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Numbers speak louder than words. So let's start off with some numbers.
- 1 in 3 consumers prefers to contact customer service via WhatsApp.
- 79% of consumers consider purchasing a product from a company as a result of a marketing message received via WhatsApp.
- WhatsApp notifications of a sale, one-time discount or alert that an item they wanted is back in stock, are most likely to lure consumers in and make the purchase.
But if you're already using email, phone, Facebook, Instagram, or other channels, adding yet another communication channel to the mix can be challenging.
That's why you need an omnichannel WhatsApp integration.
In this article, we will discuss the many benefits of incorporating an omnichannel solution for your business and how to do it.
Excited? Let’s dive right in.
3 benefits of using an omnichannel WhatsApp integration
The one buzzword that has dominated the e-commerce world for several years now is ‘omnichannel’. What is it and why is it important to adopt an omnichannel WhatsApp strategy for your business?
An omnichannel WhatsApp strategy is one where you connect your WhatsApp Business channel to an omnichannel solution. An omnichannel solution allows you to manage all your communication channels in one product.
As Erin Halka, Senior Director of Blue Yonder, says, “Shoppers are loyal to retailers that provide their ideal experience.”
And to retain customers, “retailers must continue advancing their omnichannel capabilities and offer a full-service experience so they can stay ahead of the competition,” adds Halka.
Businesses that use an omnichannel solution and offer an immersive experience to experience have an edge over their rivals.
It also allows them to,
Collaborate efficiently
WhatsApp is an essential communication channel for modern-day businesses. After all, over 2 billion people use WhatsApp regularly.
But when you use the regular WhatsApp Business app with a large team, things can get messy really fast. You miss out on customer queries, messages are often replied to late, orders are not being delivered timely, and problems are not being solved efficiently, and all of this can cost your business up to $500,000 of annual revenue.
In short, a mess.
By having all your channels –from WhatsApp and Facebook to email and Instagram– in one view, your team never misses a message and there is never confusion about who picks up each message. You can also tag each other within message threads to discuss a specific customer question.
In short, your team can collaborate more efficiently when all channels are integrated together and available on one screen.
Automate workflows
Want a 14.5% increase in your sales?
Then you need to automate your workflows. Companies using automation to nurture prospects also see a 451% increase in qualified leads.
Integrating WhatsApp with your other communication channels allows you to automate workflows. The more automated your workflows, the more efficiently and effectively you can serve your customers. This in turn improves customer retention, increases qualified leads, and boosts sales.
When you use the WhatsApp Business API via a WhatsApp Business Solution Provider like Trengo, there are several different ways you can automate your workflows:
- Set up rules to automatically assign messages to colleagues, label conversations, etc.
- Build chatbots. Research shows that chatbots are predicted to save businesses 2.5 billion hours by 2023.
- Set up quick replies that you can use for all your channels, including WhatsApp.
This helps you to respond to customer queries timely, ensure essential messages don’t get lost in the chaos, and the right messages are being delegated to the right customer service agents (especially when you’re dealing with a global customer base).
Get complete insights from all your channels
When your communication channels are scattered and not connected to an omnichannel solution, it is really difficult to keep an overview of your team’s performance and customer happiness.
With an omnichannel solution, you can track the following:
- Which channels are the busiest? And where are you getting the most sales from?
- Which agent is overburdened? Do you need to hire extra manpower? Do you need to do a better job at delegating tasks?
- What is the average response time? Can it be improved? Is it too slow and costing you customers?
- How fast are your team resolving issues?
- How satisfied are your customers?
The more comprehensive your insights, the more efficiently you can serve your customers and manage your team.
How Ferryscanner used an omnichannel solution to boost customer service efficiency
During one of their busiest seasons, Ferryscanner received 1600 messages every single day across 5 different communication channels.
The only way they sailed through it successfully was by integrating WhatsApp Business with other channels like Facebook Messenger, email, live chat, and Google's Business Messages in one omnichannel platform: Trengo.
After connecting their channels on Trengo, Ferryscanner incorporated Trengo’s FlowBot and Quick Replies feature to promptly reply to all customers' queries.
The result?
Closing all customer queries before the day was up. This in turn increased customer satisfaction and boosted sales.
How can you set up an omnichannel WhatsApp solution?
Mark Zuckerberg's vision for WhatsApp is simple.
“The ultimate goal here is to make it so you can find, message, and buy from a business all in the same WhatsApp chat,” says Zuckerberg.
WhatsApp’s popularity is at an all-time high - and Zuckerberg plans to make WhatsApp bigger and better in the coming days. This means that your omnichannel solution cannot exist without WhatsApp.
Setting up an omnichannel WhatsApp solution with Trengo is easy.
- Start a 14-day free trial at Trengo.
- Go to settings → WhatsApp Business.
- Click “Connect your number”.
- An overview with information now pops up. Read everything carefully.
- Click ‘Get started’.
- Confirm that you have a Facebook Business account. Don’t have a Facebook Business account? Create one first.
- Now, you’ll get to see an overview that gives you information on your phone number. Read this carefully.
- Confirm that you have a number that meets the requirements. If you don’t contact Trengo’s customer service via support@trengo.com.
- Connect your Facebook account and create a WhatsApp Business account. Make sure you have the following information ready:
- The name of your company
- The address of your business
- Click ‘Continue with Facebook’ to log in.
- The name of your account and your phone number are automatically filled in. Check if this information is correct before you continue.
- Everything correct? Click ‘Next’ to continue.
Woohoo! 🎉 You have successfully activated your number on the WhatsApp Business API.
- Go to https://business.facebook.com/ and log in with your Facebook account.
- Navigate to ‘Security centre’ and click ‘Start Verification’. If you don’t see this button, your account may have already been verified.
Make sure to connect all your channels in the same way on Trengo so they’re all available in one view.
