Viber just launched a new business app for small companies. It offers a business profile, a product catalog, broadcasts, and is free of charge.
Rakuten Viber introduced their launch of a new free business app as a "giant leap forward in global strategy with its toolkit for all businesses". The new app offers a range of business features and is directed at smaller companies.
According to Rakuten, Viber's new self-serve business accounts launched on October 10 in Greece and the Philippines, but will be rolled out in additional countries soon.
Viber already offers a paid business solution for mid-sized and large companies.
What does the free Viber business app offer?
The free Viber business app comes with several business features.
Public business profile
Businesses can create a public and searchable business page featuring all essential information. The profile can be shared with customers inside the app or even with people who are not Viber users yet.
One-on-one chats
Users can contact a business, and these can respond to customer requests right away over instant messaging.
Discoverability through Viber search
Business profiles can be found in the Viber search by looking for the business name or category.
Dedicated chat folders
Businesses will be able to set up different chat folders, so they can keep their customer chats separated from the chats with their family and friends in a different inbox.
Product catalog
Business owners can add new products or services to their business page's catalog, and customers can ask for more information by sharing a product link in the chat. It's unclear how many products can be uploaded into this catalog.
In the future, Viber plans to add additional features, such as broadcast messages, voice calls, and quick and automatic replies.
For now, Rakuten Viber is available in Greece and in the Philippines, but will come to other markets soon.
Why is Viber launching a free business app?
There's a clear communication trend around the world: consumers increasingly reach out to businesses via instant messaging. In fact, users actually prefer to do business with companies that offer a messaging service, and they tend to spend more and buy more often from these businesses as well.
As a result, instant messaging services from WhatsApp to Telegram, and now to Viber keep expanding their business features. On the one hand, it's a new revenue stream for messaging services; on the other hand, there's a clear demand for more business services via instant messaging.
Viber, for instance, reports that in 2023, the messenger app recorded a 26% increase in business accounts created and a 31% year-over-year increase in delivered business messages.
It's clear that messaging apps like Viber are turning into one-stop shops for online shopping where consumers can find businesses, talk to them, check out products, shop, and even pay.
Should I get the Viber business app?
If your company is active in one of Viber's core markets (Greece, Bulgaria, Russia, Philippines), you should definitely implement Viber into your business strategy.
However, keep in mind that the free app is currently not globally available and is lacking some important tools like chatbots, broadcasts, and CRM integrations. Since it's designed for small companies, from what we see, it's probably too limited for really scaling your business on Viber.
If you're interested in a professional tool for Viber, there are already out-of-the-box software solutions such as Sinch Engage that allow you to get started with Viber business messaging right away and use all the advanced business features.
Get in touch with our team, and we'll show you how to get started!
Get in touch with our Sinch Engage experts, and we'll be happy to answer all your questions.
