In this article:
- WhatsApp Business App vs. API: What are the differences?
- Benefits of the WhatsApp Business App
- WhatsApp Business App: Good start, but no long-term solution
- 5 reasons why the WhatsApp Business App isn't suitable for companies
- How to get access to the WhatsApp Business API
- 3 companies that switched to the WhatsApp Business API
When looking for business solutions for WhatsApp, the first choice is often the WhatsApp Business App. But there's a better (and safer!) solution!
When it comes to instant messaging, WhatsApp is THE messaging app. As of 2023, Meta's green messenger app counts two billion monthly active users, and is the most popular messaging app in the world. In countries like India or Brazil almost everybody who uses a smartphone also uses WhatsApp. It's therefore only natural for companies to want to reach out to their customers on their favorite platform.
When looking for a WhatsApp business solution, the free WhatsApp Business App often is the first choice, but there are many limitation. And, what some might not even know: There's an even better solution, the WhatsApp Business API!
WhatsApp Business App vs. API: What are the differences?
We all know the "WhatsApp app" from our private communication. However, WhatsApp prohibits the commercial use of the private WhatsApp version. Instead, WhatsApp offers two business solutions for companies: the WhatsApp Business App and the WhatsApp Business API (since 2022, the API is officially called WhatsApp Business Platform).
A) WhatsApp Business App: This version is most suitable for small businesses with up to five employees. It's free of charge, but doesn't offer scalable options for marketing and sales, it's limited to one phone, you can't use chatbots, and it doesn't guarantee data privacy. If you've tried to use this app to send out bulk messages and promotions, you might have already faced the issue that you can only reach up to 256 unique users per broadcast list. If you surpass that limit, WhatsApp actually blocks your number!
B) WhatsApp Business API: This version is accessible through the WhatsApp API (cloud or on-premise) or through WhatsApp Business Solution Providers (official Meta partners), is easy to scale, allows you to send out promotional messages, use chatbots, and data security is 100% guaranteed.
Benefits of the WhatsApp Business App
The WhatsApp Business pAp is a free solution that was specifically designed for small businesses. It works very similar to the regular app, and makes communication between companies and businesses on WhatsApp very easy.
The WhatsApp Business app runs on smartphones and allows you to set up a company profile. You'll be able to set up the following features:
- product catalog
- labels
- some (limited) templates with quick replies
- welcome messages
- away messages
- broadcasts (with a maximum of 256 unique users per list)
WhatsApp Business App: Good start, but no long-term solution
For some businesses, these options might be all they need. Small companies with no more than five employees or freelancers who are not too worried about scaling marketing and sales, are probably fine with this version. However, there are also some disadvantages and limitations.
🚀 With Sinch Engage, you can try the WhatsApp Business API for free. Just set up a test account (no credit card needed) and go!
Get more out of messaging apps for your business, with Sinch Engage, your all-in-one messaging platform for marketing, sales, and customer service.
5 reasons why the WhatsApp Business App isn't suitable for companies
1. You can't push sales or send promotional messages with the WhatsApp Businesss App
⛔ Disadvantage ⛔ WhatsApp Business App is not suited for scaling marketing notifications!
In June of 2021, WhatsApp amplified the types of messages that companies could send to their clients. WhatsApp even brought back the popular broadcast! However, WhatsApp Business customers are still limited with this feature. They can only send out newsletters to 256 unique users per broadcast lists, which doesn't allow you to scale marketing campaigns.
And: You also can't use templates or automations! These are only available on the API. This means that you manually have to set up a new message every time you want to send promotional messages.
The same goes for back-in-stock updates, personalized recommendations, or promoting new products and events. In other words: if you just use the WhatsApp Business app, you can't really get the most out of marketing campaigns or push sales.
The use cases for WhatsApp Business are therefore very limited, which is why, a lot of companies make the switch to the WhatsApp Business Platform (API) where they can take advantage of the full range of possibilities of the WhatsApp business communication.
2. Real hassle for companies with more than five employees
Customer communication is usually not the responsibility of just one person in the company. With the WhatsApp Business App, however, only one employee can answer incoming inquiries on a smartphone.
This is not only problematic in times of remote working, but it also becomes a hassle when set employee is out of office, on vacation, or sick. It then becomes a real chore to make sure that the "WhatsApp phone" is transferred to an available employee, and even that is tricky if a customer has a question that only somebody who doesn't have the phone can answer. And if your business has several branches, it becomes a nightmare having to give customers different WhatsApp numbers for different locations.
What most companies notice: once they start offering WhatsApp as a contact option, customers love it! While that's great for your customer satisfaction, it'll also become increasingly difficult to deal with all the incoming queries on one phone through the WhatsApp Business App. This is also the experience of I love DESIGN, a mid-sized marketing agency.
3. No integration with existing CRM systems
Even small and medium-sized companies want to offer their customers smooth and quick, target-oriented communication. This includes always knowing what the last point of conversation was, and what information was exchanged.
This is not only important for conversations on messaging apps, but also for e-mails or phone calls. Typically, almost any company nowadays has a CRM system to keep track of this. However, the WhatsApp Business App doesn't enable an interface here, so customer communication remains completely isolated on the smartphone, and you would have to transfer information from chats manually into your CRM system — fun (not)!
4. Limited automation options
Using the potential of WhatsApp chatbots and simple automation on WhatsApp is not even remotely possible with the WhatsApp Business App. Today, WhatsApp chatbots can be set up very easily and without programming knowledge and answer up to 80 percent of frequently asked questions in an automated way.
This is not only an advantage for large companies that want to scale their customer service, but also for small businesses with more limited resources, as they can save time, money, and allocate their employee's time more productively.
5. Data protection not guaranteed
Like the private WhatsApp app, the WhatsApp Business App accesses and processes data in your saved contacts. In addition, chats run via US servers and meta data is exchanged, all of which is problematic according to data regulations, such as the IT act in India, the GDPR in the European Union, the Data Protection Act in the UK, and several consumer privacy acts in the United States.
Numerous companies start with the WhatsApp Business App, but then quickly reach their limits when using it, due to concerns over data privacy.
In order to use WhatsApp in our team and assure data protection, switching to the WhatsApp Business API was the logical step for us.
Tina Spengler, Head of Marketing, WEICON
How to get access to the WhatsApp Business API
There are undoubtedly some benefits to the WhatsApp Business App. It's convenient to download, and it's free. However, if you really want to grow your business, analyze customer data (and protect it), and measure KPIs, you'll need to upgrade to the WhatsApp Business API.
How does that work?
There are basically four ways to get access to the WhatsApp Business Platform.
- Direct access through Meta (good luck!)
- Using the WhatsApp Business API cloud (IT skills required, data protection not guaranteed, unless you set up your own servers, which is costly)
- An interface from a certified WhatsApp Business Solution provider like the Unified Messaging API from Sinch Engage (not very expensive, IT skills needed, 100% compliant with data privacy laws)
- Using a ready-to-go software solution also provided by a WhatsApp Business Solution Provider such as Sinch Engage
WhatsApp Business Solution Providers (BSPs) are official WhatsApp partners that are authorized to offer businesses access to the WhatsApp Business API. Sinch Engage has been one of the original BSPs, and with years of experience, we've developed a WhatsApp messaging solution for businesses. All you need is a laptop or desktop computer and internet access. The rest is already set up for you, so you can get started right away! Plus:
- You don't need special schooling or IT knowledge.
- You can even take your existing WhatsApp number with you if you already have one.
- You keep all of your existing customer conversations and chat history.
- Easy integration of chatbots and CRM system.
- Thorough onboarding and hands-on help from our team.
3 companies that switched to the WhatsApp Business API
Is it hard to go from one WhatsApp business version to the other? Not at all! The following companies have made the switch from the WhatsApp Business App to the API with Sinch Engage, and never looked back.
1) The online paint retailer MissPompadour: "We were online in two weeks."
MissPompadour is an online retailer specializing in DIY paints. Being an online business, they were already an avid user of social media platforms like Instagram to promote their business. WhatsApp was the next logical step to offer their clients a convenient and direct way to communicate with them.
Soon, however, the customer requests were no longer manageable with a private WhatsApp number on the cell phone. And since the WhatsApp business app could not meet the requirements of a professional company either, MissPompadour swiftly and easily moved to Sinch Engage.
The result? They managed to turn their WhatsApp channel into a sales machine where nine out of ten chats convert into a purchase!
2) The affiliate platform for influencers stylink: scaling their business globally
Stylink is a platform that connects influencers and affiliate partners, and helps influencers to generate affiliate links on their social media platforms or blogs. And even though most influencers place their affiliate links on Instagram, when they have a question about the affiliate links, they reach out to stylink on WhatsApp.
As stylink gets a lot of requests and needs to be able to answer immediately, and send automated links, the company was looking for a scalable solution with a suitable interface to their CRM system, chatbot options, and WhatsApp notifications. And they found Sinch Engage!
The result? Stylink has been able to grow their business through WhatsApp, and has now expanded to new international markets. The profesional messaging solution also helped them in this process, as it was very easy to integrate new mesaging apps. For example, in the US, stylink now uses iMessage successfully.
3) The marketing agency I love DESIGN
Like many businesses, the marketing agency I love DESIGN started talking to their customers on the WhatsApp Business App. Soon, the expected benefits didn't pan out. They had to pass on their "WhatsApp phone" to a different employee every day, which became unmanageable.
That's when they decided to switch to the WhatsApp Business API with Sinch Engage.
The result? They were able to make their customer service more efficient, and 70% of their customers now contact them on WhatsApp.
Summing up: the companies that try out the WhatsApp Business Platform don't go back to the Business app. The advantages and possibilities are just so much greater. Plus, making the switch is really easy!
Switching to Sinch Engage is very quick and easy!
- The existing phone number can be migrated.
- Existing chats and customers are retained.
- No high demands on technology and IT.
- Comprehensive onboarding and personal support by our team.
🚀 Make the switch now, and take your WhatsApp communication to the next level!
Get more out of messaging apps for your business, with Sinch Engage, your all-in-one messaging platform for marketing, sales, and customer service.