WhatsApp’s parent company Facebook has been working really hard to ensure that businesses can find new customers on its various platforms, and a new feature that WhatsApp is working on will look to do just that. This new feature will be called the WhatsApp Business Directory, and in many ways it tends to function just like all of the other business directories that have existed throughout history although in this instance it will be incorporated into a digital space rather than consisting of an actual, physical book.
This directory will essentially allow all businesses that register for it to become visible to users on a map. This map will show users all of the businesses in various categories that they can communicate with, thereby creating a central location wherein commerce can be promoted to a great extent. Those that have business accounts but don’t want their number to become public will not need to worry about this though since the business directory is something that you actually need to sign up for, people with business accounts will not automatically be incorporated into this kind of thing.
However, it is important to note that if you do want to make use of such a feature, you will have to start off by making sure that you have the latest beta version of WhatsApp on your phone. Only this latest version is going to be capable of giving you access to the business directory, and there are a number of other requirements that you would need to fulfill as well.
Your business profile needs to be complete as well, and you would also have to make your profile picture publicly visible. WhatsApp will also require all businesses that want to be listed on their directory to have some kind of a business license because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up making it so that all business conducted on the platform would be entirely legitimate.
All in all it seems like this is a feature that is going to end up going over extremely well with the vast majority of users that are currently out there. It can create a really easy way for people to gain access to products and services that they might require, and on top of all of that most smaller businesses would get the chance to greatly improve their own potential in a really big way too. Data protection might be a concern for some, but WhatsApp is generally more reliable about these things than its parent company.
H/T: WABI.
Read next: WhatsApp intends to give banned users a second chance
This directory will essentially allow all businesses that register for it to become visible to users on a map. This map will show users all of the businesses in various categories that they can communicate with, thereby creating a central location wherein commerce can be promoted to a great extent. Those that have business accounts but don’t want their number to become public will not need to worry about this though since the business directory is something that you actually need to sign up for, people with business accounts will not automatically be incorporated into this kind of thing.
However, it is important to note that if you do want to make use of such a feature, you will have to start off by making sure that you have the latest beta version of WhatsApp on your phone. Only this latest version is going to be capable of giving you access to the business directory, and there are a number of other requirements that you would need to fulfill as well.
Your business profile needs to be complete as well, and you would also have to make your profile picture publicly visible. WhatsApp will also require all businesses that want to be listed on their directory to have some kind of a business license because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up making it so that all business conducted on the platform would be entirely legitimate.
All in all it seems like this is a feature that is going to end up going over extremely well with the vast majority of users that are currently out there. It can create a really easy way for people to gain access to products and services that they might require, and on top of all of that most smaller businesses would get the chance to greatly improve their own potential in a really big way too. Data protection might be a concern for some, but WhatsApp is generally more reliable about these things than its parent company.
H/T: WABI.
Read next: WhatsApp intends to give banned users a second chance
