into a digitally empowered society, it is no surprise that business tendencies have progressed in that direction too. Research suggests that people connect via messages not just for personal concerns but also professional. Messaging with businesses is becoming significantly common all around the world.
Facebook Messaging Survey by Nielsen states that among people who message businesses, 63% say they have started messaging businesses more frequently over the past two years, and 67% plan to message businesses more regularly over the next two years.
On one hand, e-commerce platforms like Amazon and Flipkart have become a medium through which small retailers and vendors can conduct business, on other digital platforms like WhatsApp have also played a pivotal role in helping small businesses interact with their customers to optimize sales especially during COVID-19. Digital tools function as a lifeline for businesses and customers to stay connected. Not many recognize this but WhatsApp can be more than just a chatting app. WhatsApp businesses have various features that can help enhance the business and perform operations efficiently.
A recent survey by Endurance International Group states preference for using digital tools is now approximately 1.9X higher than traditional sales interactions and more than 50% of the SMEs surveyed embrace video-conferencing tools and WhatsApp for their business purposes. According to Morning Consult Intelligence, 70% of SMBs on WhatsApp in India confirm they built their business on the platform, while 77% of SMBs businesses on WhatsApp in India have also been able to hire more employees as they grew post joining the platform.
Digital is the key if you wish to survive and stay in the business for long. Here are four features of WhatsApp Business that will ensure you grow, communicate better, work efficiently, and create an impact.
1. Become Professional
Start by creating a Business Profile. This feature allows businesses to add important company details to their profile, which creates a formal presence and assures customers that they are indeed interacting with a legitimate business.
2. Demonstrate What You Have
With the Catalog feature, small businesses can generate a free mobile storefront to showcase their goods or services, allowing the customers to easily browse and discover things they would like to buy.
Catalogs make businesses keep customers engaged in the chat without the need to switch to the website for relevant information.
3. Quick Replies
Business response creates all the difference in the world. Messaging Tools assist business owners modernize their operations and significantly save time. Quick responses allow businesses to easily address the frequently asked questions (FAQs) they receive. This feature can help build customer relationships and resolve issues.
4. Segregate
A company may have a lot going at the same time. For a situation like that, you can use the Labels feature. It can organise your business by sorting your customer conversations into different categories such as ‘new customers’ or ‘pending orders’. This helps to quick search a particular conversation too.
Lockdown has given several businesses the stimulus to rely on digital tools, one thing’s for sure – we have evolved to meet customers from anywhere, anytime without ever losing on the business.