9 Signs You're Ready to Upgrade to the WhatsApp Business API
Figure out the right time to make the leap from WhatsApp Business app to the WhatsApp Business API to access increased functionality and flexibility.
Over five million small businesses are already leveraging the WhatsApp Business app to get more up, close, and 'personalized' with their customers. These brands understand the messaging platform is ideal for servicing a small consumer base through its auto-reply features, filtering tools, and active chat management.
There does come a time, however, when small, thriving companies outgrow the features offered by the WhatsApp Business app. The answer? The WhatsApp Business API, which is designed to help businesses service more extensive customer bases.
The API solution is the enterprise-grade member of the family that offers deeper insights into customers, more scalability for growth, richer management capabilities, and the capacity to integrate the messaging platform with existing company systems. But when should a business transition into the big leagues? Here are nine signs that it's time to move now, not later:
Sign 1: When customers start blocking company messages in WhatsApp
Customers are increasingly suspicious of dealing with businesses online. Sixty-two percent of people state they're more afraid of their data being compromised than they were two years ago. These fears can manifest themselves on WhatsApp Business with customers blocking companies because they haven't been 'verified.'
The WhatsApp Business API advantage
It's why WhatsApp's green checkmark badge on a business's profile is so important: It shows that WhatsApp has verified the business's authenticity. However, this verification process (and its reassuring green badge) is only available for businesses using the WhatsApp Business API.
Sign 2: When one agent is not enough to service all customers on WhatsApp
Currently, WhatsApp Business app is tied to the mobile phone number of the device the app is installed on. This practically limits its use to just one agent who's using the device (yes, just like how consumers use WhatsApp on their phones). Unless your operation is small enough to have only one agent handle all customer interactions on WhatsApp, using the app is not a viable option.
Enabling more agents to chat with customers
Switching over to the WhatsApp Business API transforms agent management, allowing more agents to use WhatsApp to communicate with customers — and to collaborate with other agents. It also offers access to critical customer information that can help agents create richer, more personalized customer experiences (see Signs 4 and 5).
Sign 3: When that business mobile phone number won't cut it anymore
The WhatsApp Business app is tied to the mobile phone it is installed on. However, the WhatsApp Business API enables a company to use any phone number for its WhatsApp Business Account (WABA), including landline numbers, toll-free numbers, and any existing geographic phone numbers.
Welcome to tyntec’s API for WhatsApp Business Solution
Better still, deploying the API solution means it is no longer necessary for customers to store the business's phone number as a contact before they can be reached, creating a more frictionless onboarding process.
Sign 4: When the business's customer base passes the 250 mark
More customers are excellent news — but managing them efficiently can become a challenge if the company is using WhatsApp Business app alone. While the app is optimized for dealing with small groups of consumers, the API solution becomes essential when customer bases surpass 256 users. The API offers infinite scalability, including the ability to service any number of users and manage large volumes of messaging traffic effortlessly.
Above: This is the message delivered to end-users if a company's WhatsApp Business contact number becomes oversubscribed — not a great look for a customer service department!
Sign 5: When integrating WhatsApp with existing company systems becomes vital
Conversations with customers powered by WhatsApp offer companies a rich seam of insights to leverage — but with the WhatsApp Business app, it's difficult to deep dive into valuable data. The API solution sidesteps this problem entirely, enabling the WhatsApp platform to be fully integrated with existing enterprise systems or frameworks, including CRM, ERP, and call center solutions.
WhatsApp Business API for customer data integration
Such integration allows companies to create more personalized customer experiences based on past interactions plus identify customer service issues more effectively. The net result? An optimized experience for both company and customers. For more about integration, read 'WhatsApp Playbook: Leverage WhatsApp to Future Proof Your CX Strategy.'
Sign 6: When automation can help manage increasing conversation volumes
As its volume of customer interactions grows, a company may struggle to service customers with human agents or template responses. It's why many WhatsApp Business API-powered businesses are increasingly turning to AI and chatbots to offer greetings, answer simple requests or questions, and send out information and notifications.
WhatsApp Business Solutions for better customer experiences
By working with authorized WhatsApp Business Solution providers with AI/chatbot options, businesses can seamlessly integrate these new capabilities into their customer interactions. This relieves the strain on business resources and, critically, frees up customer services teams to focus on multi-faceted or high-value inquiries instead.
Sign 7: When analytics are needed to manage large customer bases more efficiently
Effective analytics are vital for accruing customer insights, how well they are being managed, and if there are any service blind spots. The WhatsApp Business API ensures that no valuable insight is left behind, allowing companies to access vital metrics on conversational and signal performance easily.
Monitoring with WhatsApp Business API
From send and deliver stats to read and received figures, the WhatsApp Business API enables businesses to monitor effectively — and where required, adjust — its conversational strategy.
Sign 8: When remaining GDPR compliant becomes a struggle
Managing GDPR requirements is a relatively simple task when the customer base is small. But as customer volumes swell and cover more geographical areas, monitoring GDPR compliance can become more of a challenge.
To ensure companies don't fall foul of GDPR's strict rules, consider partnering with a European WhatsApp Business Solution provider like tyntec whose operations — and critically its offerings — are already 100% compliant and governed by GDPR by default.
Sign 9: When relying on one messaging platform leaves some customers out in the cold
As well as WhatsApp, many businesses leverage additional messaging platforms to offer a true multi-channel experience for their customers — think Facebook Messenger, Viber, Apple Business, and more.
By partnering with a WhatsApp Business Solution provider that supports other messaging platforms alongside WhatsApp, companies can ensure they have every customer touchpoint covered (including SMS fallback).
How to get started with WhatsApp Business Solutions through tyntec
Are any signs pointing to the WhatsApp Business API? Then team up with tyntec, the authorized WhatsApp Business Solution provider, that helps businesses transition to the API effortlessly. To request access to the WhatsApp Business API, click here.
