Since its creation, WhatsApp has revolutionized the way we communicate. Many chat apps have been created since then, but none with the same success or user reach as WhatsApp: with over 1.5 billion users around the globe and 60 billion messages sent a day. It’s no surprise that the business world has been looking forward to engaging customers with a global, user-friendly and rich medium like WhatsApp.
Then the WhatsApp Business solution came with the potential to leverage omnichannel communications, support the rise of conversational commerce, and bring personalization to customer conversations.
78% of customers want the option to text businesses because texting became the primary way we communicate. SMS messaging partially fulfils this need, but it lacks the conversational easiness and multimedia functionalities that we’re now used to. The fact is, chat apps have seamlessly integrated into our lifestyles, and now we simply cannot stop using them. Secondly, from a business point of view, there’s a real need to modernize customer communications.
How businesses communicate with customers needs to reflect how the world has changed since the beginning of texting. Now, customers demand personalized answers, real-time communications, and instant gratification. Omnichannel interactions have become the rule, not the exception. Waiting on hold to speak to a customer service representative is increasingly growing as an unacceptable practice.
The WhatsApp Business solution has the potential to change the game. Since WhatsApp comes preinstalled on many smartphones worldwide, user adoption has grown exponentially. That means your customers are probably already using the app. For companies, this represents an immense opportunity to create branded connections with your customers – and much more.
Using the WhatsApp Business API helps companies engage customers from one-way notifications like appointment reminders, shipping alerts, payment notifications, verification codes, and boarding passes, to two-way customer support conversations and surveys. With the new API, businesses can leverage immediacy and personal touch, while being able to reach users internationally.
What’s more, its encryption and verified accounts bring the security businesses — and users — crave in an increasingly digital world. When used appropriately, the WhatsApp Business solution can help enterprises deliver the omnichannel experience customers require with the security they need.
