WhatsApp Business gets a new shopping button, check how the feature works

A new WhatsApp feature is being rolled out to users in India that will make it easier for people to discover a business’ catalog so they know what goods or services it offers. The Facebook-owned instant messaging app has been working on a Shopping button for quite some time and has announced that the feature will be made available from today.

WhatsApp states that over 175 million users message a WhatsApp Business account every day. Out of these, more than 40 million people view a business’ catalog each month – including more than 3M in India. The company cited a survey in which 76 percent of adults in India said “I am more likely to do business with/purchase from a company that I can contact via messaging than one that I cannot.”

To make it easier for such users, WhatsApp is rolling out a new shopping button. The feature is an upgrade over the existing WhatsApp business account feature wherein people had to click into the business’ profile to see if it had a catalog. Now, when a person sees the shopping button, which looks like a storefront icon, they will immediately know the business has a catalog so they can browse products and start a conversation about an item they see with just one tap. This will make it easier for businesses to have their products discovered which can help increase sales.

The new shopping button will replace the voice call button. To find the voice call button, simply tap on the call button to select either a voice or video call.