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.
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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 t