WhatsApp well on its way to becoming all-consuming
WhatsApp messaging service is integrating features to become all-powerful. You hardly need another app anymore.
WhatsApp is more than just a messaging service. At least, they’d like to. Users of the app in India can now order groceries without leaving the app. Meta has announced a new integration with JioMart. It allows users to send “Hello” to a specified number and be taken to an in-app shopping experience.
Dominating WhatsApp
The store option on the images looks pretty slick. It is a bit similar to other delivery services. However, there is no other app here and that can be a problem for WhatsApp. This is because it is more difficult to earn money. Meta, the parent company of the messaging service, is convinced that business messaging will bring in money. That, and ads. But placing advertisements in the chat is sensitive.
The JioMart integration is part chat back and forth, part in-app browser, but includes everything from selection to payment to delivery within WhatsApp.
Future
The ultimate goal of Meta is for the messaging service to become a kind of WeChat-like super-app. Users should see the app as the app they will need throughout their lives. WeChat users can pay their rent in the app, buy concert tickets in the app, pay for food in the app and much more. Any platform that can consume so much of people’s lives is basically guaranteed to make a fortune, through payment processing fees, premium features, and — you guessed it — ads.
No other platform has come close to WeChat’s dominance level, but with over 2 billion users, WhatsApp has a better shot than most. In India, the test is now being done to see if online purchases work within the app. The problem is that we know and appreciate the app for the chat experience. That really can’t be ruined, otherwise a lot of people will switch.
