Transforming digitally is one of the predispositions with the most demand by companies, and instant messaging platforms today have become a necessity, both in our daily lives and in our work lives, that is why today there are countless web pages and applications that offer this class of services.
However, the world has taken a special interest in WhatsApp, which, in fact, at the beginning of 2022 was called the leader in instant messaging Worldwide. And this he has earned, since after his success in 2015 with WhatsApp Web, in 2017 launched on the market the WhatsApp Business platform, aimed at improving the quality of customer service for small businesses and individual professionals.
However, this platform was not intended for large corporations, that is why they decided to provide these large companies with a WhatsApp Business Business API. Here we will explain everything related to this API and what are its most relevant advantages to apply it to your company.
What is WhatsApp Business API and what is this tool for?
First of all, it is important that you are clear that this API (Application Programming Interface) is designed so that medium and large companies can integrate all the tools they require and automate daily tasks (mass notifications, customer service, chatbots, etc.) in the WhatsApp platform and in this way improve communications with their customers, to world level, in an easy and simple way.
Thanks to this WhatsApp Business API, companies will be able to integrate all normal WhatsApp functions to their customer service systems, and even more important is that they will not be limited to a single mobile phone, since all the people who are in charge of the communications section can use the same WhatsApp phone number, whether for customer service, picking up orders by courier, taking care of incidents, among many other possibilities.
What are the functions and features that you can use from the WhatsApp Business API?
Among the most notable functions and characteristics that will help these large corporations to develop, we can point out:
- Integration of the service within its CMRs: Which is quite favorable for communications with your customers, as they can centralize customer service and thus ensure that several people serve them simultaneously.
- Distribution of relevant information: Companies will be able to publicize the most important news related to their services in the form of mass notifications to their clients.
- Remote Service: Each member of the company will be able to work from their computers, but each user will receive the messages directly on their mobile phone.
- ChatBots: So that responses can be automated in order to improve communications between customers and companies.
- Alert system for natural disasters
- Mass delivery of offers
- Custom chats to buy
Really the possibilities are endless in everything that is about this API, the limit is in the imagination of the programmers and in the budget of the company.
Learn step by step how to use the WhatsApp Business API from scratch like an expert
The WhatsApp Business API service is still in beta phase For this reason, access to it is still somewhat limited, therefore the information on the request or activation of this service is quite scarce.
You must take into consideration that your company must meet certain requirements that will influence your eligibility, these are:
- The size of your company: This service is intended only for medium and large companies that are well established. If you rather own a small or independent business, you will always have the option of using the WhatsApp Business application.
- Industry: The industrial sector in which you have your services is a decisive factor in the choice process that WhatsApp makes. The companies that have considerable advantages are those that belong to the real estate, financial services, education, wholesale and telecommunications sectors. On the contrary, companies based on political organizations, providers of independent software, gambling and betting, adult entertainment, weapons, tobacco, alcohol and even health and supplement companies are not taken into account by WhatsApp.
If you consider that you are within these standards required by WhatsApp, then we will explain how to activate the WhatsApp Business API:
CHOOSE WAY TO REQUEST THE APPLICATION:
You can choose two ways to request the API:
- Register directly: Although it is an option that WhatsApp offers, it is generally not very effective, it usually has a low probability of success, unless your company has good relations with WhatsApp or Facebook in some way, or it is internationally recognized.
- Use a Solution Provider: If you do this step by working with a solution provider, your chances of being approved are considerably increased and you will do this process much faster. To choose a solution provider you must enter the provider directory that WhatsApp offers you, since these are the providers that are qualified and meet all the conditions of service.
PROVIDE YOUR BASIC INFORMATION
If you decide that the best option is to hire a solution provider, the next thing you should do is send your company information and the purpose for which you will use the services of this API:
- Name
- Website (URL)
- Industrial sector
- Region in which you will offer the WhatsApp service
- Country of company headquarters
- Channel of desired use
- Usage volume prediction (number of messages per day)
- Promotion period (When you will launch the service)
It is important to clarify that WhatsApp takes at least 2 weeks to approve the company.
Once your brand has been approved, continue with the following steps:
ACTIVATE YOUR NUMBER
You may use a phone number that you have used before for WhatsApp or register a new number. However, if it is new, you will have to register it first in WhatsApp Business.
And later you will provide the following information:
- Phone number that you have registered in WhatsApp Business.
- Identification of the Business Manager of clients on Facebook.
- Name that you have associated with your WhatsApp account.
- Region where you are using the services.
Once the phone number you provided is activated, you will not have access to user messages from your mobile. The conversations will be hosted on a virtual server, called Docker, that is, you will be able to manage them from a control panel or in the system of the solution provider you hired. It is important to clarify that there is the possibility of using more than one phone number, but each number requires a separate server or Docker.
HMS TEMPLATE CONFIGURATION
You shall configure the layout of the messaging templates, which are proactive messages sent to users after they have opted to receive notifications. These messages must be text-only and must offer real value to the customer. The approval of your templates takes 2-3 days.
GET THE GREEN CHECK NEXT TO YOUR WHATSAPP BUSINESS ACCOUNT
When it is you awarded the green badge is because you have become an officially verified company by WhatsApp, and to obtain it you must meet two essential requirements: Be an internationally recognized brand and send more than 500 messages a day.
List of the best applications for teamwork alternatives to WhatsApp Business
If after all this entry you are still not convinced to use WhatsApp Business, then we leave you a small list of similar tools that you can use to satisfy the needs of your company and your clients.
Let’s see next:
Telegram
Has been regarded as the only WhatsApp competition for many years, today has more than 120 million users worldwide. It’s a two-way customer service channel, characterized by versatility, privacy and immediacy.
Among its most notable advantages from a business point of view we can signal that it is free and API with public domain, its channels offer possibilities for one-way communication, marketing campaigns, advertising and segmentation, it offers 24/7 customer service and immediate feedback.
Wire
Developed by Janus Friis, co-founder of Skype, Wire, is an application of secure messaging with end-to-end encryption which has a version for companies called Teams Wire. This service, apart from offering secure messaging, calls and file exchange, also allows its users to have different accounts with different names and profile photos for work and personal contacts.
What’s more, allows company administrators to add and remove people, assign rules to their users and invite certain individuals to specific chats. It can be used on both computer and mobile devices. The everyday user can use the service for free, the business version is a premium version that costs € 5 per month.
Line
Developed in Japan in 2013, it currently provided small and medium-sized companies with a tool that will allow them to take advantage of its platform to have a direct conversation with your customers and consumers, this application is called Line.
It is available for both Android and iOS, and although the service is free, Line is charging users for having a specific ID € 24 the first year and € 12 the next. In addition, free management accounts will only be able to send 1,000 messages per month, while those brands that require more will be able to pay € 50 per month to get 50,000 messages.
Signal
Previously called TextSecure, Signal, an application of social and business communication completely free that is available for both computers and mobile devices. It is an application that offers text messaging (SMS / MMS), instant messaging, voice message, file exchange and video calls.
So far, nothing different from other companies, but what makes Signal a true WhatsApp Business alternative is that this application is focused on offering maximum privacy in your messaging, since it has end-to-end encryption and is a open source app.
Aggity.com
It is a company that, although it was born in Spain, currently also has a presence in other European countries and even in Latin America. In recent years it has become very popular among companies and businesses by positioning itself as a complete and secure platform in terms of data protection, covering areas such as industry 4.0, digital marketing, business management and human resources.
This application includes instant messaging, video calls, voice messages, and chatbots for instant access to business information and events. It is a service whose use is extremely simple, fast and intuitive that offers the customization you need to develop the customer service improvements you need in your company.