b2b.store Joint Founder and Chief Technology Officer Dale Jefferson explains why WhatsApp messages could carry an extra punch
When I tell people the future of B2B technology is something they absentmindedly use on a daily basis, I’m normally met by a puzzled face. When I go on to explain it’s a tool they already use to share pictures of the kids, send jokes to their friends or simply to arrange what to have for tonight’s dinner, they only look more confused.
While some of that is because people have visions of automated technology and robots transforming the way we work, it’s also because they don’t realise the power WhatsApp could have on the business world. And the truth is that unleashed to its full potential, WhatsApp is so much more than a humble communication tool.
With the right development, WhatsApp could become the hub of a B2B business, offering ordering, payment, customer service and promotional functions without leaving the confines of the app. People often talk about creating a one-stop shop – and WhatsApp truly could become one.
The case for this vision starts when you consider why we all use WhatsApp in the first place. A massive 82% of people in the UK use it (a figure that stands head and shoulders above other communication channels) because it’s easy to use, information is secure and you can send anything you want to anyone you want, as long as you have their phone number. WhatsApp is ubiquitous so it’s the place to be.
Many businesses have already cottoned on to that and use it to enhance communication among teams, to make international calls for free and to tentatively share updates to customers. It’s had a positive impact, but there’s a big leap from doing that to the future I outlined above, whether with the free consumer version or WhatsApp Business.
But it’s with the lesser-known WhatsApp Business API when things get really interesting. It provides developers like me with the chance to build more intuitive messages and create personalisation among contacts, not to mention the ability to send messages at scale in a secure one-to-one environment – something WhatsApp groups or broadcasts in the other two versions don’t allow for.
Initially this is great news for sharing updates and marketing collateral because it’s a more cost-effective way to send all sorts of information quickly to a large audience, offering read receipts, an ability to track clicks and an avenue for two-way interaction.
Add another layer on that and you can drive traffic to specific areas of an eCommerce platform, taking customers straight to deals and creating additional revenue-driving opportunities with brand-exclusive promotions. Those messages can be segmented into regions or sectors to ensure only relevant communications are shared, further improving engagement and efficiency.
Through our work with early adopters on this you can already see a glimpse of what WhatsApp can achieve, with 31% of messages read within the first 10 minutes of being sent and rising to 55% within the first hour. And that’s with the chance that some people will have read receipts turned off.
Next phase development will include two-way automated chatbots to deal with common customer queries, while personalisation that links a phone number to a customer account on an integrated eCommerce or accounting platform brings even greater functionality to the table.
Those functions could include the roll out of one-tap ‘add to basket’ buttons on promotions or adverts, one-tap reordering messages sent at times when past behaviour suggests high success rates, and automatic credit control management, with the ability to view account balances and settle bills with open banking. Develop it even further in the future and customers could be adding products to their basket by simply typing a message into WhatsApp.
It’s a bright future and one I expect to gather pace across the B2B space in the next few years, with the potential for growth in the consumer realm too – and I’m excited to be at the forefront of the revolution with b2b.store through our B2B WhatsApp module.
To build this level of service within a communication platform that is dominating the market could be huge and shows how much power is at our fingertips. WhatsApp is so much more than a communication platform and it’s time to help businesses realise its full potential.
