Why is WhatsApp Business API important in the retail industry for eCommerce? According to statistics from American online store platforms, only about 3/100 people who visit your website will purchase your products. To keep the online store running, therefore, you must generate more traffic through paid advertisements on Google and Facebook. Assume Google and Facebook change their advertising policies one day (which happens frequently), and your ads no longer bring you any traffic. Do you have a backup plan?
WhatsApp has over 5.94 million users in Hong Kong, with 8 out of every 10 Hong Kong residents as active users. Many businesses will upgrade to use WhatsApp Business API in order to build long-term relationships with customers. Foreign and domestic retail e-commerce use upgrade platforms like VIMOS to improve their communication services. Including auto-replies to customer inquiries, broadcast functions to promote products to potential leads, and so on are examples of extended functions.
This article will outline how retail eCommerce can benefit from WhatsApp Business API functions. Whether you own an online business in the beauty, fashion, or food industries, you will find cost-efficient marketing methods that are not governed by platforms like Google and Facebook. Take your e-commerce revenue to new heights!
Do you know what features WhatsApp Business API has that regular WhatsApp does not? Take a look at the articles below!
- 6 WhatsApp Business API Features brands can’t miss out on!
- Unofficial vs Official WhatsApp Business API: What’s the best for your business?
Build your own traffic
The first step in promoting your business on WhatsApp is to build a genuine contact list. If you get the majority of your customers from Facebook or Google, those platforms are most likely in charge of your traffic. This is in addition to the fact that advertising on these platforms is somewhat costly. Sometimes when you place an ad on Facebook, the platform may block you. Furthermore, there is a good chance that you will lose your valuable customer database. Therefore, this method is unstable.
Email is also a type of self-owned traffic, but the average reading rate is only 21.5%. In addition, the click-through rate (CTR) is as low as 3%. However, the WhatsApp newsletter reading rate exceeds 90%, which is more than ten times higher than the email CTR! It is clear that WhatsApp’s marketing effect is superior.
You can promote your WhatsApp Business account and generate traffic by using the following channels:
- Include a WhatsApp QR Code link in your paid traffic channels such as Google, Facebook, and Instagram ads. This will allow you to start one-on-one conversations with potential customers on WhatsApp in the future. You can also use WhatsApp to privately store your Google and Facebook traffic. This allows you to promote directly to your customers without being restricted by the platform.
- When sending the order confirmation email after the customer completes the purchase, including the WhatsApp link of your online store. This reminds the user that the order notification or product information will be sent via WhatsApp in the future.
- Create a WhatsApp newsletter to share exclusive content and encourage users to subscribe. This paves the way for obtaining reasonable permission from users to push promotional information.
- Place QR codes in physical stores to direct customers to authorize receiving information.
- Offer limited-time deals to entice potential customers to subscribe.
Further reading:
- WhatsApp Newsletter Marketing for Beginners: Strategies to Increase Sales at Low Cost
- 3 Methods to Grow Your Business Through WhatsApp QR Code
Create a WhatsApp product catalog.
WhatsApp Business launched the catalog function in 2019. Businesses can display and share their merchandise in the product catalog, including details like price, description, and code. Customers will be able to better understand the same mistakes in products and services as a result of this. In addition, they can add their favorite products directly to the shopping cart without leaving the WhatsApp conversation. This significantly boosts sales during the conversation!
Here is a tutorial to help you build your product catalog on WhatsApp from scratch:
WhatsApp Business Product Catalog: The eCommerce Marketing Tool You Might be Missing
Establish a 24-hour customer service system.
Retail eCommerce businesses deal with a large number of customer inquiries every day. Concerns may be about complaints, after-sales, product information, and so on. Using 100% manual staff-initiated conversations to resolve inquiries can be time-consuming and expensive in terms of manpower. Therefore, employing pre-set auto-replies to answer basic inquiries will significantly reduce the workload of the customer service department. This alone brings efficiency, resulting in an excellent customer experience.
Becoming a VIMOS WhatsApp Business API user allows you to access the three interactive WhatsApp buttons. You can respond to customer questions instantly, and they can even place orders directly through WhatsApp.
This article will explain in detail the three most commonly used WhatsApp interactive buttons of VIMOS users. List, quick replies, and CTA buttons – you can utilize these to your advantage and help your business grow!
Further reading: Top 3 WhatsApp Interactive Buttons Most Used by Vimos Customers
| Features | Message List Button (List Buttons) | Quick-reply Button | Call-to-action Button (CTA) |
| Suitable for industries with complex product and service information For new customers | Usually Yes or No option, relatively fast and simple scenarios For customers who are considering buying | Direct the button to the relevant website or phone number for customer purchases Suitable for customers who want to buy | |
| Number of Buttons | up to 10 | up to 3 | up to 1 |
| Sample Usage Scenarios | FAQ menu Takeaway menu Contact branch customer service Appointment Price List | Preferential terms Consultation Booking Freight Inquiry | Purchase link Contact number |
| Try it now! | Click here to try WhatsApp List Messages button | Click here to try experience WhatsApp Auto Reply | Click here to try Experience WhatsApp link button |
Bonus: Regularly push WhatsApp newsletters to customers
Newsletters are marketing messages sent to customers on a regular basis by merchants. WhatsApp newsletters may consist of the following content:
- Special promotions
- Member benefits
- New products
- Pictures or videos
To effectively distribute WhatsApp newsletters, use the broadcast feature. The only thing the sender needs to do is add the contacts to the broadcast list and compose the message content. Then, using WhatsApp, send a large number of messages to everyone on the list at the same time. Customers are encouraged to take the next step or even make a purchase as a result of this process.
Further reading: Tips to Increase Customer Engagement via WhatsApp Broadcast
More than half of WhatsApp users, according to statistics, check the app at least once per day. Therefore, the likelihood of your newsletter being read is as high as 98%. Consumers prefer to track orders via WhatsApp (54%), appointment or lecture reminders (50%), discounts (43%), and so on. These numbers reflect the potential of WhatsApp newsletters.
VIMOS WhatsApp Newsletter
VIMOS is indeed a very powerful tool! Are you curious about how the platform works and how it further reinforces WhatsApp Business API? Book a 15-minute FREE product demo and allow us to provide you with the best marketing plan for your business.
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