Facebook is vamping up WhatsApp for businesses and customers alike by adding a local business directory to the app.
What this means is that when a user clicks on the “Businesses Nearby’ button in the app, they can view and browse a listing of local businesses in-app.
They’ll then be able to tap on a profile and click through for more information.
For now the feature is only available in Sao Paolo, Brazil, a country where 93% of smartphone owners use WhatsApp daily.
As social commerce has skyrocketed throughout the pandemic last year, it’s clear the Facebook is more closely emulating Chinese messaging apps that already combine multiple shopping tools and payment functionalities.
WhatsApp isn’t quite there yet, but it’s certainly getting closer.
The messaging app is popular worldwide and also in huge markets such as India and Indonesia.
WhatsApp was quick to note that the feature was privacy-enabled and did not share locations of users or information about the businesses they were browsing for.
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source https://www.businessofapps.com/news/whatsapp-gets-a-business-directory/
