Business owners are using WhatsApp Business all over the world to scale their business by focusing on increased engagement with the audience and becoming a household brand which is driving sales.
Be it a small or medium to large-scale business, it has become easier for companies to build relationships, and respond with ease through WhatsApp for two-way interaction, and showcase their product.
WhatsApp has recently shared,
“Using WhatsApp, we put our best face forward to customers as we rebounded from lockdowns that significantly impacted our industry. Boosting awareness of our brand through such a popular channel has contributed to a 200 percent increase in year-over-year sales."
You can find more such information and read the success stories of businesses using WhatsApp Business on business.whatsapp.com
In this blog, we'll help you learn about the different benefits of using WhatsApp Business to grow your business, engage with your customers, and how you can get the official business API to bring your business online.
From quick and reliable customer support to organizing contacts for categorical broadcasts, WhatsApp offers a variety of features you can benefit from. Let's check out the top 18 benefits of using Whatsapp Business.
Whatsapp Business allows business owners to simplify their workflow by automating responses to common queries. Although you will need API integration for the upgraded features. Still, with WhatsApp Business, you can schedule these pre-written messages to the audience or customer based on their predefined actions.
Some common examples of automated messages, when you are not available to respond, include: "Thank you for reaching out to us", "Hey, we are happy to help" etc. This feature not only saves time but also ensures effective interaction driving customer satisfaction. You can further customize these messages.
Many companies, nowadays, use WhatsApp Business API for marketing and providing real-time customer support through automation.
One such example can be seen in the company Lenskart, an Indian eyewear retail chain. It sends offers, and updates and allows customers to place orders. You can find it in the image below.
WhatsApp Business allows industries to connect with audiences worldwide. One of the most reliable benefits is instant messaging.
Along with bridging the time and geographical gap, you can communicate internationally without spending additionally on international calls and SMS. It is not only cost-efficient but also supports multiple languages to communicate.
This feature helps you to analyze the user's data and frame location-based marketing strategies to attract foreign traffic and convert them into potential leads or customers.
You can even create broadcast channels for sending regular updates and provide 24*7 customer support to your clients to enhance their trust in your brand. One such company is Amazon which has its customers worldwide and uses WhatsApp Business.
To avoid miscommunication and for real-time messaging along with creating a responsive communication channel, WhatsApp Business benefits businesses through its two-way communication feature. Providing personalized answers and addressing queries has become much more efficient with this.
Customers can initiate chats, get order updates, and give feedback and insights for the product through WhatsApp Business.
Multimedia sharing and multilingual support have enhanced the quality of the conversation. One must not forget that this two-way communication also allows the companies to predefined solutions for some frequently asked queries leading to effective communication.
Most of the brands provide 24*7 customer support promising real-time conversation along with the option of switching to "Talk with live agent" to get solutions to queries and build stronger relationships.
The agents can send multimedia texts including pictures, videos, locations, documents, etc for better assistance. Companies often use message templates to streamline responses such as order tracking, updates regarding shipments, etc.
WhatsApp Business supports multiple languages and the agents can address the customers by name to make the conversation more personalized. Once the issues are resolved, the feedback given by the user or the customer helps the company to improve the quality of its services.
You must have noticed that once you purchase something from a brand that uses WhatsApp Business, you keep on receiving updates on all the future deals and offers along with all the special announcements for the subscriber. This strategy is none other than a type of marketing campaign. The business owners broadcast promotional messages to all the customers to reach a wider audience.
WhatsApp marketing automation helps to send automated bulk messages via the official WhatsApp Business account. These personalized messages are based on the user’s location and preferences.
A survey has proven that WhatsApp Marketing drives 27% more sales leads. Companies such as Netflix, Unilever, Lenskart, and Flipkart have been using WhatsApp Business for marketing campaigns.
According to the data on the internet, "Flipkart made the best use of WhatsApp, as the results were visible in only 2 short weeks. The company achieved 3.5x higher conversion, 7x higher number of quality leads, and a whopping USD 2.5 million in revenue."
If you're planning to create a WhatsApp campaign for your business, check out these awesome WhatsApp marketing campaigns run by some big brands.
WhatsApp Business can be used only by businesses after they go through a verification process. This builds the trust of the customers.
Once you're a verified company, you can share multimedia files such as videos, images, documents, and locations with the size and format criteria set by WhatsApp. This rich content can be included in Appointment Scheduling, reports and updates, placing orders, etc.
Using WhatsApp Business, you can create interactive messages that include buttons that lead to specific actions like confirming an order, etc. You can also add links and URLs to your text message. For sharing information you can attach product catalogs and PDFs.
Once you're clear about the customers' needs and preferences, it is much easier to serve them with a tailored service. WhatsApp interactions can help you with these insights.
WhatsApp Business provides several Data Analytics such as audience segmentation and automation optimization which includes the division of the audience based on demographics and streamlining the workflow through automation.
You can check the response rate, customer engagement, and success of marketing campaigns and analyze the feedback to improve your services. Another thing is you can calculate the Return on Investment for WhatsApp Business usage using a WhatsApp ROI Calculator. Data-driven decision-making not only leads to business growth but also detects your performance against industry standards and competitors.
Using a WhatsApp business account you can directly connect with customers and connecting with subscribers is now made easier by using QR codes.
You can now generate a WhatsApp Business number, and interested customers can scan it to start a conversation with your business. This can be a useful way to build your customer base and engage with them directly.
According to the data WhatsApp has provided,
"WhatsApp Business QR codes are an easy way for customers to discover and reach out to your business. Existing and new customers can send you messages through the WhatsApp Business app by scanning your business account’s QR code. Your unique QR code won’t expire unless you reset it or delete your WhatsApp Business account."
Click on the link given above to find out how you can create a QR code for your business account.
Note: Learn how to make a WhatsApp business account through our step-by-step guide.
Whatsapp Business advises you to use conversations to deliver personal experiences that accelerate the buyer journey and build long-lasting customer relationships.
It allows you to create a business profile with options of including essential information such as address, website, and business hours. Once you update all the information, WhatsApp takes its time to verify your account which increases the credibility.
Personalization helps you to connect with customers by tailoring content, products, and services. It makes the customer feel valued and understood which builds a stronger bond.
When you offer personalized products, you technically convert leads into customers and hence this helps you boost sales.
When a business protects customer's personal information, financial data, and intellectual property, it is indirectly gaining the trust and confidence of the customer.
The security feature of Whatsapp Business protects and safeguards sensitive data. The assurance of safe transactions makes customers comfortable with the service.
Customer satisfaction gives your business a competitive edge in the marketplace. This increases brand reputation and contributes to the continuity of business operations. Security features prevent identity theft, credit card fraud, and online scams.
GDPR refers to General Data Protection Regulation which is an important regulation in the European Union for data privacy and protection.
GDPR compliance can benefit the users of WhatsApp business by ensuring that personal data like phone numbers, and addresses remain protected. Businesses, at times, would require the consent of the users before processing their data.
The customer has access to their data probability and the businesses are bound to provide transparency in data handling practices. Data deletions, data security, and accountability are the key factors that benefit the users the most.
Customers who have been using WhatsApp regularly find it much easier to book an appointment online directly through a few clicks and texts. This saves a lot of time and money for them. The real-time conversation bridges the time gaps as the company could efficiently respond to the appointments.
The increased visibility and personalized appointments with updates and follow-ups make it easier for both the company and the customer to manage their schedules.
Many e-commerce companies have been following this practice which has increased the traffic on their sites and simplified the process.
Once a customer has placed an order from your company, he/she can keep a check on its status by simply contacting your company directly through your WhatsApp Business Account.
You can send a confirmation, order number, and tracking details directly to your customers through WhatsApp chats for convenient tracking.
A few other things that could prove to be beneficial are language preferences and delivery estimation time. Customer feedback is also collected through the Business account for further analysis. This makes the tracking more engaging and customer-centric.
WhatsApp Business allows you to create a list of 256 contacts with whom you can broadcast the same message at a time. The advantage of this is, that you save time by not sending messages individually.
You can also create multiple broadcast messages and you can categorize them according to your filters, depending on timezone, culture, language, or other determinants.
Be it occasional brand graphics or greetings, broadcast messages keep you on top of your prospect and client's WhatsApp and minds.
Creating labels is a way to group your chat contacts or even groups with particular labels for actions. For example, if you are scrolling through your WhatsApp contact list and suddenly recall sending someone a customized plan you have forgotten, you can put a label and if you find more contacts like that, you can label them together for future reference.
This is an incredible WhatsApp Business tool for businesses. You can efficiently organize contacts, allowing personalized interactions and improved response times. Categorize your chats, businesses prioritize urgent matters, and facilitate team collaboration.
Labels also aid in tracking the customer journey and enhancing marketing strategies. This feature goes beyond organization, empowering businesses to streamline communication, enhance customer satisfaction, and gain valuable insights.
You can create and optimize your business profile to run WhatsApp ads. Strategize a broadcast list, craft some visually and readily appealing content so the viewers can engage, put a strong CTA, and monitor the data on CTR and customer responses.
This is a cost-effective process and if targeted properly can bring high engagement results from the palm of your hand with your mobile device.
With WhatsApp Business, you can streamline your order processing and payment gates. With secure payment gateways integrated into the platform, customers can place orders, make payments, and receive confirmation, all within the same chat window.
This is beneficial for both you and your customer to keep track of all the purchases and can be added to the datasheet for further R&D and to modify your strategy or improve your product/ service.
Last but not least, since people use WhatsApp regularly as their primary communication software, businesses are choosing to market through WhatsApp and capture their prospects and customers on this platform.
Having windows like catalogs and prices makes it easy for customers or prospects to interact and with that data, you can tailor your product/ service for better customer satisfaction.
These insights help you to stay ahead and make better decisions with the statistics for sustainable growth.
In this blog, we came across a lot of benefits of using WhatsApp Business API but businesses need to consider the limitations to using WhatsApp Business API and to ensure compliance with WhatsApp's policies and guidelines to avoid potential issues. One such issue is the message volume limit. You can send up to 1,000 messages per day to WhatsApp users.
Another issue that might arise is during the verification process for the WhatsApp Business account. To use certain features, your business needs to go through a verification process, which may take some time and could be restrictive for small businesses.
And for such problems, Meta has launched WhatsApp Business API as a solution. WhatsApp Business API usually involves a partnership with an authorized WhatsApp Business Solution Provider, and there are associated costs and regulations that businesses need to stick to. This API is typically used by larger enterprises to create a more structured and professional interaction channel with their customers on WhatsApp.
API is generally of two types: official API and unofficial API. Sendwo is a platform that offers both API at affordable rates that includes various features. Learn how to set up and link your WhatsApp Business API with Sendwo.
We'll be discussing both APIs further in the blog.
Featured brands and businesses should opt for an official business API and increase the features of WhatsApp Business overcoming the limitations.
The popular features offered by Sendwo for official business API include:
We understand the cost of official APIs is relatively higher and to serve the same purpose, Sendwo also offers unofficial APIs.
The features offered by Sendwo with unofficial API include:
You need to be very careful and specific while using unofficial API as WhatsApp may detect and ban your number. But you need not worry, we have solutions to all your problems
In case you're a small business owner, you don't have to limit your business with WhatsApp Business. Try our 7-day free trial of API and figure out the difference.
If you're looking for someone to set up the API for you, Sendwo is your one-stop destination. Our teams of experts will help you not only with setting up the API but also will help you to get an interface if you have an API installed.
Sign up on Sendwo API-based WhatsApp marketing software and get a 7 days free trial.
WhatsApp Business is a need of the hour for businesses of all kinds. With its unique features and accommodating tools for business, it has become a must-have.
If you are running a service-based company or a product-based company, you can make your business profile, showcase your catalogs, and prices, even run ads, set up auto-responses like greetings and away messages, and also organize the texts with label features.
If you enjoy all these features and want to scale it forward, getting a WhatsApp Business API and integrating it with a marketing tool like Sendwo for a dashboard and better management will do your business wonders.
