Unleash the Power of WhatsApp for your
Business
We are on a mission to be the “go-to” WhatsApp API provider of choice for businesses based in the UK.
As a UK based business ourselves, we understand the UK market and how people want to chat over WhatsApp. Whether you are in automotive, property, recruitment, healthcare, hospitality, financial services or retail, our expert team are here to help you every step of the way.
WhatsApp is the world’s most popular messaging app, with over 2 billion people using it regularly.
In the UK alone, over 28 million people are using WhatsApp in their daily lives, to communicate with friends, family and businesses. That’s over half the UK adult population!
Why do people love using WhatsApp so much?
It’s instant
It’s easy to use
It’s secure
With so many eye balls using WhatsApp on a daily basis, it’s no surprise that an ever- increasing number of businesses are looking for ways to incorporate WhatsApp into their customer communications and marketing strategy.
And yet many businesses struggle to implement it effectively. Why?
Before answering this question, it’s important to realise that there are actually 3 different ‘types’ of WhatsApp.
The 3 types of WhatsApp
WhatsApp
Messenger
This is essentially the personal version of WhatsApp that we use on our phones on a daily basis. Great for chatting and messaging as a private user, but as a business it’s simply not fit-for-purpose. There are a number of reasons for this, explained later.
WhatsApp
Business App
This is like having a ‘business equivalent’ to WhatsApp Messenger. You can download WhatsApp Business onto your phone, apply a business number/profile to it, and use it almost exactly the same way. This is perfect if you are a very small business / sole trader and only need one person to manage your WhatsApp business enquiries, however for larger businesses again it’s not fit-for-purpose.
WhatsApp
Business API
This is a fully programmable version of WhatsApp and what we at konversable use as part of our solution. The Business API allows for a number of advantages over WhatsApp Messenger and WhatsApp Business App, summarised later.
Risks & Limitations of using WhatsApp Messenger and WhatsApp Business App as a Business
The points below explain some of the risks and limitations of using WhatsApp Messenger and WhatsApp Business App:
- Data security – over the years we have come across some pretty scary examples of staff using their own personal WhatsApp to communicate with customers. If the employee lost or had their device stolen, or left the business, all customer data would be taken with it.
- Oversight – we conducted a LinkedIn poll which found that over 50% of employees were using their own WhatsApp to communicate with clients. Aside from security, a major issue with this is lack of management oversight. Unless the company is gathering employees phones in at the end of each day and manually checking through each conversation, it is impossible to see what conversations are taking place between employees of the business and clients or other stakeholders.
- Single device / single user – in relation to the above, one could argue the alternative for a business would be to use WhatsApp Business App. This is certainly a great option for a very small business or sole trader. However, as a result, the WhatsApp Business App can only be used by a single user on one device, so a large organisation with multiple employees are unable to chat with clients from one business profile.
Advantages of Using the WhatsApp Business API
So you are a large business, you want to maximise the power of WhatsApp in front of those millions of eye balls, but personal WhatsApp and the Business App aren’t feasible options…what should you do? Use the WhatsApp Business API!
Below are listed some of the key features and advantages of using WhatsApp API within your business:
Multi-user – multiple users can be set up under your WhatsApp business profile. Each of those users can be given their own unique login and password to access and manage WhatsApp chats under your business, instead of employees randomly using their own phones!
Secure – because all users are accessing WhatsApp interactions through our system, customer conversations are stored securely in the cloud. If an employee quits, their access can simply be deactivated whilst maintaining the integrity of customer data on the system.
Full oversight – management with admin access to the system can see all conversations taking place across the business over WhatsApp quickly and easily
Multi-device – WhatsApp chats can be managed over our cloud-based system on desktop or via our own dedicated mobile App.
Automation – basic automation can be built in to allow customers to get the information they need, fast, 24/7. An agent can join the conversation at any time if there is a more complex query needing dealt with.
Broadcasting & Marketing – Promotional messages via WhatsApp result in read and open rates of over 99% and 90% respectively – a testament to the power of push notifications. Automation enhances this by adding interactivity; something SMS marketing lacks.
How Does WhatsApp API work with konversable?
At konversable, our vision is to allow businesses to chat with clients seamlessly across multiple communications channels, using a combination of bot and live chat.
Our WhatsApp API set up typically involves the following process:
- Initial consultation call to discuss your current set up, and advise the best WhatsApp configuration depending on your needs.
- Purchase of a dedicated WhatsApp number for your business
- We take care of the API approval process through our partners Twilio and of course, Meta (formerly Facebook, who own WhatsApp)
- Once the API is approved, we connect it to your dedicated konversable account
- We set up the necessary users, any automation you want and any broadcast messages you plan to send
- We provide you with some code you can use on your site to trigger WhatsApp from the customer side (for example, behind an ‘Enquire with WhatsApp’ button)
- Finally we provide onboarding training and ongoing support as required
How Much Does it Cost?
If you would like to discuss your WhatsApp requirements in more detail,
please complete the contact form below!
Typically the cost consists of 2 elements – a set up fee and a monthly license fee. These are dependent on a variety of factors, such as:
- The complexity of automation required
- Number of agents / employees using the system
- The estimated volume of messages being exchanged per month
- The level of support required
