14 Game-changing WhatsApp Ecommerce Strategies (2024)

Just 2.86% of Ecommerce website visitors convert into customers.

So, just bringing users to your website is not going to be enough.

Also, cutting-edge competition, an average 51% abandoned cart rate, and reduced re-orders have made it harder for Ecommerce Businesses to survive.

That's where WhatsApp comes in!

Using WhatsApp for your Ecommerce business can help you boost your sales by as much as 5x in comparison with emails & SMS.

With an industry-high 98% message open rate & 45-60% click-through rate, WhatsApp is the most actionable platform to market your Ecommerce Business.

In this blog, we'll discuss 14 game-changing WhatsApp Ecommerce strategies that will boost your lead generation & conversions by 5x & more.

At a Glance

• 4 Prickling Problems every Ecommerce Business faces
• 14 Strategies to Leverage WhatsApp for Ecommerce
• 1. Recover 35-60% of Abandoned Carts
• 2. Automate Notifications on WhatsApp
• 3.  Send WhatsApp Retargeting Campaigns for 3x more conversions
• 4. Reduce Return to Origin (RTO) Losses
• 5. Send Carousel Messages to drive 2x more clicks and conversions
• 6. Add a WhatsApp Button to your Website
  
• 7. Direct to WhatsApp Ads
• 8. Showcase products via WhatsApp Catalogues
• 9. Collect Payments directly within WhatsApp
• 10. Offer Instant Discounts on WhatsApp
• 11. Automate Sales with WhatsApp Chatbot
• 12. Order Confirmation + Upsell
• 13. Share WhatsApp Link on Social Media
• 14. Host Challenges and Quizzes on WhatsApp
• How to get started with WhatsApp for Ecommerce
  
• Conclusion

4 Prickling problems every Ecommerce Business Faces

1. Abandoned Carts - Roughly 70% of your users add items to their carts but leave without checking out & making the payment.
2. No Re-orders - You converted a user into a customer to never see them return. Seems relatable? Generating product re-orders is one of the major challenges of every Ecommerce Business.
3. Users refusing to accept COD Orders- It's a cheap trick, but many users simply order an item and add the payment as COD. However, at the time of delivery, they refuse to accept the order, doubling your shipping charges.
4. Users clicking the ads don't convert- Users click on your Facebook, Instagram or Google Ad, reach your website but leave without making a purchase.

14 Strategies to Leverage WhatsApp for Ecommerce (with AiSensy)

Now, let's look at some WhatsApp use cases for Ecommerce Businesses.

1. Recover 45-60% Abandoned Carts by sending Automated Notification

Abandoned Cart Notifications is one of the best WhatsApp for Ecommerce strategies.

80% of customers bag items in their carts, but forget to check out. That means 8 out of 10 users who add items to their carts won't end up purchasing.

But, there's a simple trick that can recover 45-60% of Abandoned Carts. Just automate Abandoned Cart Notifications on WhatsApp with a casual reminder to the users to complete their purchase.

The above image shows how the Abandoned Cart reminder loop works for your WhatsApp Ecommerce store. 

Sending Abandoned Cart Notifications on WhatsApp has been extremely profitable for our clients, with a 20% jump in sales. One of our clients has been able to recover over Rs 3 Cr/ year with Abandoned Cart Notifications.

2. Automate Notifications on WhatsApp

Delivering Notifications such as Order Confirmation, Delivery Updates, Abandoned Cart Reminders, Payment Confirmation/ Reminders, Subscription Reminders, Newsletter & much more are extremely important for an Ecommerce Business.

 Wondering how to create your WhatsApp Ecommerce store? Well, AiSensy allows you to connect your Ecommerce Store with WhatsApp. You can integrate AiSensy to Ecommerce stores from Shopify to WooCommerce, OpenCart and many more to automate notifications on WhatsApp.

You can automate Notifications for Order Confirmation, Delivery Updates, Abandoned Cart Reminders, Payment Confirmation/ Reminders, Subscription Reminders etc which are extremely important for an Ecommerce Business.  

Let's suppose you run a Shopify E-commerce Store selling grocery items. A customer purchases groceries from your store & makes the payment.

Now, they must be waiting for some sort of confirmation of order as well as payment success, right? It's basic human nature!

With Automated Notifications enabled, the user will instantly receive a payment confirmation notification on WhatsApp.

Similarly, if the payment failed, they'll receive a notification for the same on WhatsApp.

Above is an example of an automated notification on WhatsApp.

AiSensy integrates with all major CRMs, software & Ecommerce portals such as HubSpot, Shopify, WooCommerce, Pabbly, OpenCart & more. So, just set up your AiSensy account & start sending WhatsApp notifications with 5x more conversions.

 Integrate your CRM with AiSensy easily & build your WhatsApp Ecommerce store today.

3. Send WhatsApp Retargeting Campaigns for 3x more conversions

Imagine retargeting a particular audience group that is more likely to purchase your products & services.

Yes, you can now do it with smart Campaigns manager (an AiSensy exclusive feature😉).

WhatsApp Retargeting Campaigns allow you to retarget a particular set of users by sending them a WhatsApp Broadcast Campaign.

So, let's say you wish to Broadcast a message to those users who have:

• Read your WhatsApp Broadcast Campaigns
  
• Haven't read your Broadcast Campaign
• Read and Responded to your Broadcast
• Clicked on a button on your previous WhatsApp Broadcast.

You can do this in a jiffy with AiSensy’s WhatsApp Retargeting Campaigns. 

Here's an example of WhatsApp Retargeting Campaigns:

4. Reduce RTO on COD by offering Instant Discounts on WhatsApp

Return to Origin (RTO) is one of the major evils of Ecommerce Businesses. Users purchase products via Cash on Delivery, but at the time of delivery, they refuse to pay for them. The order returns back to the warehouse & the Business has to incur double shipping charges.

Out of 70% of COD orders, 40% return back to the warehouse (Return to Origin), doubling the shipping charges faced by businesses.

So, how do you reduce it?

Apply this strategy to reduce COD orders- whenever a customer orders with COD as the payment method, send an offer on WhatsApp (such as 10% off if you pay right now), thus enticing the user to complete the payment beforehand.

Sending promotional offers will help you convert 40-50% of COD Orders to prepaid ones, thus lowering COD orders and reducing losses by RTO

Offering instant discounts will help you lower COD orders & reduce losses by RTO significantly for your Ecommerce Business.

5. Send Carousel Messages to drive 2x more clicks and conversions

WhatsApp Carousel Message are the latest WhatsApp Template type launched by Meta which allows you to send up to 10 carousel cards in one message. 

Sending WhatsApp Carousel messages is a great strategy for your WhatsApp Ecommerce business as you can use the Carousel Template to showcase new product launches, exclusive discounts and so much more!! The possibilities are quite endless.

Carousel messages have proven to drive 2 times more clicks than normal broadcast messages.

Since this is a new messaging type, there’s a high chance that your audience will feel intrigued seeing this message, doubling the engagement!

6. Add a WhatsApp Button to your Website

Placing a WhatsApp Button widget on your Ecommerce website is a great way to drive customer engagement on WhatsApp!

A WhatsApp Button allows you to engage customers on WhatsApp, even after they've left your website. With this button in place on your website, users need to just 'click-to-chat to talk to connect with you on WhatsApp. This can also create a tremendous difference in your customer support since about 39% of customers (according to Hiver's State of Customer Support Report) dislike spending too much time waiting.

Best thing? You can create WhatsApp Button for free with AiSensy.

With a WhatsApp Button, you can:

• Drive website visitors to WhatsApp
• Engage with users with 1:1 live chat or automation of chat with the AiSensy platform. 
  
• Get the name & number of users as soon as they reach your WhatsApp.
• Get a User's opt-in when they message you on WhatsApp. 
• Retarget customers an infinite number of times even if they have left your website. 

Here's how the WhatsApp Button appears on your website.

Note: As stated in WhatsApp's legal policy, to send messages to users, you must take an opt-in from them confirming that they wish to receive future messages from your business on WhatsApp. 

Here are a few quick-fire ways to receive user opt-ins:

1. Add a pop-up on your website asking for the user's WhatsApp number
2. Offer WhatsApp exclusive incentives to drive people to WhatsApp. E.g. Enter your number to receive a promotion code on WhatsApp. 
3. Whenever a customer messages you, you automatically get their opt-in
4. Add WhatsApp opt-in form during the signup process.
5. Add a QR code on your website or order receipts. 

7. Direct to WhatsApp Ads

Direct to WhatsApp Ads are a great way to drive traffic to your WhatsApp Ecommerce store.

Gone are the times when your ads redirect people to your website!

With 'Direct to WhatsApp Ads', you can redirect people to your WhatsApp & have a 1:1 live conversation.

You have a 3x better chance of converting a user by getting them on WhatsApp than on your landing page!

Also, as a bonus, you get their mobile number and name without having them fill out tiring forms.

You can run Click-to-WhatsApp Ads directly via the AiSensy Platform (Exclusive AiSensy feature) as well as monitor its analytics right from the platform. 

8. Showcase products via WhatsApp Catalogues

Another great strategy for your WhatsApp Ecommerce store is showcasing catalogues of your products directly on WhatsApp.

WhatsApp Catalogue allows businesses to create and share catalogues of their products and services directly through WhatsApp. Customers can browse your catalogue, learn more about your products, and even make purchases without ever leaving WhatsApp.

WhatsApp Catalogues make it easier for customers to browse and purchase your products on WhatsApp.

Talking about purchases, here’s our next and one of the best WhatsApp Marketing Strategies.

9. Collect Payments directly within WhatsApp

WhatsApp Pay is a payment feature allowing businesses to collect payments directly within WhatsApp through UPI (Gpay, Paytm, Phonepe), Cards (debit/ credit cards) and Net Banking. WhatsApp Pay enables businesses to provide an end-to-end shopping experience right on WhatsApp.

It’s a gamechanger since this eliminates the need for customers to leave the platform to complete the transaction ultimately reducing the drop-offs.

10. Offer Instant Discounts on WhatsApp

WhatsApp Promotional messages are a great way to drive sales for your WhatsApp Ecommerce Business.

Since October 2021, WhatsApp has allowed businesses to send promotional messages on WhatsApp. You can send promotional messages on WhatsApp along with clickable buttons to your customers to initiate the conversation which was earlier almost impossible to approve.

You can send these messages only to users who've opted-in for receiving WhatsApp notifications from your business. 

Here's an example of a promotional message on WhatsApp:

Here are some latest approved WhatsApp Approved Promotional Message templates!

1. Discount offer

Shivam, our Hazelnut Chocolates are finally here. These will sell out fast, so grab yours now at our online store.

CTA Button - Shop Now

2. Diwali Wishes + Promo Code

Hey Mohit, 😃👋
AiSensy wishes you a very Happy Diwali. ✨🎉
We are glad to have you with us. On the special occasion of Diwali, we have an exclusive offer for you. 🤩
Avail 20% discount on all our MAU (monthly active user) plans. 😍
Hurry, offer valid only till 26 October 2023 ⏳
Apply Code: *DIWALI2023*

CTA- See Pricing

3. Abandoned Cart

Hi Shivam!👋
The awesome products😍 from *Headway India* are waiting to be yours!
Get your products here👇

CTA- Buy Now

Check out 14 more Promotional message templates to get you started with promotional messages on WhatsApp.

11. Automate sales with WhatsApp Chatbot

You don't need to respond to every common customer query! Simply integrate a WhatsApp Chatbot for your Ecommerce business & let it handle common customer queries & even sales.

A WhatsApp Chatbot acts as a qualified salesman for your WhatsApp Ecommerce Store. 

Here are the benefits of integrating a WhatsApp Chatbot for Ecommerce Business:

• Automates common customer questions,
• Collects information from leads when they first land on WhatsApp,
• Capable of Completing sales by sending them personalized recommendations & product details,
• Can collect product feedback,
• Further, it can transfer queries to a Live Chat Human-Agent if the user wants to talk to a human.

By automating common customer queries, WhatsApp Ecommerce Chatbot can cut off 30% administrative costs. 

12. Order Confirmation + Upsell

Order confirmation + upsell is one of the most effective WhatsApp Ecommerce strategies that can soar your sales.

You can boost your eCommerce business’ user engagement by up to 60% using this strategy.

 If you’re using WhatsApp Business API, each message that goes from your end needs approval from WhatsApp. WhatsApp, now allows businesses to send promotional messages on WhatsApp. However, being ethical is important if you don't want customers blocking & reporting your contact to WhatsApp officials.

Using this strategy, you combine an order confirmation message + an upsell message including information about your other products & services.

Our client Suwasthi sends order confirmation messages regularly to customers on WhatsApp to boost 3x conversions.

13. Share WhatsApp Link across Social Media

A WhatsApp link is a unique link with your WhatsApp number that you can share with your audience on any social media platform! By clicking this link, users will redirect to your WhatsApp and can send you a pre-filled message that'll show in the chat window.  

With a WhatsApp Link, you can:

•  Get people to send direct messages to you using WhatsApp, 
• Get people engaged in 1:1 conversations on WhatsApp,
• Drive 45-60% increase in conversions and sales through WhatsApp.
  

A link with your WhatsApp number is a great strategy to bring engagement to your Ecommerce Business on WhatsApp. Here's how to Create a WhatsApp Link for free.

14. Host Challenges and Quizzes on WhatsApp

Another great WhatsApp Ecommerce strategy is to host quizzes and challenges on WhatsApp. Introduce games or challenges within WhatsApp, rewarding users with discounts or special offers for participation or achievements.

This is a great way to create a lasting impression for your brand on your user’s minds.

How to get started with WhatsApp for Ecommerce

WhatsApp offers two robust tools you can use to market your Ecommerce Business- WhatsApp Business App or WhatsApp Business API.

While the WhatsApp Business App is free to use, it has several shortcomings:

1. WhatsApp Broadcast Limit of 256 users.

2. No option to track  analytics

3. Can't track agent's performance.

4. Can't integrate WhatsApp Chatbot to automate customer support.

If you want, you can continue using WhatsApp Business for Ecommerce.

Here's how to set up WhatsApp Ecommerce on the Business App:

1. Download WhatsApp Business App.

2. Create a WhatsApp Business Profile- add your Business name, category, description & address.

3. Next, you can customize your Business working hours, add product catalogues & add automated Welcome responses.

That's it. You've successfully set up your WhatsApp Business for Ecommerce.

Now, if you want to counter the limitations of the WhatsApp Business App, you can choose WhatsApp Business API for your Ecommerce Business.

What is WhatsApp Business API?

WhatsApp Business API was created for medium-large businesses, helping them improve their customer support & marketing on WhatsApp. The WhatsApp Business API can be used for purposes such as:

1. Operate WhatsApp on multiple devices using the same number
2. Send messages in bulk to Unlimited users

There are many more features that you can use to your business advantage. But, to benefit from those features for your Ecommerce business, you'd need the assistance of an official WhatsApp Business API based provider like AiSensy. AiSensy platform provides features such as:

1. Broadcast promotional messages to up to Unlimited users in one go
2. Automate abandoned cart, order updates & other notifications
3. Automate customer queries 24x7 with AI-based WhatsApp Chatbot
4. Provide Live Chat support with agents on unlimited devices.
5. Get verified Green Tick on WhatsApp.
   

Since WhatsApp only provides the API, you'd require the assistance of a WhatsApp Business API provider like AiSensy.

Q. Why use WhatsApp for your Ecommerce store?

Q. Is WhatsApp a good platform to promote your Ecommerce Store?

Q. How to create your WhatsApp shop?

Q. How WhatsApp Marketing with WhatsApp Business API is helping e-commerce businesses?

Conclusion

WhatsApp Business API for Ecommerce can help get your sales up to 3x like it has for our clients. These were the 6 strategies that you can implement to create your very own WhatsApp Ecommerce Store.

Here's a recap of what we discussed in this blog:

• Should you Choose WhatsApp for Ecommerce Business- In a single word, yes!
• How to switch to WhatsApp for Ecommerce Business- Connect with our experts to know more
• 4 Prickling Problems every Ecommerce Business goes through
• 14 Strategies to leverage WhatsApp Business API for Ecommerce:
  1. Reduce Return to Origin (RTO) on products by offering instant discounts on prepaid orders.
  2. Send Abandoned Cart Notifications on WhatsApp to recover 45-60% of abandoned carts.
  3. Create Direct to WhatsApp Ads to convert 2x more users into customers.
  4. Integrate WhatsApp Chatbot for 24x7x365 customer support
  5. Automate programmatic notifications to users on WhatsApp such as order updates, payment confirmations & more.
  6. Offer Instant discounts/ coupon codes on WhatsApp.

Huff, that's a wrap. We hope you liked the post. If you found the information useful, follow us on our LinkedIn Page.

Checkout Useful Resources

Top 10 WhatsApp Business API Benefits every Marketer must know

WhatsApp for Business: 10 Effective tools & strategies

Top 12 WhatsApp Business API Use Cases

WhatsApp Template Message Library