WhatsApp Business for Effective Customer Communication

When more than 1.5 billion people around the world use WhatsApp, it’s not hard to guess that it is one of the most loved apps in the market. The interactive interface is easy to use, and users can send messages in the form of text, images, audio and video files, and documents. They can make voice and video calls using the app, and stay in touch with loved ones. WhatsApp is used in more than 200 countries. The users belong to all age groups in today’s market. Though initially, the app was a favorite among the young crowd, the adults and older generations also have warmed up to the app.

Many small business enterprises have started using WhatsApp to communicate with their customers. They send basic notifications, promotional messages, finalize orders, accept payments, confirm bookings, etc. using the app for free. It has become a huge hit with small scale business enterprises as they have limited customer base and the existing features of the app allow them to send broadcast messages to multiple customers with a single click.

WhatsApp Business is an app developed for medium and large scale enterprises of any industry to use the famous features of the app to connect with their customers at all times. Though the app is free to download, it works a bit differently compared to regular WhatsApp. Also, it is not entirely free to use.

WhatsApp Business for Effective Customer Communication

WhatsApp Business Pricing depends on two factors – the type of message being sent and the location of the users. The location means the country in which the users who receive the messages reside. Messages sent to different countries have different charges. To that amount, there will be a fixed price added by the API providers for using the platform.

So what is this API platform? WhatsApp Business can be accessed from computers via a web application. The support staff can simultaneously work on multiple chats from more than one device. And, to facilitate this feature, connect the WhatsApp to the system and the database of the enterprise, there are companies that provide API integration services. They offer a cloud platform for enterprises to send and receive messages across the communication channel.

The companies monitor the platform to ensure there are no glitches in sending messages to users anywhere in the world. Data protection, data encryption, reliable and secure services, load balancing, etc. are some of the other features they offer to enterprises.

Now, going back to the main topic of WhatsApp Business Pricing, apart from the locations, the other factor which decides the price of the messages is the type of message being sent. There are two types of messages that can be sent to users using WhatsApp Business. The developers have put in place some strict rules to make sure that the features are not misused and the users do not get spammed by multiple messages from various enterprises. At the same time, they have given enterprises a fair chance to use the app as an informational, promotional, and communication tool.

  • Template Messages
    • Template messages are pre-approved messages where a message code is provided to the enterprises.
    • Except for the variable parameters, the rest of the message cannot be changed by the enterprises.
    • The variable parameters include elements such as the name of the receiver/ user, order id, complaint id, etc.
    • Enterprises can request the developers for additional or customized templates to suit their business.
    • Template message cannot be used as a marketing tool.
    • Enterprises cannot promote a product or service using the templates, but they can use these to attract customers’ attention and make them initiate a conversation.
  • Session Messages
    • These messages do not have to follow the rules of template messages.
    • The text can be long or short, can include images, videos, documents, links, etc. as a part of the message.
    • There is no limit to the number of session messages that can be sent. These are great promotional tools as enterprises can engage the customer in a conversation, explain the products and convert the user interest into sales.
    • But, session messages can be sent to users within the 24-hour window after receiving a customer-initiated message.
    • If an enterprise fails to respond during the 24-hour window, they will have to send a template message as a response.
    • When the customer replies to it, the time period for session messages is activated.
    • Session messages can be used to identify and solve customer complaints. This will result in improved customer service.