Understanding WhatsApp business API

WhatsApp is a conversation or communication application via the internet. Almost everyone who uses an Android smartphone made by Google has the WhatsApp application installed in it. To support business people and MSMEs, WhatsApp also launched the WhatsApp Business feature so that users can easily reach businesses and business people can easily communicate directly with their customers.

WhatsApp support for business people did not stop there, after that WhatsApp launched the WhatsApp Business API, which was aimed at middle and upper class businesses. What is WhatsApp Business API? WhatsApp Business API is a system that can make interactions between customers and companies run more efficiently. The word API itself is an abbreviation of Application Programming Interface which contains a series of code that will later be connected to the company’s software. The software will later be reconnected to the WhatsApp account.

WhatsApp Business has big potential to optimise your customer conversion rate

The purpose of WhatsApp Business or WhatsApp Business API is efficiency in business communication. The context of business communication is what makes one of the business applications such as WhatsApp Business today so important. The concept that can be integrated with several business applications makes WhatsApp Business quite familiar in the eyes of business people.

In the future, WhatsApp Business API will be the most effective medium in optimizing business potential from the customer side. Let’s first look at some of the following data as a basis: Total Population (population): 32.7 million, Unique Mobile Users: 38.2 million, Internet Users: 17.4 million, Active Social Media Users: 16 million, YouTube Users in Malaysia as many as 88% of the total population, WhatsApp users in Malaysia as much as 84% of the total population, Facebook users in Malaysia as much as 82% of the total population, Instagram users in Malaysia as many as 79% of the total population.

We all know that the Customer is the Company’s most important asset. From the data above, it can be said that more than 90% of customers or prospective customers from Business Actors use the WhatsApp application to communicate. So we can conclude, if a business uses the WhatsApp Business API as a business communication channel with its customers / customers, it will be very easy for customers to reach your business and this will create a good customer experience for the company.

Benefit for the business development

With all the things described above, we can see that the use of WA Business can indeed provide several advantages, some of which are:

1. Work effectiveness and efficiency in managing customers becomes easier. Because it is supported by several supporting features.
2. Users (users) are made easier in terms of communicating with customers. So that customer optimization can be managed quite well, and it is possible for Customer Oriented Based targets to be carried out with WA Business.
3. Promotional Programs and Marketing Activities can be easily done with WA Business. So that the operational cost savings for the two programs can be done well.
4. Sales program / sales activities can be run well because some of the existing features already support the program. So that service improvements to customers can be improved to be faster, easier, and more targeted because all customer databases can also be stored neatly in WA Business

All of the above are functions and advantages of the WhatsApp Business API which has developed quite well. Where to perfect its use, it takes one more application called Customer Relationship Management (CRM). Why do you need CRM, and how can CRM be integrated with the WhatsApp Business API so as to produce a business integration that can be profitable for its users:

WHATSAPP BUSINESS API ADVANTAGES – CRM INTEGRATION

CRM is an application to optimize the potential of the Company. While WhatsApp is currently the most favourite communication medium after Facebook. So that the integration of CRM with WhatsApp will increase the potential to get higher turnover for the company.

This integration will also support the Customer Based Oriented (CBO) strategy in Your Business which will provide the best customer experience and increase customer loyalty to the Company.

Some of the benefits that you will get from CRM Integration with WhatsApp Business API are:

1. Can improve the performance of Sales & Marketing Management (because old and new customers are easy to maintain. So that business concepts based on Customer Based Oriented can be run)
2. Can increase Business Productivity. WhatsApp integration with CRM applications, can reach all divisions within the company
3. Can improve and change the quality of customers (When CRM is integrated with the WhatsApp Business API, the company can improve the quality of customers to become Loyal Customers)
4. Can reach customers more broadly, with the WhatsApp Business API, customers will be easier to connect with the company and the company’s response will be faster
5. Companies will find it easier to build a contact center system or customer support service with a powerful CRM system, Call Center, Omnichannel, Email and WhatsApp all in one platform.

CUSTOMER BASED ORIENTED STRATEGY FOR BUSINESS PROGRESS

In realizing Customer Based Oriented with the support of WhatsApp Business API, several conditions must be considered by the company, namely:

1. Implementing a Unified Communication strategy (this is where the role of omnichannel including WhatsApp)
2. Providing a payment model with a Digital Payment system to simplify the transaction process
3. Companies must be able to maximize service (after-sales service) to customers.

By running at least these 3 things, the company will find it easier to reach customers and create even more profits.