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Introduction
If you are an eCommerce retailer, a customer is a dream date you would want to impress forever. Unfortunately, in many cases, it is easier said than done.
Even if you have the perfect setting, luminous candles, and tasty food, what ultimately determines your chances is the conversation quality. Since online shopping is an extension of our social reality, it can go awry without a proper conversation between you and the shopper.
But luckily, in 2024, your chances of conversing with customers and ultimately retaining them have a real possibility with WhatsApp Business. In this article, we discuss the many ways you can improve customer retention with the WhatsApp Business API version.
Amplify Customer Retention With WhatsApp Business API
Customer retention is the art of transforming customers into repeat buyers. It starts with earning customer loyalty by offering quality products and services, communicating brand ethos, and promptly solving customer queries.
In recent years, WhatsApp Business has become the grand wand you wave to successfully communicate with shoppers. SMEs and large retail companies like Hopscotch, Jockey, and Decathlon are gaining customer attention with WhatsApp.
So far, the WhatsApp Business platform has already earned the approval of over 5 million businesses around the world. While many companies oscillate towards WhatsApp marketing tactics, a good chunk are focusing on improving their brand messaging for customer retention.
In fact, according to a study by Sanuker, 64% of global customers feel WhatsApp helps them foster a deep personal connection with brands. This right here is the stepping stone in customer retention- a feeling of bonding and a wish to revisit the online store.
Top 10 Ways to Improve Customer Retention with WhatsApp Business API
1) Open two-way communication in customer service
Customer service is the most crucial point of contact between customers and the company, be it for some information or help with any issues. Customer service is the prime agent in customer retention practices since it has a direct bearing on reducing customer churn rate.
WhatsApp’s multimedia messaging formats, alongside customer-initiated messaging, open the door to two-way conversations that are interactive. This helps shoppers relieve their anxiety about formal approaches, phone calls, or emails. With chats that can include instructive videos or images, WhatsApp allows support agents to broaden their service scope.
Moreover, most customers in the age groups of 16-35 are accustomed to quick messaging. So, customer service catering to their choice of casual communication gives them the confidence to approach them like they would a friend.
WhatsApp Business allows CRM software integrations that allow support representatives to address customer problems from their CRM platform. This further allows real time resolution of problems and stores the chat information on WhatsApp for future reference.
2) Offer real-time query resolution with chatbots
Chatbots epitomizes the benefits of synchronous communication, one that is automated and held in real time between an AI bot and a shopper. One, WhatsApp based chatbots have the potential to handle routine queries as and when a customer requests. Two, the time needed to address frequently asked questions can be minimized.
The best part is that you can use chatbots to either address issues based on a set template or display sentience with natural language processing. Having on-demand support that does not rely on wait times in IVRS calls is a great asset in customer service.
Moreover, you can invest in some resources, like predictive analytics, to train chatbots to recognize customer sentiments. Doing so will allow them to understand customer emotions and proactive address them. With prompt replies, you save not only your time but the customer’s valuable minutes.
3) Be proactive at business-initiated messaging
Another component of good customer service is to reach out to them before a potential issue arises. WhatsApp allows businesses to initiate messaging on their end for x number of reasons. For customer safety, it permits retailers to send a pre-approved message template in a 24-hour timeframe.
You can take advantage of this feature to forward critical information such as order status, pending payment alerts, delivery confirmations, and even shipping exceptions. These notifications are the hallmark of proactive customer service and help buyers gain trust in your brand.
The true face of dynamic and dedicated customer service for retention is to prioritize customer satisfaction. Extending information that can potentially affect purchase decisions, like price changes and abandoned cart alerts, can help customers go through with the purchase.
4) Improvise brand communication with high-impact conversations
High-impact messaging is the practice of building connections with individual customers and giving them immediate value. The endpoint of this strategy is to deepen customer engagement by offering each individual shopper what they want on their terms.
Since high-impact messaging is designed to provide quality services and content, they have a positive impact on customer retention. Examples of this include a CTA message, media dialogues, chatbot-initiated self-service texts, list menus including product catalogs, etc.
With WhatsApp, you can create the basis for both reactive and proactive messaging. In the first instance, you can create custom templates for 24/7 messaging to offer round-the-clock support to shoppers belonging to any time zone.
In the second case, you can reach out to customers before any problem negatively impacts their experience. This can include generating automated messaging and list messages to gather customer experience before or after a purchase is made.
5) Capture customer loyalty with personalized offerings
Personalization is like the Holy Grail in eCommerce. In the lack of an in-store shopping face-to-face communication experience, personalization enables you to bond with a customer establishing their individuality.
WhatsApp has multiple avenues for personalized offerings for different customers having similar demands. First, it allows businesses to segment their customer base into appropriate groups, like one-time customers vs. regular customers. Second, it assists you in curating customized messaging based on their purchase pattern, browsing history, etc.
Once you understand your customers’ preferences and styles, you can address each of their requirements seamlessly. Coupled with this knowledge, you can leverage conversational messaging to prompt them towards a particular product or offer gently.
6) Engage customers with Self-service resources
Educational content has become a core area of content marketing and customer care. A good sign of helpful customer service is to help shoppers find, connect and interact with the content or service relevant to their lives.
By helping them find good uses for a product or service and showcasing the different ways to handle or utilize the item, you are adding direct value to customers. To this end, WhatsApp API features like automated chat flows, PDF sharing, video sharing, and well-indexed blogs can create an intuitive flow for educational or self-service resources.
7) Become proactive in gathering customer feedback
Collecting customer feedback is a great way to value buyers, their voice, their experiences, and the time invested in your brand. A study by Spectrum concluded that 57% of online shoppers prefer to regularly communicate with companies on WhatsApp. This makes it a perfect tool for gathering customer feedback.
You can include list messages with surveys like rate your experience on a scale of 1 to 10 or a URL to a native feedback form for greater responses. In any case, having customer feedback highlights both the positive aspects of your brand that you can upgrade for better results and the pain points that frustrate customers.
Once you have the chance to collect data, especially on a platform that has higher chances of customer response, you are already ahead in the game of self-improvement.
8) Enhance customer experience with loyalty programs and Whatsapp groups
Loyalty programs are specially planned marketing strategies highly focused on retaining customers. It usually involves a number of marketing and financial incentives. These can be discounts, limited stocked items, speedy delivery, returns services, and even promotion events.
Usually, loyalty programs are tied closely to brand messaging. So a highly conducive communication forum like WhatsApp is the best tool for communicating with high-end customers. Forwarding sign-up messages on WhatsApp, where customers usually opt-in to receive such alerts, also takes away the edge from promotional material as intrusive.
Moreover, companies can establish WhatsApp groups to foster a community for shoppers sharing similar rewards and benefits and allow them to converse with each other for social proof. This can help with word-of-mouth publicity for other shoppers.
9) Lessen customer anxiety with post-purchase alerts and notifications
The post-purchase customer journey starts the moment they checkout the product and the item is dispatched from the origin warehouse. This is the central stage of customer retention, where brands can actively engage with buyers.
Post-purchase communication typically involves informing customers of their shipment status, estimated delivery dates, out-for-delivery alerts, and failed delivery information. The gravity of post-purchase notifications can be inferred from studies that show that about 93% of customers expect them from brands.
To achieve a streamlined approach in post-purchase messaging, retailers can use WhatsApp API that sends these alerts on a recurring basis at regular intervals. You can get an order status template approved by Facebook Developers to initiate the process.
10) Earn customer trust and add more value to customer experience
Keeping conversations that are interesting, tonal, interactive, and actionable is an excellent way to continue long-term interaction. Also, gaining explicit permission to open dialogue while keeping customer data and privacy safe gives extra brownie points to brands.
WhatsApp places due importance on keeping customer data safe and secure. With encrypted messaging, you can assure customers of their secured privacy and cookieless, non-intrusive data collection.
5 Major Advantages That Make WhatsApp Business API specifically suited for Customer Retention
Now that we saw how WhatsApp Business API could help with customer retention let’s briefly understand the advantages your business gets by using their medium:
1)Relative omnipresence
WhatsApp is present in over 180+ countries. It is especially popular in markets with huge eCommerce consumer bases like India, the U.S.A., Brazil, Indonesia, and Korea. With WhatsApp API, you can then reach consumers in these countries, especially if you are looking to expand your business overseas.
2)Support for multiple languages
To complement its global expansion drive, WhatsApp also has grand language support for 60+ global languages like English, Hindi, and Spanish. With a versatile language library, you can target different customer segments and converse in the languages they prefer. This adds an extra layer of friendliness and trust between you and the shoppers.
3) Popularity among Millennials and GenZ
GenZ and Millennials can be said to be the generation that prefers messaging over calls, emails, and sometimes even face-to-face interactions. As entrepreneurs, it is important that you are present in spaces where 40% of global consumers are- messaging apps like WhatsApp. WhatsApp helps you reach your millennial customers effortlessly.
4) Merges asynchronous and synchronous communication
Both asynchronous and synchronous communication are modes of communication. In the former case, a conversation can be picked up as and when each party necessitates. In the latter case, a conversation is held in real time. Both these mediums are important to have in your communication strategy.
Customers may not always be available to reply to your messages. But, at the same time, they may require you to be present for them anytime they need. Here, WhatsApp API becomes the perfect solution to cater to both these demands.
5) Multi-media structure
Multimedia usually combines multiple formats like text, images, videos, audio, documents, GIFs, etc. WhatsApp is well known for its rich multimedia capabilities. You can embed any image, video clips, GIFs, or emojis to create an immersive dialogue experience with your customers.
Conclusion
The use cases of WhatsApp Business API for customer retention are gaining traction amongst many retailers nowadays. Given the proclivity for conversational messaging in every country today, WhatsApp can be the foremost channel for customer communication.
Therefore, using its potential now can give you an edge over your competitors in seamlessly communicating with customers and solving their problems. When you target these core areas of customer retention, you can generate great results in building a genuine connection with your shoppers.
FAQs
1. How much does WhatsApp Business API cost?
Facebook offers free integrations with WhatsApp API but charges businesses based on their messaging. As such, it charges per session in business-initiated messages from brands. The exact price depends on your geographical location and time usage in your country’s currency. Extra charges are applied if you integrate the API with a business solutions provider. Again the exact amount differs from one BSP to another.
2. How can Businesses foster a connection with customers on WhatsApp?
The easiest way to foster a deeper connection with customers is to be there for them 24/7 since you never know when they might need your assistance. You can also adhere to high-impact messaging rules, like creating messages that are casual, conversational, and relevant.