Answer to Question #176437 in Economics for Mayuri

Question

1. Last Week When Suryadev Menon went to the Byculla market for purchasing Fruits, he

has observed that most of the vendors are using WhatsApp. He has observed that these

traditional vendors have started using WhatsApp for their business-related

communications. One question came to Suryadev’s mind that “How WhatsApp can be

useful to these WhatsApp-users who are running their fruit shops in Byculla,Mumbai?”. He wanted to survey this. During the literature review process, Suryadev

found TAM (Technology Acceptance Model) as a suitable framework. Help him to

design a questionnaire accordingly. Also, cite the material (if any) being used for

gaining insights for the formulation of questions?

Answer 1

WhatsApp Business is a separate service that small, medium and large businesses can use. Unlike a regular account, you can enter the required company information in a business profile.

WhatsApp Business Profile

The registration process goes through WhatsApp moderation. Registered business accounts are divided into three types:

Regular: the company has registered in the messenger, but has not yet received approval. A gray icon with a question mark inside will hang next to the number.

Verified: WhatsApp has verified the phone number specified in the profile with the real one. If the numbers are identical, the account will be moderated. A gray icon appears with a checkmark inside.

Confirmed: getting this status (the coveted green icon) is difficult. WhatsApp decides for itself whom to assign it to, and you cannot influence the decision. Only large and well-known companies, such as Alfa-Bank, receive this status.

In general, WhatsApp, as a mailing channel, has a number of significant advantages:

Having a checkmark icon increases brand credibility. Customers can see that the message is being sent by an official company, not a scammer.

In WhatsApp, you can create a chatbot that will help you conduct a dialogue with customers: send template messages, redirect or answer standard questions.

The newsletter will be personalized. Before sending messages, you need to take consent to the newsletter. This means that the database will contain the names of the clients, which will make the messages personal.

It's easy to get feedback on WhatsApp. Due to the high open rate, the client will read your message 98% of the time. If you ask for an assessment of the company's work, most likely he will not refuse. Moreover, he can do this by pressing one number.

Statistics are available for business accounts: the newsletter can be analyzed, drawn conclusions, and improved.

The following messages can be sent to clients:

Personalized recommendations. For example, Netflix in India sent out recommendations for new shows to its subscribers that might interest them.

Payment and/or delivery status notifications. Using GPS to share real-time location has always been a useful feature in WhatsApp. Now, using this function, you can show customers where their package is at the moment. This will be especially useful for online retailers and food delivery companies.

Congratulations on your birthday, an official holiday.

A reminder of the appointment or reservation. The WA Business API allows you to add to messages and media files or documents to help improve the customer journey without having to switch between applications. For example, an airline will be able to send a boarding pass directly to the client's WhatsApp, where he can easily find it when boarding.

Information about the activities of the company and events within it: relocation, changes in the work schedule, etc.

Polls about the quality of goods and the work of the company. Customers can initiate a conversation, which will allow them to provide support on a platform that is convenient for them.

Bulk mailing is officially prohibited. You can send messages “legally” only through WhatsApp Business App (up to 256 people) and WhatsApp Business API. They are focused on different businesses and have their own characteristics. Let's consider each of them in more detail.

Catalog

In November 2019, a product catalog appeared in WhatsApp Business, which allows you to create a showcase of goods and services inside the application with a photo, price, description, and link.