WhatsApp Adds Shopping Button to Streamline eCommerce
WhatsApp have taken steps towards maximising their eCommerce potential by adding a shopping button to business chats. This button, designed to look like a shopfront, enables users to browse a brand’s catalogue of products and make in-app purchases. When the button appears on the chat, it indicates that the business has a catalogue and is inviting you to take a look. Having created this new button, WhatsApp tweeted, “We’re making shopping on WhatsApp even easier. Now you can easily discover something you’d like to buy from your favourite business by tapping on the new shopping button at the top of chats.”
You might notice that the new shopping button has replaced the video call button. The option to video call, however, still exists – Whatsapp have just relocated it so that the call button lets you choose between video and voice.
WhatsApp’s decision to invest in eCommerce creates an array of opportunities for businesses within the app, rendering it a more effective business tool. If these changes normalise in-stream shopping, WhatsApp can potentially charge brands to use it or take a percentage of in-app transactions. It is likely also that WhatsApp have other, similar features in the pipeline; let’s sit back and watch it evolve into a more versatile, multi-functional platform.
(Image creds: WhatsApp)
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