What is WhatsApp Business API and what is it for?

September 28, 2022

Optiwe - WhatsApp Chatbots and Multi-Agent

WhatsApp Business API

WhatsApp is one of the most widely used messaging platforms in the world. According to data gathered by Statista as of January 2022, there are two billion active users on WhatsApp, making it the most used messaging application in the world.

What versions of WhatsApp exist?

When users trust a messaging platform, they not only use it to chat with their friends and family, but they are also open to using it for other activities, such as making virtual purchases, communicating with customer services, receiving relevant information, and many other things.

From the other point of view, business owners want to use those communication channels where their customers feel more comfortable, which leads businesses to want to use WhatsApp.

Responding to this need, Meta launched two versions of WhatsApp for businesses, different from the WhatsApp for people version used to communicate with friends and family. There is the WhatsApp Business app version designed for small businesses and the WhatsApp Business API version for businesses of all sizes and needs.

What are the differences between them?

The first important difference to understand is that WhatsApp Business API is not associated with a mobile phone application like in the case of WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business, whose applications can be downloaded from the Google or Apple store.

WhatsApp Business API is an interface provided by Meta for third-party applications to interact with people on WhatsApp.

The WhatsApp Business version is limited to the functionalities that Meta decides to provide, which for some businesses may be sufficient. However, in general, they are not enough to cover all the needs of a company. Meta, by providing the WhatsApp API, allowed technology providers to develop additional functionality that can fulfill the complex and diverse requirements of businesses.

What can be done with WhatsApp Business API?

The range of possibilities with WhatsApp Business API is limited only by the functionalities provided by technology providers. Below are some of the functionalities that your business probably needs.

WhatsApp Multi-Agent

The WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business versions are limited in the number of people who can respond to your customers' queries. One of the main advantages of the WhatsApp Business API version is that there is no such restriction. You can have as many people as you like answering all the queries that come to your official WhatsApp number.

Usually, this is achieved through a multi-agent application to which all your customer service agents can connect and answer your customers' queries.

Reports

Businesses operate on metrics, understanding the performance of a communication channel is of vital importance. Companies need to have answers to questions such as:

  • How many customers come to me through WhatsApp?
  • How long do they wait to be served by a person?
  • What time do my customers contact me?
  • How many people after seeing an advertisement decide to write to me through WhatsApp?
  • How do my customer service agents perform when working from home?
  • What is the reason why my customers contact me the most?
  • What is the opening rate of my WhatsApp marketing campaigns?

These are just some of the reports that can be obtained through the use of WhatsApp Business API.

Marketing Campaigns

With the WhatsApp Business API version, you can send massive promotions relevant to your potential and current customers. Using the WhatsApp Business API version for this is essential, as it allows you to segment your customers and send them the most appropriate promotion for each of them.

Chatbots

Another highly valued advantage by businesses of the WhatsApp Business API version is the ability to create chatbots. Chatbots allow you to automate repetitive processes or frequently asked questions to relieve the workload of your customer service team.

Integrations

With WhatsApp Business API, you can integrate different systems with each other to achieve efficient use of your resources:

  • You can integrate your ecommerce
  • You can unify your customer base
  • You can collect information from external systems

These are just a few examples, with WhatsApp Business API, the possibilities are practically endless.

How do I get WhatsApp Business API?

The WhatsApp Business API version is obtained through an Independent Software Vendor (ISV) or a Business Solution Provider (BSP). BSPs are companies with access to the official WhatsApp API. On the other hand, ISVs access the official WhatsApp API through a BSP, but both are official technology providers of Meta.

Once you have chosen a BSP or ISV, you just need to verify your Facebook Business Manager, and finally, you will have to associate a phone number that will be the official WhatsApp number of your brand or business. This number can be either a landline or a mobile phone, the only restriction being that this number is not associated with a WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business. If it is, you can easily delete it by following these steps.

Why Optiwe is the best option to use WhatsApp Business API?

At Optiwe, we specialize in facilitating your access to WhatsApp Business API. We understand how complex it is to manage a business and create tools and functionalities designed to simplify your customer service on WhatsApp.

With Optiwe, you can do everything mentioned in this article and much more! Our product is developed thinking about the needs of companies like yours. Additionally, we are constantly improving and taking feedback from our customers to continue simplifying the adoption of WhatsApp Business API. Join Optiwe and be part of this process.

If you want to learn more about the Optiwe tool and how it can help you improve your communication processes with your customers, you can contact us through our WhatsApp.


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Written by Optiwe. Everything you need to know to increase your sales in digital channels with Artificial Intelligence. Follow us in LinkedIn