WhatsApp Business App vs API, what is the difference, and when should you switch from the former to the latter?
WhatsApp Business App vs WhatsApp Business API
The WhatsApp business app is simply a texting interface made specifically for small businesses that want to use the platform to communicate with their customers.
The applications’ main purpose is to enable WhatsApp users to have one application for their personal number and another for their business number. The application is free, user friendly, and it comes with features that are similar to that of the WhatsApp personal app.
On the other hand, the WhatsApp Business API is not a texting interface or a messaging application. But It enables the automation of processes through API which is mainly used by large companies that receive a large number of messages.
This gives businesses the opportunity to integrate WhatsApp with an existing CRM system or application that they already have. For example, if a company uses HubSpot to communicate with clients they can use the WhatsApp Business API to respond to WhatsApp messages through HubSpot.
Using the API, companies can also integrate WhatsApp with their booking system which means that clients can reserve tables or book hotels through WhatsApp. For example, Uber has enabled users in India to book rides through WhatsApp.
But WhatsApp Business API’s power comes at a cost that is determined by business solution providers like 360dialog. And unlike the WhatsApp Business App, not anyone can get their hands on it, but there’s a business verification process that businesses that want access to it should go through. This ensures that WhatsApp remains a spam-free place and gives businesses that have the WhatsApp business API more credibility.
Uber+WhatsApp Business API
How it works
So now that the difference between the two is clear and the main advantages are covered, here are 10 reasons why you should make the move from WhatsApp Business App to WhatsApp Business API.
1. Your business is future-oriented
A lot of businesses drop the idea of upgrading to WhatsApp Business API because they don’t fall under the large company or big business segment. However, you don’t have to be a big company to take advantage of the WhatsApp Business API features, it is enough to think big!
If your company fosters an environment that is geared towards long-term objectives and scaling up, then it is important to build strong foundations for customer relationship management, customer service, and overall communication strategies with clients.
So think scale. If you are receiving a certain amount of messages that can be handled by your employees currently, would it be the same case if your long-term growth plans work and you get bombarded by thousands of messages and tickets all of a sudden? Growth is accompanied by more leads, inquiries, and support tickets. So why not think ahead and build a system that would automate workflows and deal with these without overwhelming your employees and keeping customers waiting when growth happens?
In some cases, some businesses call themselves “small” simply because they haven’t reached their potential due to a flow in their marketing strategy or because they’re not aware of the potential demand for their product. And very often growth takes them by surprise and they fail to react in time. Therefore, it’s good to have a proactive communication approach instead of a reactive one and build strong foundations of a system that enables the automation of communication processes. And that is why WhatsApp Business API suits a future-oriented business more than the WhatsApp Business application.
2. Make your employees’ life easier
Let’s get straight to the point, most of the time your customers are impatient, and not very friendly, they want responses, and they want them fast! And who has to deal with all of this? Your support team, sales team, or customer service team. And knowing that “the customer is always right”, your employees might end up not being the happiest ones out there. Add to that the fact that customers will try to reach out through different channels like your social media, email, Web forms and so and so forth. And your employees of course have to keep on switching tabs to respond to these messages.
But this can be avoided, employees can be made happier and impatient customers can get their responses faster. This can be achieved by integrating your messaging platforms and dealing with all inbound messages in one place such as a CRM system. An API is essential when it comes to achieving this because it enables the transfer of data between two platforms of your choice.
3. Go beyond transactional Marketing
One of the main reasons businesses use WhatsApp is to build relationships with clients and increase customer retention. Ideally, businesses want to go beyond transactional marketing and establish a “barbershop” relationship with their clients. Because who is better at retaining clients than a barber?
WhatsApp is one of the best places to establish this relationship because unlike email or a website form, you place yourself on a platform where customers are no longer strangers to you, this is where they communicate with friends and family. However, when it comes to dealing with a large volume of messages, this relationship is often lost because response times become longer and services become less personalized.
However, with the API this can be maintained by assigning WhatsApp conversations to specific agents and sending personalized template messages that involve the customers’ names, call to action, and quick replies. So in a scenario where you are running a Barbershop using the API, the customers can text you and you can automatically greet them with a personalized greeting message and help them book an appointment without any human interference.
4. A better user journey.
A good user experience is essential for closings deals or sales and making both clients and employees happy. An easy and simple user journey where the customer doesn’t have to go through difficulties to get a certain piece of information or to proceed to the next stage of the funnel can help you generate more leads and make more profit. But it all depends on how well WhatsApp is integrated with your sales funnel.
The WhatsApp Business API helps you improve the user journey by:
- Providing customers with all the information about the business location, email, and Website on your business profile.
- Enabling you to send pre-approved template messages that help users get the information they need.
- Enabling message rule engines and the integration with chatbots to reduce the response times and automate some of the conversations with clients.
- Enabling you to use your own messaging interface to respond to messages and manage tickets.
In other words with the API, you don’t have to commit to WhatsApp’s interface, and you can optimize the user experience using your own messaging interface, CRM, and chatbot or messaging rule engine.
5. A customizable user interface.
Just to elaborate more on point #4 in the last section, despite the API not being a messaging interface itself it enables you to build your own texting interface or use one that is provided by an independent software vendor such as get.chat. This means that you can connect the API to a messaging interface that is tailored according to your needs.
For instance, you can build a messaging interface that enables multiple users to have access to the WhatsApp inbox, integrate it with your booking system, CRM, and other messaging platforms, and brand it as your own. That requires a development team and months if not years of work. That’s why cooperating with an ISV or buying an existing solution might be a good option for some businesses.
For example, get.chat’s interface enables multiple users to read and respond to WhatsApp messages through different devices while enabling integrations with other platforms such as HubSpot and Zapier.
6. Scalability - Build on top of the API
The API at its core enables the transfer of data between WhatsApp and any other platform of your choice. This means that you don’t have to wait for a specific platform such as HubSpot, Zapier, or Salesforce to release an integration with WhatsApp. You can go ahead and build yours, or even combine APIs to achieve a certain objective like connecting WhatsApp to multiple platforms simultaneously and automating workflows.
If you lack the resources or the development skills you can subscribe to an ISV like get.chat and get access to prebuilt connections with Zapier that enables you to connect WhatsApp to thousands of other apps.
7- Tracking data and analytics
Marketers, managers, and business owners know that data is currency nowadays. Tracking WhatsApp data can help make better decisions to improve the business’s communication strategy. The WhatsApp Business application is a bit limited regarding the data that can be tracked.
With the API you can integrate WhatsApp with google sheets and google data studio and merge website data with WhatsApp such as the client’s country, and the number of messages received, delivered, and sent. Check our Zapier integration with WhatsApp if you are interested in integrating WhatsApp with google sheets.
If you lack the resources or the development skills you can subscribe to an ISV like get.chat and get access to prebuilt connections with Zapier that enables you to connect WhatsApp to thousands of other apps.