For most businesses, the customer journey is a crucial aspect in attracting and maintaining loyal customers. No matter how flawless your product could be, one careless step and your customers could be lost; simply because you didn’t react fast enough. To go further, having a smooth and efficient customer journey is key, and this is how you can get started.

The current customer journey plays out as such: the prospect has their first interaction with your website after viewing an advertisement online. They fill in their details to find out more, and receive a welcome email not long after. Within the next few days, they would receive a call from your sales representative, and begin the process of working together.

That is the best-case scenario, in which your customer is ideally easily contactable and serious about engaging your business. However, more often than not, the reality is that most customers stop engaging after the welcome email – they leave their initial interest as just that, interest. Your salesperson calls go unanswered, and they then stop pursuing after the third call.

A key difference from the past, when this customer journey was optimised for success, and now, is that people have less patience and shorter attention span. Time is valued like diamonds, and productivity is like gold. In the two days your salespeople take to call, the prospects could have found other better options; options that are faster than you. This means to say that the current model is slow and outdated. To gain an edge over your competitors, speed is of essence.

WhatsApp for Business is a tool that can make your customer journey better than ever before. Using WhatsApp for Business gives your customer journey greater speed and efficiency, while making it far more convenient for both you and your prospects. Here’s how you can use it.

Instead of conventional ads that direct prospects towards your website, ‘Click to Chat’ ads can be used instead, from which customers can select to immediately send an enquiry. While seemingly small, this move immediately gives you a boost when it comes to inbound leads and response rates. If prospects are already at your website, they can also choose to drop an enquiry via WhatsApp.

From there, all communication takes place on the WhatsApp platform. Messages from your prospects are instantly received and responded to, and any number of queries can be easily answered. Compared to using traditional platforms like email and calls, communication via WhatsApp flows smoother, and takes less time too – this makes sure both you and your prospects can focus on the things that matter.

WhatsApp for Business can also replace calls that would have taken place after the welcome emails were sent. This increases the communication channel options, allowing you and your prospects to choose whichever one suits them best. If calls remain unanswered, a quick message on WhatsApp would prompt customers to respond.

Integrating WhatsApp for Business into your customer journey is unbelievably simple, and reaps countless benefits that stay with you in the long run. All you need to do is take that step forward, to join the millions of other businesses that are striving for the best customer journey.