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WhatsApp API for business has been popular for a while. Have you heard about it yet? Sticking to WhatsApp for personal chats is not the trend anymore. Now its usage has shifted slowly from a personalized informal chat application to a business communication platform. So in order for businesses to move or upscale their business growth they need to focus on customer experience, sales automation but most importantly customer engagement which can be achieved by using WhatsApp for business.
WhatsApp for business is an inevitable feature for every business communication and relying on a service provider like Bonvoice can help to make the process easier. But can you simply depend upon WhatsApp for business and ensure smooth workflow? No, not anymore! This is where the WhatsApp API for business comes in.
To understand further, let’s look into what is WhatsApp business API and how Bonvoice, a leading WhatsApp business API provider in India, helps your business thrive.
Why you need the WhatsApp API for business
While the WhatsApp business app is free it limits the user access to a single person. It is not scalable to handle high volume and is suitable for small businesses. While businesses require automation, this free app can only automate basic replies like greetings or an away message. Also you cannot integrate this app with marketing tools, ERP or CRM. The most important point to note is that the messages sent through the free app will be limited in characters and also the contacts will be limited to 256.
On the other hand, with a paid WhatsApp business API, multiple agents can use the app shared through the platform. It can handle high volumes and is built for millions of messages. Also in order to maintain conversational flow, it allows integration of advanced chatbots and AI. Also we can seamlessly integrate CRM along with unlimited messages for marketing purposes without limitations.
So, if your goal is to handle high call volume and answer business inquiries up to date, WhatsApp API is your only solution.
Prerequisites for the WhatsApp API for Business
Before getting into what the service can do, we need to take some administrative steps like verifying your business legitimacy and providing good customer experience.
- Meta business manager account – you need to ensure that you have a meta business account which acts as a central hub for all your meta assets. Creating and setting it up should be your first priority.
- Official business verification – meta requires to verify your business as a legally valid entity using business licenses and utility bills. So in order to get it done easily, a service provider like Bonvoice can accelerate the approval, which is an important prerequisite for using Whatsapp API for small business or large enterprises.
- Dedicated phone number – you will need to make sure that you have a dedicated phone number for this purpose and it is solely linked to this requirement and not used for any other channels for communication. This will make you green tick eligible business channel through WhatsApp for business API.
Seamless WhatsApp API integration
After completing administrative requirements the next phase is to handle the technical process.
- Consultation and choosing the right plan – for example, if you select us as your service provider, our team will assist you and verify your specific needs. They will help you to choose the appropriate plan for your platform like the one which includes chatbox builder, multi agent inbox etc.. We will clearly mention all the charges levied as a service provider and charges levied by meta. This transparency will help to clear any further confusion. This clarity makes Bonvoice a preferred best whatsapp api provider in india.
- Embedded signup – in order to maintain speed and security at the same time, Bonvoice utilizes Meta’s embedded signup flow. You securely login using credentials, then select the verified meta business profile. Then create the whatsapp business account within the system using the dedicated number and appropriate display name. Then you get verified via a 6 digit otp or voice call whichever you proceed with and that’s it.
- Activate the unified platform – after verification Bonvoice instantly connects with your WhatsApp API for business accounts. You will then be easily able to integrate their unified platform features like cloud telephony, multi-agent inbox, chatbots AI etc..
Legality, Compliance and Integration
The true power of any features lies in the obedient use strictly adhering to its legalities. So in order to achieve this first of all we should select a template through which we will cast all the promotional messages like order status and updates, that arrive out of business hours. We will create separate templates one for utility like transactional messages and one for marketing messages. Then these drafts are submitted to meta for review and approval.
Also sticking to the compliance rules of whatsapp is also essential in this case. That means, for every message you send to the customer you should strictly put an opt-in checkbox. If the customer chooses to select it, then with his or her consent you can send the messages.
Bonvoice also ensures that you get to connect your existing CRM to your WhatsApp business API. This helps to assist your sales team better by giving them chat history, issuing support tickets and pushing marketing messages for cross selling via WhatsApp API for business.
Conclusion
By choosing a reliable service provider like Bonvoice, you can simply relax and ensure a smooth integration and conversational flow for your business communication. By using our service, you can accelerate the growth of your business especially in India, a place that boosts the growth for small to medium enterprises.
Frequently asked questions:
1. Can we use WhatsApp business API for marketing?
Yes, you can send promotional messages via WhatsApp business API using the approved template.
2. Do I need a separate phone number for it?
Yes, you need a dedicated phone number for solely this purpose in WhatsApp.
Footnotes:
Forrester Consulting. WhatsApp Business Platform: Deeper Engagement to Drive Customer Care Success. Commissioned by Meta, Feb. 2023. CNBC TV18, images.cnbctv18.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Forrester-Total-Economic-Impact-Overview-WhatsApp-Business-Platform-4-pager-compressed.pdf.
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