Why you need to use WhatsApp Business: Top Benefits and Features

WhatsApp Business lets you reach 2.2 billion potential customers with a single message. But why are businesses choosing this platform? From high engagement rates to automation features, WhatsApp Business transforms how companies connect with their audience.

In this article, we'll explore the top benefits and features of WhatsApp Business. Whether you're a small startup or a global corporation, find out how this whatsapp chatbot can enhance your customer relationships and improve your bottom line.

Top Benefits of WhatsApp Business

High open rates and engagement

WhatsApp Business stands out with its impressive open rates. With over 2.24 billion users, messages sent through this platform enjoy a 98% open rate. In contrast, email averages a 20% open rate. Users typically respond to WhatsApp messages within 90 seconds, creating opportunities for real-time engagement.

Enhanced customer communication

WhatsApp Business changes how you interact with customers. It allows for rich, two-way conversations that feel personal and immediate. You can share product images, send voice notes, or even hop on a video call. This versatility makes customer interactions smoother and more efficient.

Improved customer service and satisfaction

Forget frustrating phone queues and delayed email responses. WhatsApp Business enables instant, 24/7 customer support. Features like automated greetings and away messages help manage customer expectations even when you're offline. Quick replies address common queries in seconds. More complex issues can be handled through detailed chat sessions, boosting customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Scalability for large audiences

Whether you're a small boutique or a multinational corporation, WhatsApp Business scales with your needs. The platform handles massive broadcast campaigns, reaching thousands of customers simultaneously, yet maintains the personal touch of one-on-one messaging. This scalability allows businesses to grow their customer base without sacrificing quality communication.

Diverse content formats

WhatsApp Business supports a variety of content formats:

• High-resolution images
• Short video clips
• PDF catalogs or brochures
• Voice messages
• Location sharing

This multimedia approach lets you craft rich, engaging messages that capture attention and drive action. Whether showcasing a new product line or providing step-by-step customer support, WhatsApp Business gives you the tools to communicate effectively.

Key Features of WhatsApp Business

Quick replies and automated messaging

WhatsApp Business improves communication with quick replies and automated messaging. Create shortcuts for frequently sent messages to respond to common inquiries in seconds. Set up automated greetings to welcome new customers and away messages to manage expectations when you're unavailable. These features reduce response times and ensure consistent communication, even during peak hours or off-hours.

Integration with other platforms

The WhatsApp Business API offers seamless integration with various platforms. This enhances its functionality and connects with your existing tech stack. The API supports marketing, sales, and customer support activities. It enables two-way conversations that engage customers throughout their journey. Create interactive conversational flows, dynamic product lists, and rich media to enrich the customer experience.

Typebot, an open-source chatbot builder, takes integration to another level. With Typebot, you can create a WhatsApp chatbot visually, without coding. Its drag-and-drop interface lets you design complex chatbots that integrate directly with WhatsApp. Automate customer interactions while maintaining a personal touch. This combination handles high volumes of customer queries efficiently, provides 24/7 support, and delivers personalized experiences at scale. To further enhance your chatbot's capabilities, you can train ChatGPT using your data, allowing for even more tailored and intelligent responses.

Product showcase

Turn your WhatsApp Business profile into a digital storefront with the product catalog feature. Upload products with descriptions, prices, and images. Customers can browse your offerings directly within the app, making it easier for them to shop and for you to sell. This feature is powerful for small businesses and e-commerce operations looking to streamline their sales process.

Mobile and desktop

WhatsApp Business offers both mobile and desktop applications, providing flexibility in managing business communications. Switch seamlessly between your smartphone and computer. This ensures you can respond to customers whether you're on the go or at your desk. Multi-device support allows for efficient team collaboration, ensuring you never miss an important message.

For example on Mac, you can download the native app from the Mac App Store.

Secure messaging

Security is crucial in business communications, and WhatsApp Business delivers. The platform uses end-to-end encryption for all messages, ensuring that sensitive information remains confidential. This level of security builds trust with customers and complies with data protection regulations like GDPR. Additionally, the official Green Tick verification for business accounts adds authenticity, helping customers identify legitimate businesses and avoid scams.

Advanced Messaging Capabilities

Bulk messaging and broadcast campaigns

With the WhatsApp Business API, you can conduct powerful bulk messaging and broadcast campaigns. This allows businesses to reach thousands of contacts simultaneously. Unlike the free WhatsApp Business app, which limits broadcasts to 256 contacts, the API removes this restriction. This feature is valuable for sending promotional offers, important updates, or time-sensitive notifications efficiently.

Key benefits of bulk messaging include:

• Cost-effective mass communication
• Highly targeted and personalized messages
• Instant delivery with high open rates

However, use this feature responsibly to maintain customer trust and comply with WhatsApp's spam prevention policies.

Automation using tools like Make or ChatGPT

Integrating WhatsApp Business with automation tools like Make (formerly Integromat) or AI models like ChatGPT can transform customer interactions. These integrations allow for:

• Connecting other tools and creating powerful workflows
  • Some examples: sending Stripe invoices, reports from Google Analytics, important messages from Slack, options are endless.
• Automated responses based on customer inquiries
• Personalized product recommendations
• Intelligent routing of complex queries to human agents

For example, a Make workflow could process a customer's order status request, fetch information from your database, and send a personalized response via WhatsApp. Similarly, ChatGPT integration could handle initial inquiries, providing detailed responses and escalating complex issues to human agents only when necessary.

This automation improves response times and allows your team to focus on more complex tasks, enhancing overall efficiency.

Lead generation and CRM integration

WhatsApp Business serves as a powerful lead generation tool when integrated with your Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. This integration enables:

• Automatic capture of customer data from WhatsApp conversations
• Seamless transfer of leads into your sales funnel
• Tracking of customer interactions across multiple channels

By connecting WhatsApp Business to your CRM, you create a unified view of customer interactions. This enables more personalized and effective follow-ups. For instance, a sales representative can see a customer's WhatsApp conversation history before making a call, leading to more informed and productive discussions.

Real-time analytics for performance monitoring

The WhatsApp Business API offers robust analytics tools for real-time performance monitoring. These analytics provide insights into:

• Message delivery rates
• Customer response times
• Engagement levels across different message types

By analyzing these metrics, you can refine your messaging strategy, identify the most effective content types, and optimize communication timing for maximum impact.

Before the advent of AI, opening a WhatsApp channel for customers could overwhelm customer support teams. However, integrating Large Language Models (LLMs) changes this dynamic. AI can now intelligently triage incoming messages, handling routine inquiries automatically and escalating complex issues to human agents only when necessary. This approach reduces the burden on support teams and improves the customer experience by providing instant responses to common questions while ensuring nuanced issues receive personal attention.

Use cases

Order tracking

WhatsApp Business excels in providing real-time order tracking to customers. By integrating with your e-commerce platform, you can:

• Send automated order confirmations instantly
• Provide live shipping updates and tracking links
• Allow customers to check order status through simple chat commands

This transparency reduces customer anxiety and support inquiries, leading to higher satisfaction. For instance, a clothing retailer could notify customers when an order ships, including a tracking link and estimated delivery date.

Customer support after buying

Post-purchase support is crucial for customer retention, and WhatsApp Business makes it seamless:

• Offer instant product setup assistance
• Provide troubleshooting guides with multimedia content
• Collect feedback and address concerns promptly

A tech company could send video tutorials for product setup, answer questions in real-time, and schedule video calls for complex issues. This immediate, personalized support enhances the customer experience and builds brand loyalty.

Booking and reminders

For service-based businesses, WhatsApp Business streamlines booking and reduces no-shows:

• Allow customers to book appointments directly through chat
• Send automated booking confirmations
• Provide timely reminders before appointments

A hair salon, for example, could manage bookings, send reminders 24 hours before appointments, and allow clients to reschedule with a simple chat. This system minimizes missed appointments and improves scheduling efficiency.

From high open rates to advanced features like AI integration and real-time analytics, WhatsApp Business provides companies of all sizes with powerful tools to connect with customers. As messaging continues to dominate communication preferences, adopting WhatsApp Business is no longer an option—it's a necessity for staying competitive and meeting customer expectations.