The present of conversational assistants and the WhatsApp Business Platform
WhatsApp is de facto the most widely used messaging tool globally, which makes it a great communication channel that brings brands closer to users. This is very useful for increasing sales and customer service in after-sales services in e-commerce. However, the use of conversational assistants has enormous potential for other sectors and services. In short, there are two pillars on which this advance of chatbots is based: the increase in the digital transformation of different sectors and the consolidation of messaging tools as the preferred channel of communication.
In this sense, how useful is WhatsApp Business Platform? We will now reflect on the potential of the WhatsApp API and conversational assistants.
What is the power of WhatsApp Business?
WhatsApp's business metrics make it a success story. Regardless of the user profile, it is the most widely used mobile messaging application, as it is friendly, familiar, flexible, convenient and easy to use. For this reason, WhatsApp is used today in 128 countries, with an average of 60 billion messages sent every day.
In this context, WhatsApp Business allows small businesses to get closer to their customers. This is possible because 75% of users feel comfortable communicating with different companies as if they were users. This is why conversational assistants are proliferating. In fact, most of the platforms that allow chatbots or no-code or soft-code conversational assistants to be generated ensure an increase in conversions and sales for e-commerces.
WhatsApp is used today in 128 countries, with an average of 60 billion messages sent every day
Regarding the e-commerce, the use of chatbots positions brands in the place where users move, assisting their customers in after-sales and customer services. What was previously solved with a phone call or in a physical shop, is now commonly solved through a messaging channel. This is endorsed by 80% of Asian, European and Latin American users.
The main benefits of chatbots created with WhatsApp Business are:
- 24/7 assistance to customers, which improves their experience and relationship with the company.
- The possibility of integrating conversion and loyalty processes through social networks such as Facebook and Instagram in connection with WhatsApp.
- Connection of CRMs of verified companies with WhatsApp through own developed components.
However, when it comes to scaling up, companies encounter certain problems related to interoperability between the company's employees and, above all, when it comes to responding to hundreds of users. This is where WhatsApp’s API comes in, recently opened.
What is WhatsApp Business Platform for?
The opening of the WhatsApp API thanks to the WhatsApp Business Platform (WhatsApp BSP) provides more advanced solutions to corporate environments not only related to e-commerce. The use of this API allows scaling digital communication solutions, as it guarantees the interoperability of different assistants when solving multiple tickets. A common problem when implementing solutions based on WhatsApp Business is that behind this service, ultimately, there is only one real person providing assistance. The use of the WhatsApp API allows scaling to more than one assistant answering user queries.
WhatsApp Business Platform is valuable in solving those problems where WhatsApp Business does not reach
At the business level, this makes it possible to establish long-term relationships with customers and drive complex business operations. A recent example is the publication of several chatbots dedicated to combating misinformation, as they can verify a news story with evidence from different data sources. By means of a conversational assistant, the user can corroborate whether a video, image, audio or link is a fake-new. The chatbot will respond with evidence that corroborates or disproves the news instantly.
In short, WhatsApp Business Platform is valuable in solving those problems where WhatsApp Business does not reach.
Following this line, Izertis works to help companies in their digital metamorphosis by providing conversational solutions to improve the user experience of their customers. To this end, it has developed several components that allow:
- Manage conversations to provide assistance and support without the need to resort to platforms specific to each conversation channel.
- Centralise multi-channel and multi-language conversations through a conversational proxy. In this way, with the same conversational base, the bot can be scaled to different channels.
- Carry out complex business processes through API integrations with company or third-party services.
Examples of use cases are endless: the qualification of leads, assistance in purchasing processes, the sending of documentation for registration, subscription to a newsletter, loyalty services, etc. All of them are possible because barriers between company and customer are eliminated, providing flexibility and proximity.
Conclusion
In short, WhatsApp Business Platform is not the future but the present of communication, as it allows the integration of WhatsApp as a channel for carrying out complex business processes. The solutions that Izertis is working on revolve around the incorporation of different data sources, the automation of messages and the use of other channels to reinforce the WhatsApp channel when building conversational assistants that provide solutions to users' real problems. This boosts conversion and brings companies' services closer to their customers, building customer loyalty.