Want to know how to use WhatsApp business with multiple users? Or can WhatsApp business be used on multiple devices? We have all the answers for you. In this article, we’ll solve the WhatsApp Business Multiple Users problem by explaining how to set up and use multi agent WhatsApp for sales, support and marketing on respond.io.
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WhatsApp Business Multiple Users: Different Business Sizes
Using WhatsApp Business with multiple users or on multiple devices depends on which WhatsApp product you’re using - WhatsApp Business App or WhatsApp Business API. Each platform has its own method of adding additional users and devices.
You must have noticed that we haven't mentioned the WhatsApp app. While it is now possible to link up to four devices under one phone number, it is not a suitable choice for business messaging.
Although WhatsApp App and WhatsApp Business App allow creating broadcast lists of up to 256 contacts and labeling them for easier management, the WhatsApp Business App offers several advantages over the regular WhatsApp App, which we’ll discuss next.
WhatsApp Business App
WhatsApp designed WhatsApp Business App's features and capabilities with small businesses in mind. For example, it includes various business tools like greeting and away messages, WhatsApp Catalog, WhatsApp Pay and quick replies.
The setup process is straightforward and businesses can use the app for free. The WhatsApp Business App allows you to use WhatsApp Business for multiple users.
Previously, you were only able to use WhatsApp Business App simultaneously on a pair of devices, comprising one smartphone and one PC. However, after the recent update in 2022, you can use WhatsApp Business App on up to five devices, including four linked devices and one phone at a time for each number.
Linking multiple devices to your WhatsApp Business App account allows more of your agents to respond to customer messages from anywhere. This can be especially helpful when you're running an ad campaign or promotion.
In 2022, WhatsApp also released a paid plan named WhatsApp Business Premium, which enables you to connect up to 10 devices and assign chats to specific agents. However, this plan is only for Android users and is available in certain countries.
Having 5 to 10 devices connected to one WhatsApp number is sufficient for sole proprietors and small businesses only if your team size stays the same. As your business grows, you’ll need a more sophisticated platform to handle more Agents, Contacts and messages. This is where WhatsApp API comes in.
WhatsApp API
For larger businesses with teams of agents, it’s important to handle a high volume of messages fast. They’ll also need to reply to all Contacts promptly with tools like advanced automation and track their team workload and organization performance.
However, these additional features are only available to WhatsApp API accounts when connected to a customer conversation management software like respond.io.
WhatsApp Business App or WhatsApp API?
To help you visualize better, we've created a flow chart as a guide. This will give you a better idea of which WhatsApp product is suitable for micro-small businesses and SMEs and large businesses.
Next, we'll take a look at each product's features plus the associated pros and cons in detail.
WhatsApp Business Multiple Users: Micro-Small Businesses
So you're a micro-small business owner considering WhatsApp Business App. Read on to find out how to use WhatsApp Business with multiple agents on the app.
How to Use WhatsApp Business with Multiple Users via the App
Any business can use the WhatsApp Business App with multiple devices or users. To link a device, follow the steps below.
- Go to your WhatsApp Business App.
- Tap the More Options icon with 3 vertical dots.
- Click Linked Devices.
- Click LINK A DEVICE.
- Scan the QR code.
You can get the QR code on WhatsApp Business Web or WhatsApp Business Desktop App on your companion devices. The steps above work on Android devices. For iPhone users, simply go to WhatsApp Settings in Step 2 and follow the rest of the instructions above.
Before you start, make sure you have the latest version of WhatsApp on your phone. Upon linking, your team can then access WhatsApp Business on your additional devices without the need to keep your phone connected.
Multi Agent WhatsApp: A Temporary Solution Using the App
Using WhatsApp Business App with multiple devices is convenient for small businesses but this is only a temporary solution or feasible when your business is starting. As your business expands, you’ll soon encounter problems with using linked devices such as:
- Not knowing who sent or replied to a message
- Can’t track Agent workload or performance
- Can’t ensure all Contacts have been answered
Because of these reasons, using the app is only something you should do as a temporary solution before moving to WhatsApp API.
WhatsApp Business Multiple Users: SMEs & Large Businesses
Larger businesses with more sophisticated needs require a platform with more advanced features to solve the WhatsApp Business multiple users problem. For that, we need to use WhatsApp API connected to a messaging software.
To start, we'll explain what is WhatsApp API, how to get started with an official WhatsApp partner and why it's better to use WhatsApp Business on multiple devices with respond.io.
WhatsApp Business on Multiple Devices: WhatsApp API Overview
WhatsApp API is designed for SMEs and large businesses that are looking to scale and manage their teams, messages and customers more effectively.
As WhatsApp API simply transmits information to and from WhatsApp's network, it doesn’t have an app or front-end interface. You'll need to connect the API to a customer conversation management software like respond.io to send and receive messages.
Before we move on, here are some basic things you need to know about WhatsApp API.
- It has a 24-hour customer service window
- It's not free
- You need to apply for an API account
We'll explain each point in detail in the following sections.
WhatsApp Business on Multiple Devices: WhatsApp API Messaging Window
WhatsApp API has a 24-hour customer service window. Every time a contact sends an inbound message, a 24-hour timer starts or restarts. Within the messaging window, businesses can reply to customers freely.
After 24 hours, only message templates can be used to reopen the messaging window. They come with customizable placeholders and headers, and can be added with Call To Action or Quick Reply buttons. You can use these templates for marketing, utility and authentication conversations.
WhatsApp Business on Multiple Devices: WhatsApp API Pricing
WhatsApp API Pricing varies depending on the WhatsApp Business Solution Provider (BSP) you choose. They typically add a markup fee to WhatsApp conversation charges and charge a monthly WhatsApp API access fee on top of what WhatsApp charges them.
Thankfully, this is not the case if you get WhatsApp Business API from respond.io. Unlike other BSPs, respond.io provides free WhatsApp API access and does not impose any markup fees, making it a cost-effective solution for businesses of all sizes.
Because Respond.io is both a WhatsApp BSP and a customer conversation management software, businesses can connect WhatsApp to an omnichannel inbox, use WhatsApp with teams of users and fully manage their WhatsApp Business Accounts.
It supports all of WhatsApp’s unique features like broadcasts and interactive messages while offering advanced automation to streamline business processes. We’ll explore more of its capabilities later.
Additionally, because respond.io is using WhatsApp Cloud API businesses can get faster WhatsApp API updates compared to other WhatsApp Partners. Next, we’ll show you how easy it is to get WhatsApp API access with respond.io.
WhatsApp Business on Multiple Devices: How to Get a WhatsApp API Account
Signing up for WhatsApp API with respond.io is quick and easy. The entire process is seamless and takes only a few minutes -- from linking your Facebook Business Account to adding a phone number. Get started with the WhatsApp API sign-up process now!
Because respond.io is also a customer conversation management software, you can start messaging customers right after creating your WhatsApp API account. Let’s explore how you can start using respond.io to message customers on WhatsApp.
WhatsApp Business Multiple Users: Supported Use Cases with Respond.io
Next, we'll show how you can use WhatsApp Business with multiple users on respond.io for different use cases like sales, customer service, marketing with WhatsApp click to chat ads, re-marketing with WhatsApp Broadcast and creating WhatsApp auto replies.
WhatsApp Business Multiple Users: WhatsApp Sales & Customer Support
With our customizable workflows, you can use WhatsApp API for Sales and Support with multiple agents. Anytime there’s an inbound message, it’ll route your customers to the right team based on the customers’ profile, conversation purpose & customer life cycle.
Once the workflows for inbound messages are set up, you can prioritize important customers first and ensure no customers are left unattended by assigning them to the most relevant and/or readily available Agent on your team.
WhatsApp Click to Chat Ads
Do you run WhatsApp click to chat ads and struggle with qualifying leads and handling a large volume of inbound messages? With respond.io, you can qualify leads faster through automated surveys and increase lead conversion by replying to them promptly with our dedicated multi-user response platform.
While you get a 72-hour messaging window instead of a 24-hour messaging window when leads message you from WhatsApp ads, it's still essential to have a plan for restarting conversations after the window has closed.
One way to reconnect with leads en masse is to use message templates for WhatsApp bulk messages. This enables you to send pre-approved messages to your leads even after the 72-hour window has elapsed.
WhatsApp Business Multiple Users: WhatsApp Broadcast
Broadcasting is as simple as selecting the Contacts who have opted-in to hear from you, creating your message's content with media attachments and adding a Call-to-Action or Quick Reply Button. Once you're done, simply send or schedule a broadcast in advance.
Once the leads start replying, you'll receive a high volume of messages. But remember, you can now manage your messages more effectively and have teams of agents replying to them at the same time on different devices.
WhatsApp Business Multiple Users: WhatsApp Auto Reply
Through respond.io’s Workflows, you can easily set up WhatsApp auto replies. You may send a WhatsApp greeting message to make a strong first impression on new customers, or send an away message when your team couldn’t respond to inquiries immediately.
Improve Team Performance with respond.io
While we have solved the WhatsApp Business Multiple Users problem, businesses still need to understand their customers better and ensure everyone in their Team is performing.
With our Reports Module, you'll know exactly which Agent was assigned to a Contact, how many Contacts an Agent is currently handling and if they're efficient at closing Conversations based on their response and resolution time.
Plus, Respond.io has specially designed tools to facilitate collaboration among Agents. Handy features like adding Comments and tagging another colleague in a Conversation allow Agents to collaborate, respond and resolve Conversations faster.
Also, our Contact Merge feature allows you to have a 360-degree view of your customers with our omnichannel inbox. This helps your Agents reply to customers more efficiently when all the Contact information is readily available from one centralized dashboard.
Last not but not least, stay connected to your customers even when you're on the go with the respond.io mobile app. No more missing a Conversation. Instead, get notified each time you receive a new message or whenever someone assigns you a new Contact.
Next, let’s go through some real-world examples of how businesses improve the multi-user functionality of WhatsApp using respond.io.
WhatsApp Business Multiple Users Inspiration: How respond.io Users Take Their Businesses to the Next Level
Respond.io has empowered businesses to handle a high volume of conversations effectively by expanding WhatsApp multiuser access. Below, we have put together a few success stories that will inspire you to use WhatsApp Business with multiple users.
How Lamarsa Coffee Improves Response Time
Lamarsa Coffee, a Malaysia-based coffee equipment retailer, was handling customer communication over WhatsApp Business App. However, WhatsApp Business App is limited to one phone and four other devices, which means only a few agents could answer conversations at one time.
As its business expanded, Lamarsa Coffee found it challenging to handle the high volume of conversations over WhatsApp. To solve the WhatsApp Business multiple users problem, Lamarse Coffee migrated to WhatsApp API and connected it to respond.io for greater multiuser access.
Through enhanced WhatsApp multi-user functionality and respond.io’s advanced Workflows, Lamarsa Coffee has successfully improved first response times by a whopping 38%!
How 800 Storage Handles a High Volume of Conversations
Dubai-based self-storage company, 800 Storage, had limited multiuser access to WhatsApp Business App. This results in slow response time, which in turn affects business growth. By upgrading to WhatsApp API and integrating it with respond.io, 800 Storage is now ready to handle a high volume of conversations through WhatsApp multi-team access.
Thanks to multiuser access for WhatsApp, agent performance has significantly improved across the board, with first response times reduced by 30% to 1 minute and 56 seconds!
You’ve made it to the end! Are you ready to use WhatsApp business with multiple users? Try respond.io and its WhatsApp Business API for free!
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Further Reading
If you enjoyed this article and you'd like to learn more about WhatsApp Business, please check out our articles on:
- The Ultimate Guide to WhatsApp Business API
- Everything You Need to Know About WhatsApp Cloud API
- WhatsApp API Pricing: The Ultimate Guide to WhatsApp Business API Pricing
