D2C brands, have you tried WhatsApp commerce?

D2C purchases reached 64% in 2022 [Influencer Marketing Hub].

You can only imagine the numbers for this year.

D2C brands have grown immensely since the rise of digital commerce. Digitisation in eCommerce and the covid-19 pandemic made personalised online shopping increasingly convenient for consumers, which encouraged D2C brands to flock towards the growing eCommerce trends and make the most out of this new age of digital commerce.

WhatsApp has been one of the major players in the eCommerce marketing and sales domain since the introduction of WhatsApp Business in 2018. Its conversational framework, global presence and enormous userbase made it the perfect digital commerce platform for brands looking to nurture their prospects and convert them into loyal customers. 

In fact, more than 80% of D2C eCommerce brands in India believe that the messaging app helped them communicate with customers and grow their businesses.

Ever since the inception of WhatsApp commerce, every D2C brand realised they had to be present on WhatsApp to provide a seamless shopping experience to their customers. Being absent from the messaging channel meant missing out on the ultimate platform for D2C brands.

What is WhatsApp commerce?

WhatsApp commerce is the perfect example of a conversational commerce model that allows companies to engage with customers and sell their products and services directly through the  WhatsApp Business and WhatsApp Business API platforms. 

The feature completes the entirety of a buyer's journey on the messaging app, making WhatsApp the most functional marketing and sales platform to exist.

How does WhatsApp commerce work for D2C brands?

WhatsApp for business, with its features, has significantly simplified D2C marketing for brands.

As one of the most prominent features of the platform, WhatsApp commerce enables D2C brands to directly talk to their prospects and guide them down the sales funnel using personalisation in engagements. But that is not all that WhatsApp commerce offers the D2C sector.
WhatsApp commerce allows brands to:

1. Send WhatsApp Newsletter updates
2. Send abandoned carts and check out messages
3. Give personalised discount offers
4. Provide product recommendations
5. Showcase product catalogue and sell directly on the app
6. Make direct payments via WhatsApp pay
7. Provide personalised assistance through interactive conversations
8. Support customers by answering all their pre and post-purchase queries

Now add a WhatsApp Chatbot to the mix, and businesses can automate the sales and marketing process seamlessly without requiring any necessary human interaction.
‍

What are the benefits of using WhatsApp commerce for D2C brands?

WhatsApp commerce allows D2C brands to fulfil all customer expectations by providing them with the perfect end-to-end shopping experience at their fingertips.
There are a few very important factors that make WhatsApp commerce so ideal for D2C brands. These benefits of WhatsApp are as follows:
‍
1. It allows personalisation 

2. It has a huge customer base
3. It enables mobile commerce
4. It has a simple & interactive User Interface
5. It promotes upselling and cross-selling 
6. It builds loyal customers

‍

1. It allows personalisation

About 80% of consumers admit to being more likely to make a purchase when the brand gives them a personalised customer experience. WhatsApp, with its conversational framework, enables personalisation from the get-go. The messaging app allows D2C brands to communicate with customers in a more direct way. Brands can send targeted messages and promotional offers to specific customers based on data collected through conversational interactions, their previous purchases and browsing history. This helps businesses build stronger relationships with consumers and increase customer loyalty.

2. It has a huge customer base

With over 2 billion active users worldwide, WhatsApp provides a massive existing customer base spread across 180 countries for D2C brands to connect with. WhatsApp also has an extremely high open and response rate, compared to most marketing channels. By integrating with WhatsApp, brands can tap into this existing user base and reach all of their customers by being where they already are.

3. It enables Mobile Commerce 

Mobile commerce has become increasingly popular among consumers, with m-commerce sales projected to grow over 710 billion dollars by 2025. WhatsApp Commerce enables D2C brands to tap into this trend by providing a seamless mobile shopping experience. With in-app payments, customers can quickly and easily complete transactions without having to navigate to a separate website or app, making the purchasing process more convenient and efficient.

4. It has a simple and interactive UI

WhatsApp Commerce has a simple, interactive and familiar user interface that makes it easy for customers to browse through products, make instant purchases, and get adequate support. With features like product catalogues and easy-to-integrate smart chatbots, businesses can offer a seamless shopping experience on WhatsApp that is both efficient and enjoyable for customers.

5. Promotes Upselling and Cross-Selling

With the ability to send personalised messages to customers, WhatsApp Commerce enables D2C brands to promote upselling and cross-selling. For example, if a customer has purchased a product, the brand can send messages recommending complementary products or accessories that the customer may be interested in purchasing. By using a chatbot, brands can build better customer relationships by consistently being available to them and seamlessly upsell and cross-sell products to customers with every conversation6. Builds Loyal Customers

By offering personalised support and assistance through WhatsApp Commerce, D2C brands can build strong relationships with their customers. This helps to increase customer loyalty and encourage repeat purchases. Additionally, WhatsApp Commerce enables brands to offer exclusive promotions and deals to their customers, further incentivising them to shop with the brand.

‍

How can D2C brands drive sales with WhatsApp Commerce?

Driving sales is the primary goal for every D2C business out there, so much so that brands need to be on every platform, their customers are active on. Since 83% of customers prioritise convenience while shopping, brands need to be present everywhere, all the time to provide that seamless service for customers. WhatsApp’s pre-existing user base and conversational framework make it the most convenient platform to provide that seamless end-to-end consumer experience that customers crave. Right from conducting targeted marketing campaigns, availing in-platform purchasing with an easy payment option and providing the ultimate customer support throughout the buyer’s journey with constant interaction, WhatsApp Chatbot is the perfect app for D2C brands to drive sales and nurture loyal customers.

Here is how D2C brands can use WhatsApp commerce to drive sales:

1. Generate high-intent leads

Companies may collect leads on WhatsApp using opt-ins, but that doesn't necessarily mean every lead will instantly convert. After collecting opt-ins, D2C brands need to understand their prospect’s buyer's intent by initiating one on one communication with them. Using a WhatsApp chatbot is the most effective way to do so, as the bot can flawlessly interact with consumers and collect necessary personal data with ease. 

Chatbots also use conversations to collect details on the consumer's requirements and preferences to understand their position in their buyer's journey to help generate high-intent leads and smoothly guide them down the conversion funnel.

2. Nurture customers with Communication

Communication is key no matter what relationship you’re in. D2C brands can use WhatsApp to communicate with customers in a more personal and direct way, using its interactive interface to provide updates on new products, special promotions, and exclusive offers. This can help drive sales by creating a sense of urgency and encouraging customers to make purchases. 

By creating a verified account and engaging with customers in real time and providing personalised assistance, D2C brands can build trust and loyalty with their customers. Additionally, brands can leverage WhatsApp to gather feedback and insights from customers, which can be used to improve products and services to increase sales in the long run.

3. Use a WhatsApp chatbot

A WhatsApp Chatbot is the perfect virtual assistant for any WhatsApp Business API account. By using a chatbot, D2C brands can offer real-time support to their customers throughout the marketing and sales process. A chatbot can answer pre and post-purchase questions, send instant offers and abandoned cart reminder messages, and provide assistance with personalised recommendations based on pricing and other preferences to customers 24/7. 

This way, businesses can easily drive sales by improving the overall customer experience, upselling and cross-selling products in conversation, building trust and loyalty with customers, and reducing the likelihood of abandoned purchases.

4. Use WhatsApp Catalogs

D2C brands can connect their Shopify product catalogues with their WhatsApp Business API account to showcase their products and enable customers to browse through them. This makes it convenient for consumers to make purchases directly within the app without having to switch to a website or any other channel. 

The WhatsApp catalogue has a user-friendly UX design with an add-to-cart option to make it easier for customers to shop on the app. Beyond that, D2C brands can employ WhatsApp automation solutions to complete the customer’s purchasing process without any need for human intervention.

5. Leverage WhatsApp Pay

WhatsApp has introduced WhatsApp pay to help users make in-app payments conveniently. With in-app payments, customers can quickly and easily make purchases without having to navigate to a separate website or app. This can help drive sales by making the purchasing process even more convenient and efficient. 

Furthermore, in-app payments also provide a more secure and seamless checkout experience for customers and reduce the likelihood of cart abandonment. This payment method can also help decrease the chances of customers opting for COD by making payments easier and, in turn, lead to higher conversion rates for the business.

6. Provide the perfect support

WhatsApp chatbots help provide 24/7, real-time customer support to all users, prospects and existing customers alike, but that is not always enough. Sometimes customers need a little more than a chatbot to help them out. WhatsApp supports live chat to allow agents from D2C brands to directly connect with customers when required. Leverage the live chat feature and train your chatbot to offer the option whenever required to give your customers the perfect customer support required to build a healthy and long-term relationship with them.

Check out more things you can do with your WhatsApp Business Account.

‍

FAQ 

How can D2C brands ensure the security of customer data when using WhatsApp commerce?

WhatsApp's end-to-end encryption policy ensures that all chats and transactions carried out on the platform remain secure and confidential. This feature provides a high level of protection for sensitive information exchanged between businesses and their customers, making it easy for D2C brands to ensure the security of customer data.

What role does customer service play in D2C brands' use of WhatsApp commerce?

Customer service plays a huge role in a D2C brand’s use of WhatsApp Commerce. WhatsApp is a conversational marketing and commerce platform that helps brands interact with customers and sell products using one-on-one conversations. Therefore, with WhatsApp, customer service is the main character of the show. By providing efficient and personalised support to customers, D2C businesses can successfully drive sales and build long-term relationships with customers.

Can I send images and videos on WhatsApp Commerce?

Yes, you can share a range of multimedia messages like images, videos, links, documents, geo-locations, product catalogues and much more with your customers on WhatsApp.

Do you want to integrate a WhatsApp Chatbot into your WhatsApp business account but don’t know who to trust?

Engati is a Codie award-winning conversational chatbot company that has built over 30,000 chatbots across 186 countries. Engati’s chatbots are multilingual, supporting over 54 languages, live chat, easy integrations and much more.

Don’t believe us?

Register for a Free Demo and find out for yourself!

Download our exclusive ebook for free! (Worth $199)