WhatsApp users will soon be able to shop directly via the instant messaging platform. This is according to a recent announcement by its parent company, Facebook.
Facebook says WhatsApp has become a simple and convenient resource for connecting customers and businesses. On average, the company says more than 175 million people message a business on WhatsApp every day.
The company is now expanding its e-commerce features to enable users to shop directly on WhatsApp via Facebook Shops, which was launched in May.
Facebook Shops enables business owners to list products once and showcase them on Facebook, Instagram and soon WhatsApp. It’s part of the company’s long-term future of integrating its apps.
The social media giant has also increased investment in cloud hosting services. Facebook Hosting Services will enable businesses to store their WhatsApp messages on Facebook’s services at a certain cost.
In an interview, Matt Idema WhatsApp’s Chief Operating Officer, says cloud-hosting services will be free as part of the long-term strategy to lure more users into its enterprise plans. Enterprise plans will charge 0.5 cents to 9 cents per message delivered, Idema said.
Facebook’s cloud hosting services will roll out next year on WhatsApp. But the in-app purchase feature will be added this year.
Facebook has long struggled to fully monetize its instant messaging service, WhatsApp, which it acquired for a cool $19 billion in 2014. The company has even considered putting ads on the platform, but the team tasked with the job was disbanded in January this year, the WSJ reported.
After offering free features to business users since the beginning, WhatsApp will soon start charging them for using some of their services. The company says, this “will help WhatsApp continue building a business of our own while we provide and expand free end-to-end encrypted text, video and voice calling for more than two billion people.”
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