1) Introduction
The worldwide ecommerce boom has witnessed the mushrooming of thousands of online stores. Each of these online stores tries to provide its customers with the best product selection and services. With so many options available, customers are spoilt for choice. Why should they prefer your business over your competitor’s? The answer lies in brand building.
A company can differentiate itself as a brand in many ways, but the most important of them is by building deep connections with its customers. In this post, we talk at length about how ecommerce businesses can build a branded presence on WhatsApp. It’s easier to talk to customers on a platform they are already comfortable with, and that’s why WhatsApp messages have 98% open rates! If you’re not leveraging the power of WhatsApp Business yet, it’s time to start now.
We’ll talk more about how you can build a brand on WhatsApp, but first, let’s clarify the differences between WhatsApp Business and WhatsApp Business API.
2) WhatsApp Business VS. WhatsApp Business API
2.1) WhatsApp Business
WhatsApp Business is a free-to-use messenger tool that helps small businesses connect with their customers. It can be downloaded on a maximum of 2 devices (Android or iOS), but it can’t be registered with the same mobile number as your regular WhatsApp.
WhatsApp Business provides some automation features like predefined template messages, away messages, and quick replies. However, the scope of building a brand with extensive marketing remains limited on WhatsApp Business because you can only send messages to the contacts on your device.
That said, it can still help new businesses with a smaller customer base forge lifelong relationships. WhatsApp Business users can broadcast messages to upto 256 contacts, call them, and share large videos of their latest collection. If you’re just starting out, WhatsApp Business can be a good option.
2.2) WhatsApp Business API
The WhatsApp Business API is an extension of WhatsApp Business created for online store owners to integrate WhatsApp’s wide range of features to their businesses. If you have used WhatsApp Business before, you should be familiar with its features.
With WhatsApp Business API, the number of features increases to accommodate more customer service functionalities. Another added advantage is that the API can be used by several people at once. Meaning anybody you give access to will be able to reply to client WhatsApp messages.
WhatsApp Business API makes sense for sellers that have a huge customer base and find it hard to manage communication all by themselves. It’s also beneficial for somebody who wants to rev up their marketing and bring in customers from social and campaign channels. One major difference between WhatsApp Business and the API is that the latter is paid.
Therefore, really consider whether your business needs demand the presence of WhatsApp Business API before you go for it.
3) 5 WhatsApp Business Features that Increase Customer Engagement
3.1) Quick Replies
Quick replies are a super versatile feature that allows businesses to create custom messages or replies for the most commonly asked questions. They reduce response time, increase customer engagement and create a unified brand voice across users. Some ways in which Quick Replies can be used: -
- Greetings or Introductions (Hi there!)
- Delayed Responses (Sorry for the wait!)
- Abandoned Cart Notifications (Your cart is waiting for you!)
- Back in Stock Alerts (Your favorite piece is back in stock!)
- Sharing Return & Refund Policies
- Announcing Down-Time (Our website will remain inactive from 1500 hrs to 1700 hrs.)
3.2) Labels
Online companies can use the label feature to categorize customers under different parts of the sales funnel. You’ll start off with 5 default labels (New Customer, New Order, Pending Payment, Paid, Completed). WhatsApp Business allows upto 20 labels for targeted marketing activities.
For example, you can club all shoppers with abandoned carts under a single label and broadcast a discount offer to them. Dissatisfied customers, too, can be re-engaged with personalized messages and loyalty programs. Contact labels ensure every customer touchpoint becomes a brand moment through correct messaging.
3.3) Catalogs
To create a brand on WhatsApp, store owners need to constantly engage with their customers and build interest. With Catalogs, you can showcase your products or services for the world to see. Adding a description, price, item code, and website link makes it easier for customers to find what they are looking for.
You can go a step further and add Collections under Catalogs to organize similar items under one category. For instance, if you own a fashion apparel store, you’ll want to create separate Collections for trousers, t-shirts, and accessories. This way, customers won’t have to go product by product to find what they want. Catalogs are also great for managing inventory. Businesses can hide out-of-stock items or Collections to avoid complications resulting from insufficient stock.
3.4) Interactive CTA Button
By clicking on the WhatsApp Business Call-to-Action button, customers can perform 2 actions - visit the website or make a call. All CTA messages are paid regardless of who initiated the conversation. The CTA button can come with a header text or image. They can be used to renew subscriptions, claim discounts, book appointments, offer feedback, track orders, update payment information, and more.
3.5) Automated Away Messages
Constant communication is one of the biggest aspects of building a brand on WhatsApp, but it’s not always realistically possible. A business owner must look after several other things like manufacturing, supply chain, shipping, etc., to keep their business running. With WhatsApp Business, you can set custom Away Messages that will be automatically sent to customers when you’re unavailable.
After turning on the Send Away Message feature in Business Tools, type in your message. You can schedule whether to send these messages every time a customer contacts you, on custom durations, or outside business hours. Ecommerce companies can also choose which contacts they want to automate away messages for.
4) 7 Best Practices to Use WhatsApp Business for Greater Brand Presence
4.1) Predefined Goals and KPIs
An ecommerce company that knows the direction it wants to move in will be able to achieve its goals sooner. Therefore, to increase your brand presence on WhatsApp, you need to figure out your end goals and the metrics that will help you track that progress.
Some WhatsApp Business stats you must consider are - the total number of chats, first reply/response time, average resolution time, and the chat to conversion rate.
4.2) Identify Your Customer Base
WhatsApp Business is pivotal in lowering customer acquisition costs and churn and improving customer care. However, all of that is only possible if you’ve pinned down your target audience. All your marketing efforts will be in vain if you don’t know what your ideal customer profile looks like.
4.3) Use WhatsApp Status for a Wider Reach
You’ve opened your WhatsApp Business account, added a decent introduction, and imported all the contacts from your phonebook. Now what? It’s time to start using WhatsApp statuses to share more about yourself or your business. This is when your customer base starts to feel more like a community.
Statuses don’t have to be sales-oriented at all! Share clips from a day in the life of an entrepreneur or something special about your service or product. Customers tend to be more loyal to a business if they feel personally connected to it. WhatsApp statuses can help you create that connection.
4.4) Don’t Make them Wait
The whole point of using WhatsApp for Business is instant communication, so try to reply to customer messages as soon as possible, preferably within 24 hours. Research says customers expect replies within 6 to 15 seconds of sending a message.
We understand these expectations are hard to meet, but keeping customers on read for long periods of time seriously affects their brand experience. We suggest setting up quick replies or away messages for hassle-free customer service or, alternatively, opting for chatbots if you have the WhatsApp Business API.
4.5) Enable Add to Cart
Most ecommerce sellers use WhatsApp to increase website traffic and sales. However, some of these qualified leads may not successfully convert for various reasons like shortage of time, slow/tedious website, impatience, etc. If you enable the Add to Cart feature in catalogs, your customers will be able to make in-app purchases without ever having set foot in your store.
The ease of buying things without searching for 10 different products on a website is unmatched. What’s more, customers can directly reach out to businesses with product images and clarify any doubts they have in minutes!
4.6) Offer Help and Consultation
One of the best ways to create brand awareness is by adding value to your customer’s browsing experience.
Identify common customer pain points and create campaigns or marketing strategies to help address them. For instance, if you are a cosmetic brand, you could help customers figure out their exact foundation match or offer tips on skincare.
Food businesses could easily get customers in touch with chefs to share tips and tricks of the trade and answer questions.
4.7) Share the Latest News
Lastly, keeping your customers updated and excited about what’s happening next in your business is a crucial part of brand building. When using WhatsApp to create a branded presence, think of your customers as your extended family.
Share the latest news with them and keep it consistent. You can also share special discount codes for your biggest buyers or provide bundle offers for members, etc.
5) How Does ClickPost Help with the WhatsApp Business Integration?
ClickPost can help you take your marketing and customer service endeavors to the next level by providing access to the WhatsApp Business API. It offers a unified dashboard accessible by all your team members for faster communication.
With ClickPost’s WhatsApp integration, ecommerce businesses will be able to:-
- Provide milestone-based real-time tracking updates
- Collect customer feedback on returns and deliveries,
- Reduce shipping delays and RTOs through instant messaging
- Harness detailed performance metrics for improved operations
6) Conclusion
As ecommerce expands in leaps and bounds, customer retention through enhanced customer service becomes the main focus for companies worldwide. WhatsApp Business allows e-commerce companies the opportunity to meet their customers at a personal level and create a connection.
We believe any company that wants to create a branded presence on WhatsApp must always keep its customers first. We hope this article will help you navigate WhatsApp Business and create a brand your customers cherish.