Most companies know that WhatsApp is becoming a major digital sales channel. However, many are unsure where to start when implementing a commercial strategy to leverage it. In this article, we will explain what companies need to do to structure their WhatsApp Commerce strategy using a simple and clear representation of all its stages. 

With smartphone penetration exceeding 80% and the ability to significantly impact e-commerce, WhatsApp is becoming an essential tool for businesses. 

In fact, according to a report by RD Station, WhatsApp generated over 8 million conversions in 2021 through its contact button, demonstrating its effectiveness as a sales channel. Due to figures like these, more and more companies from various industries recognize the importance of having a WhatsApp Commerce strategy. To address the uncertainty that prevents them from taking that big step, we created a comprehensive guide to show how these strategies are structured and why it is so important to implement this workflow now. 

Let’s start by recognizing the stages “Discovery, Purchase, and Post-purchase” in the following diagram:

What does the discovery phase in a WhatsApp Commerce strategy consist of and what strategic actions can your company take? The first vertical in the WhatsApp Commerce strategy is the discovery stage, the moment when the customer enters the messaging service to discover products. These are the key actions for this stage:

• Notify customers about new products and launches: This can be achieved through a button installed on the website, advertising on social media, or WhatsApp Marketing campaigns. The goal is to attract the customer and keep them informed about the company’s news.
• Inform customers when a product they want is back in stock: Customers can subscribe to receive stock notifications through WhatsApp, which is especially useful in e-commerce where product availability can be a recurring issue.
• Communicate promotions and discounts through WhatsApp Marketing campaigns or on social media: This method is particularly effective during major sales events like Black Friday or Hot Sale, where WhatsApp stands out as a highly effective channel for quick and direct communication.

How to facilitate the acquisition or purchase process with WhatsApp Commerce? Once the customer has gone through the discovery phase and is ready to buy, WhatsApp remains a valuable tool to simplify the purchase process. Here are two fundamental tactics: upselling new products and recovering abandoned carts. Let’s see what each one consists of:

• Upselling new products: WhatsApp allows upselling, that is, offering products related to the customer’s interests and purchase history. This strategy increases the purchase value by suggesting additional items the customer might find useful.
• Recovering abandoned carts: In Latin America, e-commerce carts have a 70% abandonment rate. WhatsApp can be a powerful tool to recover these carts by sending reminders to customers to complete their purchase. The ability to send direct and personalized messages is crucial for reducing the abandonment rate and increasing conversions. We invite you to delve deeper into this topic here: Five reasons to recover abandoned carts using WhatsApp

Building loyalty and maintaining contact in the post-purchase stage After the customer has made a purchase, it is crucial to maintain communication to foster loyalty and ensure future conversions. The following strategies are essential in this stage:

• Shipping updates: Keep your customers informed about the status of their shipments to minimize inquiries and improve the customer experience. Providing tracking information through WhatsApp ensures that your customers always know where their products are.
• Monthly subscriptions: Offer reminders for products that need to be renewed monthly, such as supermarket purchases or consumables. WhatsApp is an excellent channel for these reminders, facilitating recurring purchases and improving customer retention.
• Product recommendations: Use WhatsApp to suggest products that your customers might find useful based on their previous purchases. This is similar to the new products strategy in the purchase phase but focuses on maintaining long-term customer interest.

Step by step, how to implement an effective WhatsApp Commerce strategy? To implement an effective WhatsApp Commerce strategy, we recommend following a series of well-defined steps:

• CRM integration: Ensure that WhatsApp is integrated with your customer relationship management (CRM) system. This will enable more personalized and efficient communication.
• Intelligent automation: Use chatbots and automated responses to manage common inquiries and free up time for more complex interactions.
• Analysis and optimization: Monitor interactions and key metrics to better understand your customers’ behavior and continuously optimize your communication strategies. 

Adopting WhatsApp Commerce is a necessity in the digital era to stay competitive. This tool enhances the customer experience and offers significant opportunities to increase sales by building customer loyalty. From discovery to post-purchase, WhatsApp offers an efficient and direct channel to connect with your customers and take your business to the next level. 

Your company can now activate an action plan with an effective WhatsApp Commerce strategy with Chat Center. Schedule a demo now.