The evolution of OTT apps and media-rich messaging has changed the landscape for customer communication. Nowadays, people want to have quick and personal chats with businesses, much like they do with friends and family. So businesses must tap into conversational communication platforms as well as traditional channels like email and SMS.
WhatsApp is a popular messaging app with billions of users worldwide. You'll need an official WhatsApp Business account to use WhatsApp for commercial purposes. This gives you access to different types of conversational messaging to help you engage audiences, drive sales, and deliver exceptional customer support.
There are two types of accounts to look into – the WhatsApp Business App and the WhatsApp Business API. Read on to learn the difference between them, plus fourteen compelling reasons why you need to include WhatsApp in your business communications strategy.
What is WhatsApp Business?
WhatsApp's business solutions enable you to deliver personal customer experiences through meaningful conversations. Here's an overview of the two business accounts and how they differ.
WhatsApp Business App
The WhatsApp Business app is a standalone app that works similarly to the regular WhatsApp mobile app. It's free to download and very easy to use – you don't need to be tech-savvy to use it. It's geared up for small business owners who want to showcase their products and communicate one-on-one with customers.
WhatsApp Business API
The WhatsApp Business API (or WhatsApp Business Platform) is a paid-for solution better suited for medium to large businesses wanting to communicate at scale with customers. The API is more technical than the app, requiring integration with a third-party platform.
With the API, you get access to a larger set of WhatsApp Business features and benefits. For instance, you can do the following.
Create conversational messaging flows and interactive calls to action (CTAs).
Display dynamic product lists.
Let customers browse products and buy directly within WhatsApp.
Send multi-factor authentication messages.
Integrate the API with your existing tech stack.
What is the advantage of WhatsApp Business vs regular WhatsApp?
The WhatsApp Business app or API gives you access to advanced business messaging tools, unlike the regular WhatsApp account which is designed for personal use. For example, with the free WhatsApp Business app, you'll get a business profile, product catalog, automated messaging – and that coveted green tick that shows your business is trustworthy. The regular app gives you none of this (and the API provides you with much more). We’ll discuss these special features in the next section, where we talk about the various benefits of WhatsApp Business.
Why you should get a WhatsApp Business account: 14 important advantages
Let us now dive into some of the most special features and biggest benefits of using WhatsApp for business to reach your target audience.
1. Wide reach
WhatsApp has a user base of more than 2.24 billion people worldwide. It lends one of the biggest benefits to WhatsApp for business use. You can quickly connect with global audiences with virtually no geographical barriers – it's available in most countries except for a select few where WhatsApp has been banned. Importantly, you can meet your audience where they already are; on the channel they know and like using.
2. Versatility as a marketing and communication channel
WhatsApp's business solutions cater to all company sizes and are based on the kind of customer experience you want to provide.
There are several benefits of WhatsApp marketing for all kinds of users. Small businesses can benefit from useful tools, like the WhatsApp business profile and green verification tick, for free just by using the WhatsApp Business app. If you want to scale up your efforts and move on to the API, you can have four different types of conversations with customers.
Marketing – any promotional message, e.g., offers, related product recommendations, and abandoned cart reminders.
Utility – conversations that relate directly to a transaction, like post-purchase confirmations and recurring billing reminders.
Authentication – where you provide a one-time password (OTP) to customers during their user journey.
Service – a customer support tool that lets you respond to customer messages (typically enquiries) within a 24-hour window.
It's easy to send broadcast messages or create group chats; both are useful for communicating mass announcements like product news, flash sales or emergency alerts. And you can automate important reminders, order updates, delivery notifications, etc.
3. Cost-effectiveness
WhatsApp business messages are much cheaper than other targeted channels like phone calls and paid online ads, and can even be more cost-effective than SMS messaging. The actual pricing is based on the messaging categories we discussed in the previous section – marketing, utility, authentication, and service. You can see the rates in different currencies in Facebook's developer community.
4. High customer engagement rate
WhatsApp has extremely high delivery, open, and response rates. Your customers will always get your message wherever they are, as long as they're connected to the internet. (WhatsApp transmits messages over WiFi, so there's no reliance on cellular reception). You're literally a push notification away from your contacts – even if your message isn't opened immediately, recipients will likely see it in their notification panel.
Being a well-known chat app, WhatsApp feels very personal and is great for informal, friendly one-to-one communications. It allows you to walk your audience through the desired customer journey, warming them up in early interactions and eventually getting them to seriously consider your offering. Recipients can engage at every stage to ask questions and get the information they need to take the next step – WhatsApp is one of the best platforms for two-way communication.
Furthermore, WhatsApp messages can help achieve improved customer satisfaction, as you can respond instantly to customer service requests. And in turn, this can help with customer conversions and retention.
5. Ease of use
One of the standout WhatsApp Business account benefits is its immense user-friendliness, which makes it accessible to businesses of all sizes and tech proficiency levels. You don't need any special technical skills to set it up, use, or maintain it.
Managing your business account is straightforward, too, and you can even handle it across different devices, staying connected with your customers wherever you are.
You can add multiple users to manage your business profile, allowing for a centralised team inbox that helps streamline customer interactions. This makes it easier to collaborate and makes sure no message goes unanswered.
6. Catalogs
WhatsApp Business solutions let you build a product or service catalog and add it to your profile. A catalog can contain up to 500 items; for each, you can add an image, description, price, product code, and web link.
WhatsApp also has a cart feature to help customers place orders from your catalog – they add the items they want to their cart and send them to your business account as a WhatsApp message to complete checkout. Some countries (India and Brazil) also support in-app payments via WhatsApp's own payment channel.
A WhatsApp catalog can boost the customer experience, allowing people to order online via their messaging app for maximum convenience.
7. Rich content and interactivity
WhatsApp Business allows you to send text messages embellished with diverse media types, including images, GIFs, stickers, videos, documents, voice messages, and even link previews. This ability to send rich content allows businesses to create engaging and interactive marketing campaigns that really catch the customers' eyes. You can send product demos, video tutorials, or voice messages for an even more personal touch.
The business platform also supports interactive elements such as buttons and quick replies, making it extremely convenient for customers to perform certain actions with a single tap, like navigating through different options, booking appointments, and more.
8. Security
The elaborate list of WhatsApp Business benefits includes robust security measures that offer peace of mind for you as a business owner, and also for your customers. All WhatsApp messages (including those with attachments) support end-to-end encryption, meaning only you and the recipient can read or listen to the transmitted content. No third party can access the content, not even WhatsApp.
That said, WhatsApp is ideal for customer communications that require secure transmission, like two-factor authentication codes for user verification. Some businesses send OTPs via SMS messaging at the time of login and then follow up with WhatsApp if, for some reason, the SMS fails to deliver.
9. Privacy and compliance
WhatsApp Business takes the privacy concerns of businesses and customers very seriously. On top of the strict security mechanisms in place, the platform also follows stringent data protection standards, making sure that all customer data is handled securely. Their well-defined and transparent data usage policies are published on their website for all users to access easily.
WhatsApp complies with various international regulations, such as the GDPR in the EU. Specific conditions, however, may vary depending on factors like which regions you and your customers are based in or what kind of service provider you partner with.
WhatsApp's commitment to privacy and compliance will not only protect your business but also build a high level of trust with your customers.
10. Proper business profile
You can create a proper business profile on WhatsApp Business to act as your brand's identity that represents your digital storefront. You can include essential information such as your business address or location, website URL, email address, and operating hours. This profile will help your customers quickly access all the important details for your business, making it easier for them to reach out to you via various platforms, including in-store visits.
Another important feature is the verified badge (a green check mark), which is only awarded to legit businesses by WhatsApp itself. Having a verified profile adds to your credibility, assuring customers they are interacting with an authentic and trustworthy business. This professional presentation can boost your brand image and win your customers' confidence.
11. Easy sign-up for customers
WhatsApp Business makes it incredibly easy for customers to connect with your business. With features like QR code scanning and wa.me links, customers can start chatting with you in a jiffy, without ever having to save your number. This convenience is a particularly useful benefit of WhatsApp Business when you want to focus on offline advertising and in-store promotions.
Another convenient sign-up method is click-to-WhatsApp ads, which can be placed on Facebook, Instagram, your own website, or other online platforms. These allow potential customers to initiate contact with just one tap or click.
All these features simplify the process for customers to engage with your business, enhancing user experience and potentially increasing conversions.
12. Scheduling and automation
The scheduling and automation features you get with WhatsApp Business can markedly streamline operations and boost engagement for your business.
You can set up automated messages to greet new customers, provide instant replies to frequently asked customer queries, set "away messages", send out reminders for follow-ups, and so much more. Chatbots can also be integrated to handle more complex customer inquiries, guiding them through processes or providing detailed information.
The automation will not only significantly reduce your team's workload but also ensure that customers receive timely and consistent responses even outside of business hours while maintaining a professional communication flow. However, make sure that in trying to maximise the advantages of Business WhatsApp, you don't end up violating any of the text spam laws governed by WhatsApp or other regulatory bodies.
13. Scalability
One of the biggest advantages of a WhatsApp Business account is that it is built to grow with your business. Whether you're a small startup or a large enterprise, the platform offers manageable scalability at every level.
For instance, the WhatsApp Business app is perfect for small businesses that might just need basic features and not mind certain limitations like the lack of templates and chatbots. These small businesses can transition to the API as they scale up. The WhatsApp Business API offers more advanced capabilities, such as sophisticated integration with external systems and the ability to handle much larger and more complex datasets and workflows.
14. Reporting and analytics
The official WhatsApp Business app gives you basic insights such as the number of messages sent, delivered, read and received. So this can help you track a few major KPIs. However, there are greater benefits of the WhatsApp Business API than that. It expands upon the basic capabilities, giving you access to more advanced reporting and analytical tools to easily see your campaigns' performance.
For example, because you need a third-party WhatsApp Business solution provider to connect to the WhatsApp API, you can use your chosen platform's reporting module to track many more statistics, such as click-through, conversion and engagement rates. Some providers will give you insights into which type of conversations happen frequently, message response times, how many contacts you've gained or lost, etc.
You can then use these performance markers and stats to identify what's working and what isn't and adjust your campaigns accordingly. You might get better response rates at certain times or drive more sales by tweaking your message copy (it's always a good idea to A/B test the material you send out).
Elevate your communications strategy with WhatsApp Business
There are several major benefits of a WhatsApp Business account, such as the ability to reach global audiences and boost customer engagement – without spending a fortune.
Even with the free WhatsApp Business app, you can set up a business profile, get the green verification badge, create a product or service catalog and access useful analytics. And the WhatsApp Business Platform gives you many more tools at your fingertips, like bulk messaging, customisable message templates, automated messaging flows and detailed insights – perfect for businesses looking to scale.
Want to learn more about WhatsApp for business communication? Start with reading about how to build an effective WhatsApp marketing strategy.
