A year after the launch of the Android version, soon WhatsApp Business will (finally) be available for iOS devices as well.
"The app," WhatsApp lets us know, "will be launched around the world in the coming weeks."
Since its launch in January last year, WhatsApp Business has been adopted by millions of businesses around the world. Indeed, there are many possibilities offered by this app compared to the more common WhatsApp. In fact, the Business version of this (now) well-known application, allow companies to keep in touch with their customers, communicating quickly and easily news, promotions and much more.
WhatsApp Business for iOS
As with the version for Android devices, the WhatsApp Business app for iOS will be available for free download within Apple's App Store and as we will see in more detail below, will include features to help small businesses and customers communicate.
As we have already mentioned, the app is currently not yet available in the Italian store, but we expect that it may arrive before long.
This solution of integrating WhatsApp Business within one's business, stems from the need of companies to stay in touch with their customers, but it is also very useful for the end user himself, who in this way can request any information about the products and services offered by the business.
The tools offered by this app improve the work allow interaction and simplification in the company-customer relationship.
Let's see in more detail the functions offered by WhatsApp Business.
The features of WhatsApp Business
What does this app really offer and why would it be right to integrate it into your business?
WhatsApp Business remains essentially a messaging application, but compared to the traditional application, there are a number of interesting innovations on the business side.
Among the most important functions is definitely the business profile section where you can share useful information about your business such as a description, e-mail or physical store address, and reference website.
Another very interesting tool is the instant messaging tool: this allows you to easily respond to customers with quick tools. These include, for example, greeting messages to introduce your business to customers, the ability to define quick answers to frequently asked questions (e.g., about opening hours), and associate a personalized label to contacts and conversations. It is also possible to set up automatic outgoing messages (e.g., for when to expect a response).
In addition to these are all the features already well known for the consumer version of the classic WhatsApp application, including the Web version with the (already well known) ability to chat from the desktop to manage conversations and send files to customers.
Small but important clarification: as specified on the WhatsApp Business page, you are allowed to transfer chat history from WhatsApp Messenger to WhatsApp Business, but not vice versa. So remember this when evaluating for the switch to Business. Also remember that you can run both applications on the same smartphone, but only if they are associated with two different phone numbers.
What to expect for the nearer future
Given the strong focus that WhatsApp Business has had over the past year, developers are working hard on its improvement. According to rumors, solutions are being sought to increasingly facilitate communication between business and customer. In particular, a number of specific solutions are being tested, such as certification of the company profile and the ability to directly carry out e-commerce transactions via message, which will ensure speed and security on the consumer side.
In terms of cost, nothing is yet known about how much the app will charge.
It is thought that it will be a completely free service for small businesses. Instead, for businesses that will want to ask for a mentor to manage the profile and exchange large amounts of messages, there will probably be an additional cost to be incurred.
In addition, it is thought that in the new version of WhatsApp Business, some sort of certifications of businesses will be included. These will be marked with a green-colored icon to assure the end user of the security of the communications made by avoiding spam and unwanted profiles.
Another interesting feature the company is working on is on the ability to search for company profiles using an internal search engine that will make it easier to add companies.
For now, let us enjoy the current version.