WhatsApp Business: All features that you need to know in 2023

Want to use WhatsApp for your business but don’t know where to start? Fret not, here’s all you need to know about WhatsApp Business! 

Most popular global mobile messenger apps as of January 2022 - Data from Statista

Did you know that more than 2 billion people use WhatsApp on a monthly basis? And that’s exactly what makes it one of the most popular messaging platforms out there.

With the era of digitalization finally looming upon us, businesses all across the world are constantly trying to figure out various tactics to promote their products and services to a wide audience.

Since instant messaging marketing can only be beneficial in today’s digital world, the proliferation of WhatsApp links and WhatsApp Managers will definitely help businesses connect with customers faster and better manage the surge in conversations!

Are you ready to find out how WhatsApp Business features and WhatsApp marketing can help you acquire more customers?

Instant messaging for businesses

98% of the overall mobile users will click through and read a business-based message by the end of the day. Hence, other than incorporating instant messaging into your digital marketing playbook, looking into WhatsApp is an important step to be included.

In 2018, we witnessed WhatsApp Business come into existence. Year after year, the users continue to increase and more beneficial features are added to the list. With a tremendously high user base, it is considered the best messaging platform all across the world.

Apart from it dominating about 104 countries, WhatsApp’s userbase is also very varied and that’s something that shouldn’t ever be ignored.

WhatsApp penetration among global messaging app users 2022 - Data from Statista

Don’t worry if you don’t already know what WhatsApp Business is all about.

In this blog post, not only will we take a brief look at what exactly WhatsApp Business is, but we will also be learning why it’s SUPER-DUPER important for just any business out there.

WhatsApp Business App vs WhatsApp Business API

Long before WhatsApp Business came into existence, many businesses had already included the use of WhatsApp in their daily operations.

As such, WhatsApp released business versions of WhatsApp for business owners to better engage with their target audience through both the WhatsApp Business App and the WhatsApp Business API.

It’s no secret that user engagement on WhatsApp is really high.

According to Oberlo, over 5 million of businesses have equipped WhatsApp Business to effectively reach out to their consumers and prospects.

With the help of additional functionalities, WhatsApp Business makes the job a lot simpler for businesses. This is especially true for workflows like payment notifications, customer support, and even sales and marketing!

As mentioned above, are two different WhatsApp Business models available for businesses depending on their requirements:

• WhatsApp Business App

Tailored for small as well as medium-sized businesses, WhatsApp Business App is free and available for all SMEs to easily engage their customers via a smartphone application. A maximum of five devices (only one smartphone is allowed) can be used to log in at the same time. Despite that, there are some limitations to this multiple device login, including missing message pins and a lack of team management features.

Find out more on how to set up WhatsApp Business for multiple users and devices.

• WhatsApp Business API

WhatsApp Business API is more suited for large businesses that have a large messaging volume. It also comes with more business-specific features that can be leveraged for scaling the business efficiently.

Read more: WhatsApp Business API in Malaysia. How top brands use WhatsApp to up their social commerce game

All you need to know about the WhatsApp Business App

WhatsApp Business is one of the most popular iOS and Android messaging applications for small business owners. It helps them connect with their prospects and consumers in a more reliable manner, and is available for free on Android and iPhone. WhatsApp Business makes interacting with customers easy by providing tools to automate, sort, and quickly respond to messages. It’s also intended to feel and work just like a normal WhatsApp account.

You can use it to do everything that you’re used to doing, from messaging to sending photos.

That being said, the WhatsApp Business App only provides access for a limited number of people and requires relatively more manual input and workflows.

Here's the top 6 WhatsApp Business features

1. Create a business profile

WhatsApp Business allows you to create your own professional business profile.

You can add various pieces of information about your business, such as contact information, the company’s website as well as location.

And that’s something that will help you build the credibility of your business.

2. Set business timings

Set your business hours in the WhatsApp Business App! This allows your customers to know when is the best time to reach you. At the same time, this also allows you to manage expectations when it comes to customer support.

3. Use automated responses

With WhatsApp Business, you can easily automate messages like greetings, quick replies, or away messages.

Through the use of Away Messages, you can let your customers know that you are busy. Simply, toggle “Send away message” and type in the message customers will receive based on the schedule determined by you.

With Greeting Messages, you can send a message immediately after a potential customer contacts you. You can use this opportunity to share information about your company with your consumers.

As for Quick Replies, you can create keyboard shortcuts for the messages you send most frequently. You can use quick replies for text or media messages, such as GIFs, images, and videos. 

To send quick replies, simply search for the quick reply using the keyword or type “/” and select the shortcut directly.

4. Include a product catalog

WhatsApp Business allows you to create your own product catalog to showcase and share your goods easily. This makes it easy for customers to browse and discover things that they would like to buy. Say goodbye to sending tons of pictures and repeating pricing and product information like a broken recorder!

To create a catalog, tap on Business Settings > Catalog > Add Product or Service. Then, fill it up with images, product, and pricing information and tap Save.

5. Add labels to group chats

With WhatsApp Business, you can group your chats with labels. This allows for quick classification of customers and fast access to the labeled chats.

Here are some label suggestions that you can use:

• New Customer

• Returning Customer

• Customer Awaiting Orders 

6. View messaging statistics

It’s now possible for you to manage your messaging statistics.

For instance, it’s now possible for you to check how many messages were sent by you and how many of them were read.

In short, you are able to track the performance of your campaign effectively.

Get to know the WhatsApp Business API

While WhatsApp Business has some useful functions for small businesses, WhatsApp Business API comes with much more flexibility and functionality and is suited for larger teams with a more varied WhatsApp Business usage.

WhatsApp Business API offers a verified business profile with a green tick, allowing companies to establish trust with customers. Also, it supports unlimited devices and users where multiple teams and users can access the same WhatsApp account simultaneously.

However, it only provides an API endpoint and requires a software solution and an official Whatsapp provider to integrate with before being able to harness its full functionality.

Apart from that, there are phone number requirements and also certain rules to adhere to when it comes to sending messages to customers and each message sent will be charged.

That being said, using the WhatsApp Business API can greatly increase workflow efficiency by allowing integrations with various platforms and software. 

For example, you can integrate with popular e-commerce platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce to automatically send out order confirmations and delivery notifications. You can even connect to other useful platforms like Calendly, Facebook, Salesforce, and Hubspot to schedule and automate your workflow.

Furthermore, the WhatsApp Business API also comes with upgraded data management capabilities like data exporting and archiving, making it great for periodic reviews to improve work processes!

Need a quick overview of the WhatsApp Business API? Take a quick read at our summary of WhatsApp Business API vs WhatsApp Business App.

Which one should I choose? 

There are a few determining factors when it comes to deciding whether the WhatsApp Business App or WhatsApp Business API is better suited for you. Some of these include the need for various forms of automation, the presence of multiple teams requiring access to WhatsApp, and the frequency of sending mass messages.

Learning how to take marketing to another level through mass messaging? Explore the power of WhatsApp Broadcast messaging.

Nonetheless, it is worth investing in the WhatsApp Business API for its powerful business-class features. Regardless of whether you prefer the WhatsApp Business App or the WhatsApp Business API, SleekFlow provides a simple solution to manage all your messaging channel needs. As an official WhatsApp Business Solution Provider (BSP), SleekFlow provides both an app and a web interface, so both small and large companies can respond to customer queries in a timely manner while enjoying workflow automation and increased efficiency.

Dive deep into the key functionalities of the WhatsApp Business API and find out more about the differences between the various WhatsApp Business API providers here.