Sixty-six per cent of people globally prefer to use WhatsApp to message businesses, a study by market research company Kantar showed.
There are five ways retailers can use WhatsApp to fuel sales this Ramadan, Kantar said.
Create a messaging experience
Most retailers in the UAE are available on WhatsApp, but do not use the platform wisely.
“So when customers come, you need to be ready. During Ramadan, that might be as simple as updating your business hours in your business profile in the WhatsApp Business app to let people know you’re open during the month.”
This becomes more crucial if the company’s operating hours will be different than usual.
Sending an automated message to all your customers about your store timings will be a better option, the report added.
Retailer also need to be quick to answer customer queries, thanks to shortened working hours during the holy month.
Make people feel more connected to the brand
There are several things that retailers can do to build interactive experiences that increase customer retention.
The most important one is sending personalised messages.
This creates a connection with the customer and enhances relevancy of messages.
Guiding users on the app will also prove useful. This can be done through automated messaging options such as bots.
Using a in-thread cart and product selection will also make sure the customer stays longer on the chat.
“If you have special items or deals and promotions during Ramadan, it’s best to highlight that in your catalogue so people can easily find what they might want to buy.”
Attract new customers
“The lifeblood of any business is finding more customers,” said Kantar, adding that “it’s key to drive more people to your WhatsApp channel.”
To get more customers, retailers should add a QR code to their storefront, website, product packaging and marketing materials.
“To find the QR code, go to Business Tools and Short Link. You can even share your QR code with others easily from the app,” said Kantar.
Drive traffic from social media
Social commerce is booming in the UAE, and is expected to grow 21.6 per cent this year.
Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp are the main drivers of social commerce in the region, so it has become imperative for businesses to link all of their social media sites.
Retailers can add a WhatsApp button to their Facebook or Instagram account, so when customers click it, it directly opens a chat on their WhatsApp Business app.
“That way, customers browsing your business on those platforms can easily start a conversation with you on WhatsApp to ask questions or place an order. To go a step further and find brand new customers, businesses can also create Facebook or Instagram ads that click to open a chat on WhatsApp. These ads are an incredibly effective and powerful way to attract new customers and get them to start messaging with your business,” Kantar said.
Stay organised
Because Ramadan can be an extremely busy month for businesses, it is essential to keep WhatsApp chats organised.
“Most sales are condensed into a few hours of the day and there is a potential influx of chats from new customers.”
One trick that retailers can adopt is to use the ‘collections’ option in the WhatsApp Business app.
This allows them to group and organise products into specific categories, so becomes simple for customers to browse the catalogue.
“To stay on top of your chats, label specific ones with customisable descriptions to keep track of things like pending payments, new customers and more. The labels are visible only to you and not to customers. As your customer base and chat volume grow, businesses can even graduate from the WhatsApp Business app to the more powerful WhatsApp Business Platform where they can engage with customers at scale.”
