WhatsApp said last month that it would increase investment in three areas for businesses on its platform—shopping, Facebook hosting services and business sales—and it took the first step on the shopping front with Tuesday’s introduction of a shopping button.
The shopping button eases the process for users of the Facebook-owned messaging application who want to browse businesses’ catalogs of goods and services, eliminating the need to click through to the business profile.
The new button, which resembles a storefront icon, will immediately indicate that the business has a catalog and enable users to access it with one tap.
WhatsApp said the shopping button is available globally, replacing the voice call button on the app’s interface. Users can still start voice calls via the call button, which enables them to choose between video and voice.
Over 175 million people message WhatsApp business accounts each day, the company said, with over 40 million viewing catalogs every month.
WhatsApp also cited a recent survey, which found that 68% of international respondents were more likely to do business with or purchase from a company that it can contact via messaging than with one that doesn’t offer that option.
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https://www.adweek.com/media/whatsapp-rolls-out-shopping-button-globally/