WhatsApp Business has been a fruitful solution for many businesses across the globe, especially smaller ones. To make it more feature-rich, WhatsApp is rolling out a business directory feature that will be similar to the yellow pages from the past. Using this WhatsApp business directory, users will be able to browse for any company they would like to contact.
The WhatsApp Business Directory feature is rolling out in five countries; Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Mexico, and the UK. According to Meta, users will be able to browse companies by business categories, for example, travel or shopping. Companies that are registered on the WhatsApp Business platform can be directly searched by their names as well.
Businesses signed up for the Business platform will appear in the directory, whereas in Brazil, the directory is also open to small businesses. Meta did not launch the feature out of the blue. It was followed by a limited test that WhatsApp carried out in Sao Paulo, Brazil, last year. Apparently, the WhatsApp business directory feature is only available on Android in Brazil, while it is available on both Android and iOS in other countries.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a statement that “The ultimate goal here is to make it so you can find, message and buy from a business all in the same WhatsApp chat.”
Moreover, this feature will make businesses easily discoverable on the platform and will increase return customers for certain businesses. Brazil is the second largest market for WhatsApp after India, with over 120 million active users. In India, end-to-end shopping debuted back in August this year in a joint partnership with Reliance's JioMart.
As of now, there isn't any information from Meta on when this feature will make its way to the USA. However, sources reveal that the company is planning to bring the experience to more businesses across the world.
