Conversational commerce is the future of customer engagement. That’s what the experts tell us. Problem is that many small and medium businesses probably have no idea what conversational commerce means.

So I will explain it as coherently as I can.

Think about the bakery across the street. You basically have to call in or stand by the counter and discuss specifications like color and design with the baker before placing your order. Conversational commerce simply adds technology to the process. It allows transactions to happen through conversation over messaging platforms like SMS, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger.

However, the reason conversational commerce is a hot topic today is due to the AI element. That is, chatbots and their capacity to allow ‘transactions through conversation’ to happen at scale. In other words, where a baker can chat with one customer at a time, a chatbot can chat with thousands.

For big companies, conversational commerce thus becomes a tool for replicating online and at scale that brick-and-mortar shopping experience centered around one-on-one conversations with consumers. On the other hand, for a one-man business with limited resources, meager online presence, and little to no online credibility, it can be a dicey gamble that ends up doing more harm than good.

This doesn’t mean conversational commerce is entirely closed off to people running a one-man-business. You can stick to the basic aspects of the trend and still enjoy the benefits.

Today, I will show you how to leverage conversational commerce as a one-man business through WhatsApp Business.

You need three things:

• The app WhatsApp Business
• A WhatsApp Click to Chat link
• A well-rounded web presence

WhatsApp Business for SMEs

WhatsApp Business was built with a small business like yours in mind. With the app, you can:

• Chat with customers
• Categorize your customers using labels like “new lead”, “paid”, and “order complete”.
• Add helpful business info to your WhatsApp Business profile
• Save and reuse messages you send out frequently.
• Set auto responses and away messages.

You can download WhatsApp Business here.

WhatsApp Click to Chat link

You can embed a WhatsApp click to chat link in a WhatsApp icon on your site, so that your site visitors can automatically be taken to WhatsApp to send you a message when they click on the WhatsApp icon. Here is a guide on how to create your unique Click to Chat link on WhatsApp.

Pull potential customers from your website or Social Media to WhatsApp for a conversation and, possibly, an order

Now that you have set up your WhatsApp Business and Click to Chat link, it’s time to pull prospective customers in for a conversation.

First, you need to build your brand’s web presence, which, in the most basic sense, should entail your overall activities online, including on your social media, blog, newsletters, and website or landing page. You can learn more about what makes up your web presence here.

Next, you should make it a habit to insert or embed your click to chat link anywhere you share or display your products online. It can be embedded in the products images or buy buttons on your landing page. When you share an image or video of your products on social media, your blog, via newsletters, or in forums, you can also include your click to chat link.

That way, by clicking the link, potential customers will be directed to WhatsApp to chat with you and possibly make an order. This strategy works because most consumers use Whatsapp to chat with their friends and family.

And guess what?

Most consumers prefer to have a conversation with brands through messaging before making a purchase. In fact, according to a survey by Twilio, about six in ten consumers prefer to reach, or be reached by, brands via messaging.

So what are you waiting for? You are a small business looking to sell directly to customers online through conversational commerce instead of the regular ecommerce route? Using a click to chat link to pull potential customers to your Whatsapp Business might be your best and most cost-effective options.

If you need help creating and adding your WhatsApp-click-to-chat link to your website, Macaulay Gidado can help.