WhatsApp begins testing In-app business directory to help users find stores, services
By Sanjay Maurya
News Highlights
- WhatsApp’s new functionality will aid the growth of both small and large businesses.
- The Facebook-owned messaging app now allows users to search for businesses or retailers that sell a specific product within the app.
- Thousands of companies in sectors such as food, retail, and local services will be included in the latest test.
WhatsApp’s new functionality will aid the growth of both small and large businesses. The Facebook-owned messaging app now allows users to search for businesses or retailers that sell a specific product within the app. The functionality is now being tested in the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo. It’s the latest attempt by the corporation to improve e-commerce offerings on its platform. Given that WhatsApp does not display advertisements on its platform, this is the only way for businesses to thrive.
In an interview, Matt Idema, Facebook’s vice president of commercial communications, said that this might be the primary way that individuals start a commerce process in WhatsApp. Facebook had previously launched a Facebook Shop function to aid small businesses in their growth. The action was made to assist businesses in recovering from the losses incurred as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak.
Unlike Facebook and Instagram, WhatsApp does not have ads on its app. Businesses previously advertised their WhatsApp numbers on packaging or websites or used Facebook adverts to entice consumers into WhatsApp discussions, according to Idema.
With a specialized application for small businesses and an API, or sort of software interface, for larger enterprises to link their systems and make revenue, the messaging service has steadily courted corporate users.
Thousands of companies in sectors such as food, retail, and local services will be included in the latest test, according to WhatsApp, which will take place in certain Sao Paulo neighborhoods. India and Indonesia, according to Idema, are ideal prospects for expanding the feature.
As per the company, there is a route on ads, which is Facebook’s primary business model, that will be part of the business model for WhatsApp in some form or another in the long run. According to the company, about one million advertisers utilize Facebook and Instagram’s ‘click to WhatsApp’ advertising to direct consumers to the messaging service.
WhatsApp, which Facebook bought for $19 billion in a historic 2014 deal but has been hesitant to monetize its features, is also intrigued about non-ad models like building software to assist businesses to manage their services across Facebook’s apps, according to Idema.
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