WhatsApp is making in-app shopping easier. The platform announced the launch of a new shopping button that will take you directly to merchants’ product catalogs.
A Quicker Way to Access Product Listings
The WhatsApp shopping button is useful for both businesses and customers. The Facebook-owned platform showed off the new feature in a quick video.
The button, which resembles the storefront icon, will take the place of the voice call on a business’ profile. Tapping on the shopping button will bring you straight to a vendor’s product listing. From here, you can browse through the goods or services that the seller has to offer.
Previously, users had to navigate to a seller’s profile, and then find the catalog. This update allows for one-tap access to products.
And since the voice call button was replaced by the new shopping icon, WhatsApp decided to combine both voice and video calls into one button. Simply tap the call button, and you can choose whether you want to make a voice or video call.
The shopping button is set to launch for users around the world, and will automatically appear for businesses that have a catalog on the app.
WhatsApp has been making a series of changes to make the app more accommodating for businesses. The platform already debuted an in-chat shopping feature, which will allow you to shop directly in messages.
The Facebook Family of Apps Keeps Growing
Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp have all added more tools for businesses. The dedicated shopping features on each app have transformed the shopping experience, and will likely influence other social giants in the near future.