Edited By Piyush Kashyap, Reviewed By Gulshan
WhatsApp is the most popular messaging platform across the globe. Its relatively simple user interface and Voice over feature have enabled it to gain staggering amounts of users.
With over 1.6 billion active users, it has radically overshadowed all its contemporaries and tops the list of most popular messaging service applications almost replacing the old SMS and messaging practices.
As the application started to gain popularity, it became a medium for people to build work networks. Its feature of creating groups further strengthened its roots in the enterprises and workspaces.
But since the original versions weren’t ideally created for business transactions, carrying out tasks remained a little complicated and limited.
On realizing the intricacies combated by the business groups, the company decided to come up with a new version of the application exclusively devoted to carrying out business practices.
The company launched WhatsApp Business in January 2018. Initially, the application was only available on Android phones. But after a year, in the early months of 2019, the business version was introduced on iOS versions too.
Being superficially similar to the original version, the new version has some additional features primarily focussed on making the business transactions easier.
How to start a business account?
With the world advancing so fast, it is essential to seize the benefits of technology to expand. A business account on WhatsApp is sure an excellent way to increase your reach and grow the network.
Messaging Feature
WhatsApp Business has a set of distinct attributes which can help the businesses to grow. By the special messaging tools, one can save a lot of time and make things simpler. To customize the messaging tools, again, go to Settings> Business Settings and look out for messaging options available there.
The three significant options there would be Away Message, Greeting Message and Quick Replies.
The Greeting Messages
The feature enables you to automatically send a message to your customers when they approach you for the first time or after an inactivity period of 14 days. To set the message, access the Greeting Message option in the Business Settings.
Edit the message by tapping on it. Under the option of Recipients, you can specify the customers you wish to send the greeting message. Choose between:
The Away Messages
This special feature takes care of the customers who approach your business when you are away or are not online. The Away message informs your customers that you are temporarily unavailable and encourages them to move through the sales section.
You can set automated replies and schedule them as per your desired timings. For example, if you are unable to attend the customers from 1400 hours to 1600 hours and if any customer reaches you out in these “away” hours, the Away messages will be triggered in that time interval.
You can also decide if a common message will be sent to all customers or specific customers. While typing out the Away message is similar to the Greeting message, it is necessary to choose appropriately from scheduling options.
Quick Replies
This feature is useful for creating keyboard shortcuts for the messages you send out most frequently. By accessing the Quick Replies option, you can add either any kind of media file or text message. Set the keypad to locate and sort the quick replies.
To use the quick replies, in the text field, you will have to begin the message by typing “/” followed by tapping on the shortcut for the previously set quick replies. The message template will instantaneously appear on the text field. You may further edit it and tap on the send option.
When there are multiple quick replies in use, you may sort the replies using specific keywords. The specified keywords appear first in the current conversation followed by the quick replies that are most frequently used. You can also include emojis while selecting quick replies.
One must, although keep in mind that the maximum allowed quick replies for storing is 50, and the maximum length of the reply can be up to 25 characters. Special characters are not allowed in quick replies.
Contact Labels
The Contact Labels is a special feature of the business version of WhatsApp. By using labels, you can find your chats and messages more easily and also create broadcast lists. You can use labels with different colours to either add labels on entire chats or to specific messages within a chat.
To create a label, tap the chat for a few seconds. In the box, you would see an option to create labels. You may either use the same label or create a new label. You may also edit and label, change its colour or even delete a specific label.
One may also create a broadcast list for a group of specific chats. To create a broadcast list, in More options, select the label for which you wish to create a broadcast list.
To send an exclusive message to all the chats of a particular label, you may select Message customers in more options and tap the green button on the bottom right corner to draft the message. The broadcast message will be sent to all the chats corresponding to a particular label.
How To Create Whatsapp Business Account
WhatsApp Business API:
While the WhatsApp Business version is primely programmed for small businesses, WhatsApp Business API is the version meant for large scale industries. WhatsApp Business API is specially designed to enable companies with customers all over the world.
The API version is meant to handle a large number of messages which the big industries and firms receive from clients all over the world. The normal Business version cannot handle such large data and thus fails. The API can also support an unlimited number of users and devices.
Having no real user interface, the API version is operated by automated systems. The messages sent by the API version are charged per message template or session and is the current source of direct monetization for the company.
While there are no calling capabilities in the API version, the broadcasts there are unlimited.
Conclusion
Thus, with all the favourable and unique features which the Business version offers, it is the best way for businesses to grow in today’s world.
