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30 de November de 2023
Why Are So Many Companies Using Whatsapp Business?
Are you capable of arranging a meeting with a friend at a specific time and place without knowing anything else until you meet? That’s how our parents and grandparents used to do it. Two simple details and the expectation of commitment and punctuality. Nowadays, we can’t live without WhatsApp. We want to know, almost to the second, the precise location of the person we’re about to meet.
According to the 2022 report, We Are Social, more than 30 million users have the app installed on their phones, making it the most popular social network in the world.
Since the Business version was launched in 2018, it has become a fundamental tool for customer service — taylormade for companies to use it as a contact centre. At first sight, it would seem crazy not to include it in your business structure but, is it as important as it looks?
What Are the Advantages of Using WhatsApp Business?
WhatsApp has made its basic concept match the simplicity of its use. Its everyday nature is its greatest virtue, because it’s not necessary to be an expert in social networks in order to use it. During the pandemic, it was normal to contact family through a smartphone: a video-call with your grandparents was the only way to say hi without leaving the house. Even older people adapted and learned how to use WhatsApp. This is backed by Eurostat in a study that shows an 8% increase in video-calls from smartphones during 2020 in relation to 2019.
As you can see, anyone can use it… and this is a great starting point to start talking about the insertion of this platform into your business.
There’s no doubt that being a free app is a very inviting feature to install the Business version — but there are other less known additional features that will allow you to continue to build a total business strategy. These are some of its key advantages:
- Business Visibility | This is a crucial point: we want the company to become part of the social network that has the largest number of users to introduce ourselves to the world. Our profile must include our company’s basic information (corporate image, name, address, phone number, schedules…) and add value to our brand, differentiating us from the competition.
- The Possibility to Classify Users | WhatsApp lets you tag and classify clients. For example, “new clients” or clients for a specific product. This allows you to send personalised and segmented messages by applying filters.
- Make Conversations More Dynamic | Its accessibility helps speed up customer service. This is also true the other way around, since clients can contact you at any time. However, this doesn’t mean that you must always stay alert in case a new message arrives. You can go on with your work and manage your messages when you’re finished.
- Quick Answers / Message Templates | WhatsApp lets you send a welcome message the first time someone contacts you and another one when you’re not on working hours. It also lets you store up to 50 quick answers for when you have to answer FAQs.
- WhatsApp Stories Are Like Ads | Stories can become flyers for special offers, since they only last 24 hours and then they vanish. It’s a good option to offer added value and invite people to use this medium.
A Product Catalogue in Real Time, Always at Your Disposal
The advantages of the Business version are many and varied, but the most remarkable, without a doubt, is the catalogue. It’s like a showcase in a traditional shop. The possibility to show your products without the need of a website makes it one of the top features of this version. In fact, Instagram and Facebook —that belong to Meta, just like WhatsApp— were pioneers in setting up a shopping method in the app since 2016.
How to use the Whatsapp Business catalogue
In their catalogue they show the price, a detailed description and other useful information for consumers, who have the brand’s whole index at their disposal. There are other useful actions to make transactions flow better, like letting you pay straight from WhatsApp, not having to go to an external website to do so.
Message self-destruction (for example, when a special offer is published for a brief period of time) is a feature that is gradually being released in different countries — it may not be yet available in yours.
WhatsApp Business Drawbacks According to the Volume of your Business
It’s undeniable that WhatsApp’s Business version is an excellent complement for the growth strategy of your business. In fact, it’s a good tool for small businesses and entrepreneurs that don’t have large economic resources. In the case of high business volume companies, the app shows some weaknesses and it requires much more advanced CRM (Customer Relationship Management).
However, there are some cases in which it is definitely integrated into the strategy. Sánchez Romero, the supermarket chain, incorporates this technology as a product information channel. Users receive dedicated customer service —something that’s key in the gastronomic business— and deem it “direct and friendly”.
In spite of all that, some of its weakest points are:
- One Single Device. The account will be linked to on a single device and, even when there’s a web version, only one person at a time can reply to enquiries — something that is fundamental for a company that needs several agents taking several clients simultaneously.
- Limited Market Research Functionalities. In spite of offering access to some data, like the number of messages sent or received, WhatsApp doesn’t let you make many more conclusions to implant new business strategies.
- Third Party Apps. There are ways of getting more detailed information on users and their shopping routines, but it’s done externally to WhatsApp’s native version. This can involve extra costs that some companies may not be able to pay.
As you can see, WhatsApp has established itself as the instant communication giant. It’s no longer just a messaging service between users — it’s now also a customer service centre and a virtual commerce. Adapting this strategy to your business will help you be closer to your clients and offer them a much more personal experience. However, if the business volume is high, then integrating it to your business strategy may not be as interesting.
