WhatsApp is among the most popular messaging applications today, with over two billion monthly global users. And WhatsApp allows you to reach out to your consumers more easily and quickly!
So, what are you looking for?
Have trouble deciding between WhatsApp Business App vs WhatsApp Business API? Don’t worry; we’ve got you covered! In this blog, we will explore the differences between the two to help you understand what they bring to the table.
What is WhatsApp Business App?
WhatsApp Business is a free Android and iPhone app designed with small company owners in mind. It was developed to meet an unmet market demand. Businesses used WhatsApp to interact with clients, but the platform needed more functionality.
The WhatsApp Company app solves their concerns by assisting company owners in creating entire business profiles, displaying working hours, showcasing their product catalog, linking to their website, and even setting up automatic welcome and away messages.
What is WhatsApp Business API?
The WhatsApp Business API was designed with medium to big organizations in mind, and it is available by requesting access from WhatsApp or joining up with an API provider. The API was created because WhatsApp realized that organizations with larger teams could not use the Business app owing to the constraint of two active sessions.
The WhatsApp Business API enables developers to create solutions that eliminate these limits and add capabilities to enhance WhatsApp’s usefulness. The API is incredibly versatile, with functionality restricted only by the tools enterprises interface with or build.
As the API lacks its own interface, you need a Business Service Provider to make things work and we only recommend Trengo. This indispensable tool can take care of all your automation needs, help with customer communication, and streamline daily operations.
You can book a free demo with Trengo to see how WhatsApp business API can help you improve your customer success
WhatsApp Business App and WhatsApp Business API – A Detailed Comparison
Before we go any further, let’s give you a short breakdown of the differences between the Business App and the WhatsApp API.
Let’s go over each component in further detail and several that need to be addressed in the table above.
- Designed for
WhatsApp Business is a stand-alone smartphone app designed for small enterprises with minimal customer requests. The WhatsApp Business API is designed to meet the demands of large organizations with support teams and significant quantities of customer communications.
- Team Inbox
It is difficult to readily share your WhatsApp Business app and phone number with other team members. You could offer them access using WhatsApp Web, but they could be locked out.
The WhatsApp API enables a Shared Team Inbox with software such as Trengo. This allows your entire staff to manage a WhatsApp number and any consumer inquiries from a single inbox.
- Ticket Management
Even if you manage to share accessibility to the Business app with specific team members, no means allows you to find out which team member is replying to which customer, if customers have received a response, and if their problem has been handled.
A WhatsApp customer care setup that uses the Official API, such as Trengo or DelightChat, may help you keep track of each WhatsApp chat, which team member is allocated to it, and when the client query was handled by closing the ticket.
- Automated Replies
In the WhatsApp Business app, you may establish simple autoresponders, such as a welcoming message when a customer contacts you for the first time. Or an out-of-office message for after hours.
Software solutions that use the WhatsApp API might assist you in accomplishing this and much more. For example, if an end-user sends a message which includes the phrase “refund,” you may automatically identify that discussion as [Urgent] and send a different auto-reply than a standard customer message. This is doable using platforms such as Trengo.
- WhatsApp Voice Call
The Business app allows you to make and receive WhatsApp calls. Currently, the WhatsApp API does not offer voice calling. However, they may add support for it shortly.
- Cost
The Business App is available for free. And the WhatsApp API is priced per chat.
- Broadcasts
The Business app allows you to send broadcasts to 256 recipients. Even so, the message would only be sent to those recipients who have stored your phone number.
You may send broadcasts to up to 100,000 consumers daily using the WhatsApp API, even if the user has not stored your phone number. This is feasible by connecting WhatsApp marketing tools to the API.
- Button Messages
The Business App can only send ordinary text or media communications. The WhatsApp API allows button-type messages using a concept known as message templates. Buttons are classified into three types:
CTA Button – Go to a Website
CTA Button – Dial a number
Controls for quick replies (up to three per message)
- Chatbot
The WhatsApp Business app does not support creating or deploying chatbot flows. But the WhatsApp API can communicate with third-party applications, you can quickly construct chatbot processes.
- Groups
A WhatsApp API number cannot be added to Groups like a conventional Business app number.
- Automated Notifications
You may build up and deliver automatic alerts to your consumers using the WhatsApp API, such as:
- Recovery of abandoned carts
- Order Acceptance
- Order Monitoring
- Cash on delivery confirmation
You could send these messages manually using the Business app, but it would be extremely time-consuming and would not scale as your company grew.
WhatsApp Business App vs WhatsApp Business API – Differences Table
WhatsApp Business App vs WhatsApp Business API – What Can They Do For Your Business?
Let’s explore the wonders both the versions can do for your brand with their unique features.
WhatsApp Business App enables one-on-one conversations with customers
The WhatsApp Business app is entirely free to download and use. It is designed for small company owners. The App allows you to communicate with your clients, present your products and services, and answer their questions while they purchase. Here are several WhatsApp Business app features that make communication easier:
- To assist customers in identifying your store, create a business profile
Add a logo, a brief description, and a company website to your business account so customers know who they’re speaking with.
- Show your business hours so that clients know when you’re available
Displaying your business hours informs your clients when you are accessible for orders and customer support and when they may have to wait for a response to their inquiry.
- Display your product catalog to make product browsing and purchasing easier
Create a product catalog and let clients browse your items and services. They may highlight a product and request that you order them. The payment may be made via the WhatsApp Pay function within the business app.
- Set up automatic welcome and away messages for quick answers to customers
When a customer writes you for the first time, the WhatsApp Business app enables you to design a greeting message delivered to them. When a customer inquires outside of business hours, an away message can be preset to be delivered.
- Quick responses to swiftly answer repeated inquiries
Many questions and replies are the same. You may save your usual responses and access them fast by typing /quick reply name>.
- Labels for customers to help with monitoring
Customers who have paid or have a pending payment, frequent customers, and others can be labeled. Create unique tags to help you identify and categorize your consumers so you avoid sending them unnecessary messages.
WhatsApp Business API expands customer support
The WhatsApp Business API is a pay-per-use offering designed for medium- to large-sized organizations. It interacts with your existing online customer support solutions and enables your whole staff to respond to customer inquiries using a single WhatsApp Business number.
You may get started quickly by purchasing an API membership from a provider like Trengo.
Let’s get into the work and explore the most essential components of a WhatsApp Business API.
- An achievable green tick on a company profile.
The API, like the WhatsApp Business app, allows you to create a WhatsApp Company profile. In the company’s profile, you may provide information such as your company name, overview, and website.
API users can also obtain a validated green tick. You must submit your company information to Facebook for verification. If you match the verification standards, your company’s profile photo will display a green tick, making your profile more reputable to WhatsApp users.
Since Facebook has validated your Business, users may see the company name even though you aren’t included in their contacts list.
- Build conversation flows and chatbots.
Your developers may use the API to use NLP to answer customer requests instantly. The automation options are only limited by your creativity – think of any use case that could help your company, and you can construct it with the assistance of an intelligent developer using WhatsApp’s Business API.
You may also design interactive chat bots that send messages with integrated buttons for frequently asked questions. This enhances bot engagement, leads to faster customer responses, and decreases the strain on your customer care personnel.
- Allow an infinite number of team members to support consumers.
When the API is connected with a customer support solution, the number of people who may access the account simultaneously is no longer restricted. Create unique support profiles for every team member and enable them to respond to customers without disclosing the primary account information.
- Connect the API to your reservation and POS systems.
You may provide fast purchase and transaction confirmations on WhatsApp by linking with your backend systems. You don’t have to restrict yourself to email or SMS when most users are active and engaged on WhatsApp.
Customers are far less inclined to respond/stay active since Facebook assures that the API is not misused.
WhatsApp Business vs whatsapp Business API- Advantages For Your Business
Increased trust is one of the most significant benefits we’ve noticed with organizations that use WhatsApp.
Because Facebook officially requires businesses to respond to consumer inquiries within 24 hours, customers receive far speedier replies, delighting them and converting them into repeat customers and, eventually, brand advocates.
When you add WhatsApp to your store’s support channels, you will receive the following:
- Increased opt-ins: Because WhatsApp is used regularly, users are more likely to agree to get notifications on their WhatsApp number.
- Quick resolutions, and happier buyers: Due to Facebook’s 24-hour restriction on API answers, businesses must reply promptly, resulting in satisfied customers who remain loyal.
- Improved conversions with engaging messages: Because of its users’ high activity levels, WhatsApp has a greater message-to-conversation rate than any other form of communication.
- Improved customer retention: Customers stay with you because you provide faster responses and superior after-sales care, and they can contact you whenever needed.
Transitioning from the App to the API
You’ll need to transfer your number if you’re currently using the App and want to switch to the API. Please follow the migration instructions in this Phone Numbers Migration article to move the number. Before you migrate your phone number, here are a few things you should know:
- All chat history will be destroyed whenever a phone number is moved from WhatsApp Business. To save this history, you must back up this data before the move.
- A business admin may only delete a phone number for the WhatsApp Business Account.
- If a business has sent paid messages to that number during the previous 30 days, the number cannot be erased.
WhatsApp Business App vs WhatsApp API- Which is The better Choice For Your Business?
The last question is which WhatsApp product is the best fit for you. Here are two ideas to assist you in making your decision.
- WhatsApp Business App: You’re just getting started and gaining customers. Most of your customers contact you on WhatsApp, and you are the only one who responds to their questions. Every day, you receive 20 texts. And you intend to wait to hire a dedicated customer service representative.
- Provider of WhatsApp Business API: Your company is thriving and consistently obtaining fresh customers through recommendations and other forms of promotion. You get messages from clients on WhatsApp but need help managing them. You must respond to more than 50 WhatsApp messages every day. Hiring a customer service representative is already on your company plan.
- Shared WhatsApp Business Inbox for Teams: You get messages not only through WhatsApp but also from different platforms such as emails, Facebook, Instagram, and others. When the same customer messages you from multiple locations, you answer twice. To guarantee every customer is noticed, your team members must maintain track of and move between different tabs.
Conclusion
WhatsApp is a very powerful tool that can take your customer communication to the next level. Choosing between WhatsApp Business App vs WhatsApp Business API will be based on the level of your e-commerce activity and your business’ unique needs.
