With over 2 billion users, WhatsApp is not only the most popular messaging app for talking to friends and family. Businesses are also increasingly turning to WhatsApp to connect with customers on their favorite channel.
There are many reasons for you and your customers to use WhatsApp.
Most people open their messaging apps several times a day. WhatsApp is the easiest and most convenient way for your customers to communicate with you as it becomes part of their daily habits.
Mobile has a 98% open rate (compared to 20% for email). Avoid crowded inboxes and create direct, long-term connections with your customers.
Messaging allows you to respond to customer requests faster and resolve issues before putting off a purchase. This increases your conversion rate and improves customer satisfaction.
Customer service has never been so convenient, efficient, and fun. Share text messages, emoji, images and any type of file with your customers.
WhatsApp Business API enables medium and large companies to communicate with customers all over the world. While accessing APIs used to be complicated, there are now many solution providers that can easily fit any business and budget.
What is WhatsApp Business?
In addition to the popular app you are familiar with for personal use, WhatsApp offers two options for businesses. Despite the similar names, they are very different in terms of feature set, cost, and supported use cases.
WhatsApp Business is the right choice for small businesses. It’s free on Android and iPhone and offers basic support features like quick replies, tags, and business profiles.
Business profile on WhatsApp
When you sign up for WhatsApp Business, your account is automatically listed as a business account. Unlike regular and private accounts, these accounts carry the brand image of the business.
Customers who start a conversation with you on WhatsApp will be able to see your company name and logo at the top of the conversation, even if you don’t have one saved as a contact.
When they click on your profile, they’ll see all the relevant information at a glance: cover photo, description, job title, email, website, and your work hours.
This obviously links your WhatsApp profile to your brand, explains what you offer on this channel, and gives customers an alternative way to contact you or find out more.
Another type of WhatsApp business account is the official business account, which is verified by WhatsApp Support and adds a green tick next to your name as proof of authenticity. Verification increases trust in customer communications, however, only well-known brands tend to receive it and do not affect the application process.
Full encryption and data privacy
Data privacy is an important topic in customer communication and a necessity to introduce new communication channels.
The security settings of the WhatsApp Business API allow companies to use WhatsApp to communicate with customers. Messages are end-to-end encrypted, meaning they cannot be read by WhatsApp or third-party providers – making this solution more secure than traditional email.