Are you a marketer or an E-commerce startup founder or an entrepreneur? 

If you are, as a fellow marketer, I cannot insist more on the importance of staying informed of the
latest trends in the E-commerce industry. 

That would help you to create effective marketing strategies to generate more sales.
Many businesses fail as they lack an understanding of this dynamic industry, where consumer
behaviour keeps changing depending upon various factors.

This blog speaks on the inevitability of WhatsApp Business API for your E-commerce business. Before diving
deep into the concept, one must know the fundamentals of Ecommerce.

During the ancient days, the barter system was widely adopted where the buyer and seller used to
interact in person, but today it has entered the digital stage where the sellers exchange their goods and
services with the consumers over the internet. The process is called Ecommerce.

E-commerce, due to its large expanse, is diversified as follows:

• (B2C) or (D2C) – A company can sell its goods and services to the customer.
• (B2B) – Selling is done to marketing and other organizations.
• (B2G) – Selling to Government agencies.

Why WhatsApp?

WhatsApp has become a prominent tool in marketing in countries like U.S., U.K., Russia, Indonesia,
Germany, Italy and a few more. 

WhatsApp has become one of India’s most popular messaging services, with over 300 million
monthly active users (as of January 2021). Statistics reveal that in our country, the average time spent
monthly using WhatsApp is 21.4 hours (42 minutes/ day). 

After the launch of WhatsApp in 2018, a total of 50 million (5 Crore) businesses use the WhatsApp
Business Applications across the globe, out of which 15 million (1.5 Crore) are Indian Businesses.

As per a recent report, WhatsApp has played a predominant role during various phases of the
pandemic (COVID). WhatsApp has shown an overall 40% increase in usage since March 2020.

During the pre-pandemic phase, the usage went up by 27% and in the mid-phase 41%. For countries
in the post-pandemic phase, there was an increase of 51% in WhatsApp.

Do you still think that WhatsApp is not necessary for your business? You are still wrong.

If you are a medium or large enterprise, WhatsApp business API certainly helps you provide an ideal
customer experience to your clients.

The Role of WhatsApp Business API in E-commerce 

Competition has become so fierce that survival of the fittest has become the rule in marketing. The
awareness of the customers has also gone up that they probe into the profile of the product, customer
service rendered by the buyer and so on. 

In the competitive online retail market, focusing on customer satisfaction is a core part of the
business. WhatsApp platform, which was originally used only for text messages among friends and
families, slowly has shifted towards the business arena. 

WhatsApp Business API is a platform which bridges the gap between the seller and the customer. It
facilitates sending messages to unlimited clients, automates notifications and gives the option of live
chats. 

You can track orders to ensure safe and prompt delivery. Providing the best customer experience is
not hard anymore as business owners have the option of leveraging chatbots, automated replies and
interactive messages. Besides, feedback from the customers is received instantly which helps to improve services. 

Advantages of using WhatsApp Marketing for Ecommerce Business

1. WhatsApp is popular because it’s a private messaging platform on a global scale.
2. WhatsApp API is ideally suited for medium and large-sized enterprises to enhance their sales
   and have close bondage with their customers.
3. It helps in automating notifications like confirmation of the order, updates on delivery, etc.
4. Having multiple chats with the same phone number is easier.
5. Common customer queries can be automated. WhatsApp offers versatile services in assisting
   the customer with pre-purchase enquiries, resolving technical issues and handling returns. 
6. WhatsApp API offers 60+ language options for communication in their native languages.
   Approximately, 2.2 billion users from 190 countries across the globe are active on this
   platform. It offers the opportunity to its subscribers to communicate through text and voice
   messages, voice and video calls, and share images and documents.

What can WhatsApp Business API do for your Ecommerce Business?

1. It can help an organisation boost sales by as much as 5x in comparison with emails & SMS.  
2. The WhatsApp chat button on the Ecommerce website can be integrated.
3. 24/7 customer service can be provided through chats. 
4. Order updates can be monitored through WhatsApp. 
5. Sometimes, the user or buyer adds a product to the online shopping cart without completing
   the purchase. It just becomes like a wish list. Under such circumstances, reminders can be sent
   through WhatsApp to complete the purchase. Thus, cart abandonment can be reduced. 
6. WhatsApp Business profiles can be used to specify or highlight important features about a
   brand and provide answers to the queries raised by the customer. 
7. Digital catalogues can be created so that the customers come to know about the products and
   services.

WhatsApp Marketing for Ecommerce Brands

It is a marketing strategy to establish a brand through WhatsApp. Brands can now have direct communication with their target audience via chat using WhatsApp.

WhatsApp Business API helps brands to reach a great multitude of customers and have personalized
conversations with them. Brands like Adidas, Netflix, Unilever, Vodka etc., have grown leaps and
bounds through WhatsApp brand-building campaigns.

Whatsapp Business API allows your e-commerce business to gain credibility among the customers as
they have an easy way to reach you and get their queries resolved soon. In addition, the consumers
would know whether or not an account is verified. There is a green tick badge next to the contact
number which basically confirms that the seller has an authentic business account and is not sending
spam messages. 

This is a great way to build trust with customers and enhance brand reputation. The WhatsApp API
lets brands tap into the WhatsApp code and customise their business accounts with features and
integrations to fit their needs.