Facebook on Thursday announced a couple of new features for WhatsApp Business, which it said now has more than 50 million users globally. According to the company, the new functionalities would help people easily “get in touch with businesses to ask questions, get information or find something they might like to buy”.
The new features include support for QR codes and the ability to share business catalogs as links on social media platforms. While the former was added to the beta version of the regular WhatsApp application last week, the latter is meant exclusively for the business-oriented service. Both features are now rolling out globally.
Coming to the QR codes, Facebook says that it would make starting a chat with a business easier than ever. Currently, users have to manually add WhatsApp numbers to their contacts to start a chat with an entity. However, the new functionality would allow them to just scan a QR code displayed on a business storefront, product packaging or receipt to initiate a chat.
Explaining how the feature will work, Facebook said: “Scanning a QR code will open a chat with an optional pre-populated message created by the business to start the conversation. With the app’s messaging tools, businesses can quickly send information such as their catalog to get the conversation going”. The company says it worked with a Brazilian clothing brand called ‘Ki Mindful Wearing’ to test the feature.
WhatsApp now also supports the sharing of business catalogs and individual items as links on websites, Facebook, Instagram and elsewhere. “If people want to share a catalog or item they find with friends or family, they can simply copy the link and send it on WhatsApp or other places as well”, the company said.
Featured Image Courtesy: Facebook
