whatsapp-lists

THE PROBLEM

How can WhatsApp Business be used to its fullestpotential by local vendors while taking online orders?

Today, it is not uncommon for us to deal with our local stores through WhatsApp. The whole communication is manual and needs constant attention from the shop owner until the time the purchase is made. This is not the best usage of their time and there is a scope for product intervention to make the whole process seamless.

Because WhatsApp is largely a talking platform, the goal was to design the ordering journey in such a fashion that it offered the local merchants to process the orders effortlessly while equally providing a smooth experience for the customers.

KEY FINDINGS

During the 2020 lockdown, the nearest store market was the only supply of groceries for a building. Under the circumstances, it made sense for the local merchant to deliver the orders himself. After speaking with a couple of my neighbours and friends, as well as my trusted local business owner, the following topics emerged as main challenges.
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Understanding the Customer

While the majority of them opted to order via apps like Blinkit, JioMart, and so on, these were some of the key findings from those who ordered via WhatsApp.

PRESENTING - WHATSAPP LISTS

Now order groceries from your trusted local vendor using Lists on WhatsApp!

The following prototype is designed from the customer perspective

Introducing Lists!

I initially set the "Create Lists" option to "1."
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In response to my participants' input, I subsequently added lists at number "2" next to calls, to make finding lists more intuitive and promote its use.

Your Lists

Here the Customers can:
1. Create New Lists
2. Re-order previous list
3. See Order History

They will also be updated about the payment status of the order.

Creating Lists

The first design had a few logical issues with putting in the correct amount, as well as additional effort in switching the metric.

As a result, in the second iteration, I visualized it as a typical list.

Confirm Your Order

After enumerating your items, you can confirm your order
Select a delivery address or add new and proceed to the next step.
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Sent!

List will be now sent to the merchant and will appear in his/her ‘lists inbox’.

You can also add a message to go with the list like delivery time etc.

Make Payment

The merchant will calculate and send the bill for the items.

WhatsApp will now prompt the customer to pay through the WhatsApp interface.

FUTURE SCOPE: FEATURES FOR MERCHANT

1. Lists Inbox

A list inbox for the merchant to keep track of all the lists at one place. This will reduce the clutter and separate messages from order messages.

2. Dashboard

A dashboard will allow the merchant to see his order analysis on monthly basis

3. Easy Catalog

To streamline the process of ordering grocery, merchants can now catalog grocery items in a categorical sense.

4. Inventory Manager

Merchant can also keep track of the inventory at his or her shop