WhatsApp aims to attract more businesses with new cloud API and premium features

Meta is continuing its push to attract more businesses to its messaging app WhatsApp by introducing cloud-based API services along with announcing new paid features for the business-focused WhatsApp Business app.

"The best business experiences meet people where they are ... Today, I am excited to announce that we're opening WhatsApp to any business of any size around the world with WhatsApp Cloud API," Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said during his keynote at the company's Conversations event on May 19.

"In just a few minutes, any business or developer can easily access our service, build directly on top of WhatsApp to customise their experience and speed up their response time to customers by using our secure WhatsApp Cloud API hosted by Meta," he said.

He noted that this is an important step to help more businesses connect with people and help "more people message the businesses that they want to support – big and small."

Zuckerberg mentioned that more than a billion users connect with a business account across its messaging services on a weekly basis. This includes finding products and services, reaching out for help or buying anything from big ticket items to everyday goods.

WhatsApp's business API was the messaging app's first revenue generating enterprise product that was introduced in 2018 and allows medium and large businesses to communicate with their customers at scale. The company charges businesses per conversation with rates varying by region.

In November 2021, WhatsApp had started beta testing a cloud-based version of its business API, now called WhatsApp Cloud API, which is hosted on parent Meta's infrastructure and is targeted at small businesses.

Apart from a fast set-up, Meta said WhatsApp Cloud API will help its partners eliminate costly server expenses and give them instant access to new features. However, it noted that people are in control of the businesses they chat with and businesses cannot message people unless they have requested to be contacted.

New premium features

WhatsApp said that it is also working on advanced optional features for its WhatsApp Business app that will be offered to businesses as part of a new premium service.

Features in the works include the ability to manage chats across up to 10 devices to better manage the influx of chats and new customisable WhatsApp click-to-chat links that may help businesses attract customers across their digital presence. The company, however, said it will share further details including the pricing at a future date.

Launched in 2018, WhatsApp Business app is aimed at small business owners who intend to have an official presence on the app and personally manage conversations with their customers. It offers a set of business messaging tools like automated quick replies, greeting messages, and away messages.

In recent years, the app also gained several shopping features, making it easier for customers to browse through the company's products and services in a mobile storefront with features as catalogue, catalogue links, and collections, and submit orders in the app through cart feature among others.