When one thinks of WhatsApp, one doesn’t usually think beyond chatting with friends, forwards and office workgroups. But the function of the app is certainly much more than that.
Thanks to its ease of use and simplified features, WhatsApp is now increasingly being used by businesses in India and other countries for customer engagement. WhatsApp Business API for India is the most advanced solution that empowers businesses to talk to their customers.
What is WhatsApp Business API?
WhatsApp Business API is no rocket science, once you get to know of it. It is basically an advanced version of WhatsApp as you know it, designed to support growing businesses.
How? By helping businesses communicate with customers at scale. Truth be told, everyday interactions with customers have never been easier. With the help of WhatsApp Business API, a number of businesses in India have got an edge over the competition. As for customers, what can be better than being able to interact in real-time, and get timely, personalised updates from their preferred brands right on their phones?
The WhatsApp Business platform connects customers and businesses and at the same time, helps businesses stay more reliable by providing instant support.
Benefits of WhatsApp Business API
Businesses in India that choose WhatsApp Business API most certainly stand to gain from it in many ways. The first and most apparent benefit is reach and engagement. With over 2 billion customers across the globe in WhatsApp’s customer base, you needn’t think twice about its reach potential. As for engagement, the conversion rates are renowned to be the best there is.
But the advantages don’t stop there.
There are several other reasons why WhatsApp Business API is second to none. Check out this list to have a clear understanding.
1. Trust factor
Trust is indeed priceless. Your customers already trust WhatsApp and they are already on it. This means you need not convince them to download an app or get used to a new platform. WhatsApp is integral to their lives and they may be using it to stay in touch with their dear ones. When you reach out to them through WhatsApp, they are going to be super comfortable with it.
2. Unmatched security
WhatsApp Business API is extremely secure and is designed to protect businesses as well as users. The messages are encrypted from end to end. WhatsApp policies ensure that message templates are approved before sending, moreover, there’s absolutely no duplication of numbers or accounts. With the backing of tonnes and tonnes of research every year, it is only going to get better and safer.
3. Relevant targeting
Wrong targeting can go terribly wrong. There is no use trying to talk about dirt bikes to a ballerina or barbells to a septuagenarian. This is precisely why an opt-in is mandatory for any message sent through WhatsApp. This simply means only relevant messages are sent to the users, thus drastically reducing spam reports and irritated customers.
4. Immediacy
No one can resist a WhatsApp message, no matter how busy they are. This is just the way of the world today. Every notification demands instant attention. This is the very phenomenon that is leveraged when you reach out to customers through WhatsApp Business API. You are always at arm’s distance from your customer and literally so. When you are on WhatsApp you are indeed part of their lives.
5. Rich media
We all know it isn’t always easy to make a simple push notification sound much better than an ordinary text message. Sometimes they tend to get ignored and you may want to include an image or video in your message to really get your point across to the audience, to induce a conversation. A rich message such as this can be sent through WhatsApp Business accounts.
6. Delightful customer service
WhatsApp is the most popular app for conversations. Conversing with your customers through WhatsApp is without a doubt preferred over emails and other mediums. The tick feature tells you if your customer has read or received the message. This makes it extremely easy to track. The app really uncomplicates two-way conversations.
WhatsApp Business API Costs
WhatsApp Business API is a superior solution and it comes for a price, an affordable one.
Firstly, if you want access to the API you will have to work with a ‘WhatsApp Business Solution Provider’. You can find a WhatsApp API provider in India by simply doing a quick search online. There are several providers who offer reasonable WhatsApp Business API pricing in India. So it is up to you to decide whom to associate with.
Here are some common costs you should be aware of while choosing a WhatsApp Business API provider in India:
1. Monthly costs
There can be a considerable variation in the cost, depending on the provider. So it is advisable to do your homework and compare between providers and their costs.
2. Set up costs
Over and above monthly costs, some providers charge a fee for implementation. This is a one-time fee and is charged once per number.
3. Costs per message
Customers don’t have to pay to send messages. This is the same for WhatsApp Business API just as it is for WhatsApp messaging. However, businesses may or may not have free-of-cost messaging and it depends on WhatsApp’s 24-hour service window.
According to WhatsApp’s policy, if you can respond to your customer within the window period, you won’t be charged a fee for it. If for some reason you are unable to respond to a customer within the 24-hour window, you can only do so using WhatsApp template messages which have to be pre-approved by WhatsApp. WhatsApp will charge you a small fee depending on your country code. In India, it is around 29 paise per message.
Before going into the breakdown, check out our overall guide to WhatsApp Business API pricing for other regions like Singapore, Indonesia and UAE.
Breakdown: WhatsApp API Pricing in India
There are broadly 2 kinds of WhatsApp Business API conversations and they are priced differently. That said, WhatsApp API pricing in India can also vary from one solutions provider to the other.
1. User-initiated
These are conversations that are initiated as responses to user messages. As mentioned before, this kind of response adheres to the 24-hour customer service window and is therefore free of cost.
The cost of a user-initiated conversation for India is ₹0.2906.
2. Business-initiated
Sometimes businesses initiate a conversation that is outside the 24-hour customer service window. This kind of message requires something known as a message template. A bunch of standard messages that are previously configured and sent to the relevant customer after it is approved by WhatsApp.
The cost of a business-initiated conversation for India is ₹ 0.4843.
To summarize:
Conversation-based pricing model
Starting February 1st, 2022, WhatsApp plans to switch from a notification-based pricing model to a conversation-based pricing model where businesses will be charged per conversation which includes all messages delivered in a 24-hour session as well.
The 24-hour clock starts ticking when the first business message is delivered, as a reply to a message by a customer.
Now businesses and users can exchange any number of messages, including template messages, in a 24-hour conversation session without being charged anything extra. This means, for each 24-hour conversation session you will be charged just once for the entire session. Users will be charged for conversations based on their country code.
Get WhatsApp API in India with DelightChat!
Get started with WhatsApp Business API on DelightChat to engage with your customers in a whole new way. Here’s what you get by signing up:
- WhatsApp API access for your business
- Shared Inbox for providing Customer Support via WhatsApp
- WhatsApp Marketing features such as sending bulk WhatsApp messages using Official API, abandoned cart recovery, delivery notifications and more
- Free Green Tick application to Meta
From giving you easy access to conversational commerce, enabling you to recover abandoned carts with automated notifications, to helping you offer exceptional customer support — DelightChat lets you up your customer engagement game via WhatsApp.
Not only that our Shared Inbox also connects with Instagram, Facebook, Email & Live Chat to become your one dashboard for managing all customer queries.
Offer your customers delightful experiences with DelightChat's top-notch features. Sign up today!
