New WhatsApp Features Bolster Small Business Opportunities


WhatsApp announced several new features tailored to benefit small businesses during their global Conversations event. These additions streamline business-consumer interactions, making it more user-friendly and efficient for both ends.

Introducing ‘Flows’: Seamless Business Experiences Within the Chat

The most notable introduction is ‘Flows,’ a feature that transforms how consumers interact with businesses on the app. Flows will allow businesses to offer services like seat selections for train journeys, food ordering, or even scheduling appointments. All these can be done without the consumer ever leaving the chat interface. This means that businesses can now provide dynamic menus and customizable forms catering to different customer requirements.

Small business owners can anticipate this feature as a boon, as it adds convenience for their customers, potentially boosting customer satisfaction and engagement rates. Businesses operating on the WhatsApp Business Platform globally can expect Flows to be made available in the forthcoming weeks.

Revolutionizing In-Chat Payments

WhatsApp is also dialing up the ease of transactions for its users. Indian users can now seamlessly add items to their carts and make payments directly within the chat interface. The platform supports many payment methods, including UPI apps, debit and credit cards. This development has been facilitated with digital payment giants Razorpay and PayU. Such integrations spell out immense potential for small businesses by simplifying the purchasing process and could lead to an increase in sales and more streamlined transactions.

Gaining Customer Trust with Meta Verification

With an ever-increasing emphasis on authenticity and security, WhatsApp is ensuring users are confident about whom they’re conversing with. Businesses can now be ‘Meta Verified’. To achieve this verification, businesses must prove their authenticity to Meta. Once verified, they are awarded a badge, increased account support, and protections against impersonation.

For small businesses, this could be a game-changer. Being Meta Verified comes with premium features like the creation of a custom WhatsApp page that’s searchable on the web and multi-device support, allowing various employees to engage with customers. The company stated that it will initiate testing for this with small businesses on the WhatsApp Business app. Thereafter, it’ll be expanded to the broader WhatsApp Business Platform.

In a climate where digital touchpoints are vital for business survival and growth, these enhancements by WhatsApp can potentially be transformative. Small business owners should eagerly anticipate these features and strategize on how best to utilize them for maximum impact.

The company expressed its enthusiasm for these rollouts, emphasizing its commitment to strengthening business-consumer relationships and enabling more efficient connections. With these introductions, the future of small business interactions on WhatsApp looks promising.

Image: Depositphotos



Joshua Sophy Joshua Sophy is the Editor for Small Business Trends and has been a member of the team for 16 years. A professional journalist with 20 years of experience in traditional media and online media, he attended Waynesburg University and is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists. He has held roles of reporter, editor and publisher, having founded his own local newspaper, the Pottsville Free Press.