WhatsApp Business App Launched
The WhatsApp Business standalone app was announced by Facebook on Wednesday in
an effort to make business communication with customers more streamlined
for SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises) on the popular messaging platform. the new app for SMEs is
now available to download via Google Play in Indonesia,
Italy, Mexico, the UK, and the US. The WhatsApp Business app is free, and
will be rolled out across the world in the coming weeks. It will be only available for Android phones at launch,
but the company will eventually have a version for iPhones too
The WhatsApp Business app is aimed at making it easier to
for small companies to connect with their customers, and more convenient for
the 1.3 billion WhatsApp users to chat with businesses that matter to them. The
app will help customers with useful information such as a business description,
email or store addresses and website.
It will also save time with smart messaging tools - quick
replies that provide fast answers to frequently asked questions, greeting
messages that introduce customers to your business, and away messages that let
them know you're busy.
"People will know that they're talking to a business
because you will be listed as a Business Account. Over time, some businesses
will have Confirmed Accounts once it's been confirmed that the account phone
number matches the business phone number," WhatsApp said in a statement.
Regular users can continue using WhatsApp as usual as
there's no need to download anything new. "People will continue to have
full control over the messages they receive, with the ability to block any
number, including businesses, as well as report spam," the company added.
The statement claimed WhatsApp helps over 80 percent of
small businesses in India and Brazil communicate with customers and grow their
business, citing a Morning Consult study. WhatsApp also claimed that 84 percent
of SMBs think that WhatsApp helps them communicate with customers, andA80
percent of SMBs think that WhatsApp helps them grow their business.
The new business accounts are aimed at firms that receive a
high volume of WhatsApp messages and need help keeping up, WhatsApp Chief
Operating Officer Matt Idema said. "What we saw was a need for businesses
to have more efficient tools," Idema said in an interview with Reuters.
Idema, who was a Facebook executive before he joined
WhatsApp last year, said WhatsApp intends to charge businesses in some form in
the future, but he said it was too soon to discuss when that would happen or
what the future business services would look like.
WhatsApp competes in a crowded market that also includes
Facebook's Messenger application, Tencent Holdings's WeChat and numerous other
messaging services.
No comments