Facebook-owned messaging service WhatsApp has introduced two new features aimed at helping businesses stay in touch with customers and allowing them to easily showcase their products.
The first feature allows customers to start a conversation with a business by scanning a QR code displayed by a business on their storefront, product packaging, or receipt. The QR code will then open a conversation, with an option for businesses to create a pre-filled message when starting the conversation.
This will replace the previous process that required users to add a business's WhatsApp number to their contacts one number at a time.
Additionally, WhatsApp has introduced a feature that allows businesses to share their catalogs and individual products as links on websites, Facebook, Instagram, through the QR Code feature.
“Catalogs allow businesses to showcase the goods or services they offer, which can help increase sales,” the company said in a blog post.
“Since their launch last year, lists have become a popular way for users to interact with a business on WhatsApp. In fact, more than 40 million people view a business list on WhatsApp every month.”
Both features are available to businesses worldwide using the WhatsApp Business app or the WhatsApp Business API.
There are currently more than 50 million users of the WhatsApp Business app.
At the end of last year, the messaging platform warned that it would crack down on the abuse of business features for mass messaging by enforcing the law.
“WhatsApp will take legal action against those we determine are engaging in or assisting others in abuses that violate our Terms of Service, such as automated or mass messaging or non- personal use, even if that determination is based on information made available exclusively to us by our platform,” the company said.
