Description
WhatsApp Business is an application developed by Meta to meet the needs of small and medium-sized businesses, allowing efficient and professional communication with customers. It is based on WhatsApp Messenger but includes specific features for businesses, such as managing customer interactions, automating messages, and organizing contacts.
Main Features
- Business Profile:
- Allows creating a detailed profile for the business, including information such as business name, description, physical address, opening hours, email, website, and business category.
- This information is displayed to customers, providing greater credibility and transparency.
- Automated Messages:
- Automatic Greeting: Allows setting up a welcome message for new customers or for those who contact outside business hours.
- Quick Replies: Allows saving predefined responses for frequently asked questions, which can be accessed with shortcuts (e.g., /thankyou to send "Thank you for your contact!").
- Out of Office Message: Allows setting up an automatic response for when the business is unavailable, informing, for example, the time of return.
- Product and Service Catalog:
- Allows creating a virtual catalog within the app, where the business can add products or services with photos, descriptions, prices, and links to websites.
- Customers can view the catalog directly in the chat, facilitating the purchasing or inquiry process.
- Labels:
- Allows organizing contacts and conversations with customizable labels such as "New Customer," "Pending Payment," or "Shipped."
- Facilitates tracking orders and managing interactions with multiple customers.
- Message Statistics:
- Provides basic data about message performance, such as the number of messages sent, delivered, read, and received.
- Helps the business assess the effectiveness of communication with customers.
- Short Links and QR Codes:
- Allows generating a personalized short link (e.g., wa.me/yourbusinessnumber) to start a conversation directly on WhatsApp.
- Offers a QR code that customers can scan to get in touch, ideal for use in printed materials or social media.
- Works with third-party tools for managing multiple attendants or advanced data analysis.
- Mass Messaging (with Limitations):
- Allows sending messages to multiple contacts at the same time, but with restrictions to avoid spam. The messages must comply with WhatsApp policies, and mass sending is more robust in the API.
Security and Privacy
- End-to-End Encryption: Like WhatsApp Messenger, all messages, calls, and media on WhatsApp Business are protected by encryption, ensuring that only the sender and recipient can access the content.
- Account Verification: Businesses can obtain a verification badge (green checkmark) to indicate authenticity, although this is more common in the API and subject to WhatsApp approval.
- Anti-Spam Policies: WhatsApp monitors activities to prevent spam, and accounts violating the guidelines (e.g., sending unsolicited messages) may be banned.
Use Cases
- Customer Service: Responding to inquiries, providing post-sale support, and scheduling services.
- Sales and Marketing: Sending promotions, sharing catalogs, and closing sales directly in chat.
- Logistics and Updates: Sending notifications about order or delivery status (more common with the API).
- Scheduling: Managing reservations or appointments, such as in clinics or beauty salons.
Availability and Requirements
- Available globally, in over 180 countries, supporting various languages.
- Requires an active phone number (landline or mobile) for registration, which cannot be associated with a personal WhatsApp account.
- Works on Android smartphones (4.4 or higher), iOS (12 or higher), and via WhatsApp Web in browsers.
Final Notes
WhatsApp Business is a powerful tool for businesses seeking direct and personalized communication with customers, especially in markets where WhatsApp is widely used, such as Brazil, India, and Mexico. The free application works well for small businesses, while the API is ideal for companies that need greater automation and integration.