If you run a local shop, you have probably done this many times.

A customer calls and asks, “Do you have this product?”

You say yes.

Then comes the next question: “Can you send me the photos on WhatsApp?”

You open your gallery, search for the photos, send five or six images, type the prices and explain which products are available.

Next customer asks the same thing.

And you do it all over again.

This is one reason I feel the WhatsApp Business Catalog can be useful for local retailers. Instead of sending product photos one by one, you can create a small digital catalog inside WhatsApp Business.

I am Abhinav Jain, one of the founders of Vizbe.com, a Noida-based platform for local shops and shoppers. In this article, I'll explain how WhatsApp Catalog works, how you can use it better and also where I feel its limits start for a local retailer.

What Is a WhatsApp Business Catalog?

A WhatsApp Business Catalog lets a business display products and services inside its WhatsApp Business profile.

According to WhatsApp Business, the Business app includes tools for businesses to showcase products and communicate with customers.

Think of the catalog like a small product shelf inside WhatsApp.

Instead of sending ten different product photos to a buyer, you can ask them to check your catalog.

For example, a clothing shop can add shirts, jeans and kurtas. A footwear store can show shoes and sandals. An electronics retailer can display selected gadgets and accessories.

For a local shop, that's much better than searching your phone gallery every time someone asks what you have.

How Do I Create a Catalog on WhatsApp Business?

Start by opening the WhatsApp Business app.

Go to your Business Tools and find the Catalog option. From there, you can add a new product or service.

Add a good product photo and basic information about the item.

Depending on the available fields in your app, you may be able to add information such as the product name, price, description, website link and product code.

WhatsApp's own Help Center has more information about catalogs and business features through its WhatsApp Help Center.

Don't make product descriptions too long.

A buyer checking products on a phone usually wants the important information quickly.

Use Clear Product Photos

Your product photo does most of the work.

Suppose you own a footwear shop in Jaipur.

Don't upload a dark photo of shoes sitting behind five boxes.

Take the shoes out.

Use a clean background.

Make sure the colour looks close to the real product.

If needed, take two or three photos showing different angles.

You don't need professional photography equipment for every product. A modern phone and good natural light can often do a decent job.

Your goal is simple:

The buyer should understand what you are selling.

Write Product Names People Understand

Avoid product names that only make sense to you or your staff.

For example:

“Item A-27 New”

doesn't tell the customer much.

Something like:

“Men's Black Running Shoes”

is much clearer.

The same applies to a saree shop in Surat, mobile accessories store in Hyderabad or home furnishing shop in Lucknow.

Use the words your customers normally use.

Then add the useful details in the description.

Size, colour, material or other information can help a customer decide whether they want to ask more about the product.

Keep Your Prices and Products Updated

This is where maintaining any online catalog becomes work.

Let's say you upload 100 products.

A month later, 20 are sold out.

Ten prices have changed.

Thirty new products have arrived.

Now your catalog needs updating.

An old catalog can create a bad customer experience.

A buyer sees something they like, contacts you and hears:

“Sorry, that finished last month.”

Do this too often and customers may stop checking your catalog.

So don't upload products and forget them.

Keep your important items updated.

Share Your Catalog With Customers

Once you have built your catalog, you can share it with customers instead of repeatedly sending individual product photos.

This can save time.

Suppose a customer messages your clothing shop:

“Show me your latest shirts.”

Rather than sending ten photos separately, you can direct them to the relevant products in your catalog.

The buyer checks the products and then asks you about the ones they like.

For an existing customer conversation, this works quite well.

But there is another side to the story.

A WhatsApp Catalog Doesn't Automatically Bring You New Customers

This is the limitation I think local retailers need to understand.

A catalog makes it easier to show products to people communicating with your business.

But simply adding products to WhatsApp doesn't mean hundreds of new people living around your shop will suddenly discover them.

Imagine you own a cosmetics shop in Indore.

You create a beautiful WhatsApp catalog with 80 products.

There could be someone living 2 km away who wants exactly one of those products.

But if that person doesn't know your shop or doesn't have your WhatsApp contact, how do they discover your catalog?

That is a different problem.

And this is where product discovery becomes as important as product display.

Showing Products Is Good. Getting Them Discovered Is Better.

When we started thinking about Vizbe, this was one of the gaps we wanted to address.

Local shops already have thousands of products sitting on shelves.

The internet has millions of shoppers searching and checking products.

But these two worlds don't connect very well.

Big online marketplaces are built around ordering online and delivery.

A local retailer may want something different.

You may simply want:

Buyer checks your product online → Buyer discovers your physical shop → Buyer visits → Buyer purchases offline.

That is the idea behind:

Vizbe – Check Online. Buy Offline.

Vizbe for Sellers App – For Local Shops & Businesses

The Vizbe for Sellers App lets local businesses create their shop presence and add products.

This gives retailers another way to put physical-store inventory in front of digital shoppers.

Let's say you have a clothing store in Chandigarh.

You add your latest collection.

Someone nearby can check the products before deciding whether to visit.

The internet helps with discovery.

Your shop handles the actual sale.

That's how I feel technology should work for many local retailers.

It should support the physical store rather than trying to replace it.

Use Deals to Give Buyers a Reason to Visit

Sometimes seeing a product isn't enough.

A customer may think:

“I'll check it later.”

Then forget.

A good deal can create a stronger reason to visit.

With Vizbe, a seller can create deals around their shop.

For example, a footwear store could add a weekend offer on selected shoes.

A buyer discovers the deal online and visits the store to avail it.

Now your online activity has a clear purpose:

Bring footfall to your physical shop.

Cashback Can Help Bring Customers Back

New customers matter.

But don't forget people who already bought from you.

Vizbe also lets shops create cashback offers.

Think about a customer buying from your store today and getting cashback connected with your shop.

Now there is a reason to return.

For me, this is where digital tools become more useful for local retail.

You are not only showing products.

You are working on the full customer journey — discovery, purchase and repeat purchase.

Chat With Buyers on Vizbe

Sometimes a buyer sees your product but has a question.

“Do you have XL?”

“Is blue available?”

“Can I come today?”

Vizbe allows connected buyers and sellers to chat.

This means the customer can discover a product, communicate with the shop and then visit the physical store.

You aren't trying to turn every interaction into an online delivery order.

You are using online communication to help create an offline sale.

Bulk Messages for Connected Customers

There is another problem local retailers face.

Imagine your store receives a new collection.

You want to tell customers.

Messaging customers individually takes time.

Vizbe for Sellers includes bulk messaging for communicating with connected buyers.

You can use it for useful shop updates, deals, offers and other business communication.

This is different from simply maintaining a product catalog.

Your catalog shows what you sell.

Communication can remind buyers why they should come back.

Vizbe for Shopping App – For Buyers

The other side of Vizbe is the Vizbe for Shopping App.

It is made for shoppers rather than sellers.

Buyers can use Vizbe to discover local stores, products, deals and cashback offers.

Think about someone sitting at home in Bengaluru who wants to shop this evening.

Instead of going from shop to shop just to check what is available, the buyer can first check local options online.

Then visit the store that looks right.

That's the behaviour behind our tagline:

Check Online. Buy Offline.

Should I Use WhatsApp Catalog or Vizbe?

I don't think you have to pick only one.

A WhatsApp Business Catalog can be useful when customers are already talking to your business on WhatsApp and want to see your products.

Use it.

But don't stop there.

Your bigger goal should be to make your local shop and products discoverable and give customers reasons to visit and return.

That's where Vizbe can play a different role.

WhatsApp Catalog can help you show products during customer communication. Vizbe is built to help local shops show products, promote deals and cashback, connect with buyers and turn online discovery into offline shop visits.

Your products are already sitting on your shelves.

Put them where today's customers spend their time too — online.

Then bring those customers back to where you actually want them:

Your shop.

Install Vizbe for Sellers App on Google Play

Founder – Abhinav Jain

Vizbe.com | Noida, India