WhatsApp to Finally Make Money With New Tools in Business App

WhatsApp announced that it is expanding support for businesses that need powerful tools to communicate with people.

Some businesses already use WhatsApp to address customer enquiries.

(Photo: iStock)

WhatsApp, in a statement late Wednesday, said that it is building new tools to help people communicate with businesses and vice versa. In the statement, the company said that since the launch of WhatsApp business, people are finding it easier to chat with companies rather than call or mail them.

WhatsApp Business is an Android app that allows businesses to interact with customers easily by using tools to automate, sort and quickly respond to messages.

WhatsApp announced that it is expanding support for businesses that need more powerful tools to communicate with customers.

Here's how it works:

• When you need information for a certain service, you can give your number on the company website for them to get back to you on WhatsApp.
• A ‘click to chat’ button will be added to certain websites or Facebook ads for customers to quickly message a company.
• Businesses will be able to provide real time support on WhatsApp to resolve service-related issues.

WhatsApp claims that with this approach, people will have full control over the messages they receive. The messages will be encrypted and companies will have to pay WhatsApp to send certain messages. This, it claims, helps keep the chats clean.

WhatsApp also said that it will bring more businesses on the application over a period of time.

This development comes at a time when the Facebook-owned messaging app is seeing sluggish user and revenue growth.