The government has been urged by the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) to establish a formal regulatory framework for over-the-top (OTT) communication platforms like Signal, Telegram, and WhatsApp. COAI claimed in a statement that these platforms are the “weakest link” in the nation’s communication security, providing message and voice services akin to those of telcos but functioning outside of the regulatory framework.
COAI emphasised the significance of controlling all communication channels to improve national security, citing a recent event in Pahalgam where satellite phone signals assisted in the capture of three terrorists.
OTT Apps Like WhatsApp & Signal Bypassing Compliance Norms
Since OTT players currently evade compliance obligations like lawful interception, subscriber verification, anti-spam protocols, and domestic infrastructure investment rules that telcos must follow, the industry body, which represents private telcos Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea, said the regulatory gap presents difficulties for law enforcement.
Unified License System Suggested for OTT Communication Players
The DoT’s security directives under this act require authorised interception capabilities, local infrastructure, and the retention of domestic traffic—all crucial components for safeguarding user privacy for satellite communication services while guaranteeing national security. COAI suggested creating a specific OTT authorisation under the Unified License framework in order to close the gap.
Telecom Act 2023: Regulatory Gap Leaves Telcos at a Disadvantage
A specific OTT authorisation under the Unified License, according to COAI Director General SP Kochhar, will guarantee fairness, improve security, balance innovation with the nation’s security requirements, and establish uniformity across platforms. In order to alleviate the existing regulatory disparity, it was also suggested that OTT regulations be brought into compliance with the Indian Telecommunications Act, 2023.
OTT platforms that operate via the internet are not constrained by the infrastructure and interception constraints that apply to traditional telecom services. The Telecommunications Act 2023’s final text does not specifically place OTT platforms under licensing, despite telecom players’ calls for a “same service, same rules” approach.
OTT providers and tech groups contend that the IT Act 2000 already regulates them and that further regulation will impede privacy rights and innovation.
TRAI vs COAI: Spectrum Pricing Dispute Over Satcom Market
There is also a dispute between TRAI and COAI on the suggested satellite spectrum. Many satcom companies, including Starlink, Amazon’s Project Kuiper, and Airtel’s Eutelsat, are preparing to enter the Indian market.
However, Indian telcos are concerned about their entry into the global satcom market, particularly with regard to regulatory recommendations on satellite spectrum. Telcos criticised TRAI’s spectrum pricing strategy as “unfairly low” and predicated on “flawed assumptions” after the agency had suggested that satellite spectrum be priced at 4% of adjusted gross revenue (AGR).
Additionally, the COAI requested a second review. However, TRAI allegedly denied COAI’s request to reconsider its suggestions for satcom spectrum, claiming that the consultation process was exhaustive and open.
The WhatsApp advertising that the Meta-owned messaging firm has formally unveiled won’t appear in users’ calls or chats, so don’t worry. Instead of showing up in users’ personal area, these advertisements will show up in the Updates tab.
The Updates page, where one may view WhatsApp Status posts, is where Meta is placing them. Therefore, no, consumers’ private discussions are not being interrupted by advertisements for shoes or shampoo. These sponsored posts, such as Instagram Stories with occasional promotions, will appear between friends’ status updates.
In an official blog post, WhatsApp stated that these new features will only be available on the Updates page, separate from your private conversations. This implies that a user’s experience remains unchanged if he or she solely uses WhatsApp to communicate with friends and family.
Move Focuses on Monetising the Most Popular Messaging Space
WhatsApp did not just adopt this notion without any prior planning. Since acquiring WhatsApp, Meta has considered monetising the app and introducing advertisements to make money.
Meta always had a distinct idea, even though WhatsApp’s initial creators opposed the messaging service’s use of advertisements. In 2020, they postponed their advertising goals, but they have since returned with a strategy that says it respects your privacy.
In 2023, WhatsApp CEO Will Cathcart stated that the business was still figuring out how to include advertisements in the app without interfering with messages. We now understand how. The Updates tab’s hidden Status function will display these sponsored posts.
Ads will not Hinder Users’ Privacy
According to Meta, there will be limited ad targeting. Users’ locality or region, the language their app uses, the channels they follow, and how they interact with ads in Meta apps are just a few of the variables that will affect the ads.
It is advised to wait a while, pay great attention to the update, and then make any decisions regarding the company’s privacy policy. The company underlines that it does not read users’ messages or listen in on their calls in order to protect users’ privacy.
In addition to advertisements, Meta is launching channel subscriptions and promoted channels on the platform. Users will now see promoted channels when they search for new ones to follow. For a monthly price, they can also subscribe to channels for “exclusive updates”.
Sandhya Devanathan, the vice president of Meta’s India division at the time, stated in February that WhatsApp’s corporate clients have up to now used Instagram to promote their brands.
According to Devanathan, who is currently VP of India and Southeast Asia at Meta, the company has enabled the Click To WhatsApp feature for companies that advertise on Instagram. This allows potential customers to connect with these companies on WhatsApp with just one click, completing their sales cycles.
After years of waiting, WhatsApp is finally releasing a dedicated iPad app. A dedicated iPad app has now been hinted at by the well-known instant messaging software.
In response to a user’s request for an iPad app, the official WhatsApp account on X (previously Twitter) recently used the “eyes” emoji, suggesting that users of Apple iPads would soon be able to utilise the eagerly anticipated iPad version for WhatsApp.
A native WhatsApp app for iPadOS has been in beta testing through Apple’s TestFlight program for almost two years. Those who have had access to the beta program describe a generally stable experience, despite the fact that it is now full and cannot accept more testers.
This prolonged testing period indicates that before a larger distribution, WhatsApp’s parent company, Meta, is carefully ensuring a stable and seamless user experience.
Features of the New App
It is anticipated that users will be able to view their WhatsApp discussions on their own while their iPhone is not online thanks to the upcoming iPad app.
This “companion mode” feature, which keeps calls and messages end-to-end encrypted across connected devices, replicates the experience now offered by WhatsApp on desktop and online. Compared to merely using the iPhone app or the web version, the interface is expected to be more user-friendly and aesthetically pleasing due to its optimisation for the iPad’s larger size.
The official date of the WhatsApp iPad app’s public release has not yet been disclosed. The wait for a native WhatsApp experience for the iPad, however, might not be long given the recent social media tease and the continued beta activity.
WhatsApp to Gain More Popularity in the US
Meta has been working to greatly enhance the WhatsApp messaging experience on all devices over the past few years. In 2023, it redesigned the Mac app with improved performance and new capabilities like video calling and group audio.
Higher-Quality voice and video calls, voice message transcription, multi-account support, and other helpful features were added to the messaging platform itself. Last year, WhatsApp’s iPhone app was also updated, giving it a more contemporary appearance and feel.
WhatsApp reached the milestone of 100 million monthly active users in the United States in July 2024. Quick updates, such as a specialised iPad software, will only hasten the platform’s expansion and uptake across the nation.
Why Now?
Although there has long been a drive for a tablet-friendly version of WhatsApp, Meta’s recent emphasis on multi-device compatibility set the stage.
WhatsApp’s multi-device beta was finally released in 2021, allowing users to use the service across numerous devices without requiring a phone connection.
This made it possible to build the technological framework for an independent iPad app.
Furthermore, the lack of WhatsApp—a crucial communication tool—became more apparent as Apple’s iPad, with its M-series CPUs and productivity features, increasingly presents itself as a laptop substitute.
WhatsApp is no longer only a tool for chatting. It is the most widely used messaging platform globally. Over 2 billion people use it regularly. And that number keeps rising.
WhatsApp is a powerful tool for communicating with and building connections with your consumers. It’s quite widespread, far faster than email, and simple to use. WhatsApp is now being used as one of the primary customer communication mediums by an increasing number of businesses, both online and offline.
But only a few businesses are fully utilizing WhatsApp’s potential for lead generation and acquisition, despite the fact that it is increasingly being incorporated into customer service channels. Here’s how to implement WhatsApp chat to boost your website’s overall conversion rates and generate more leads.
5 Benefits of Integrating WhatsApp Chat on Your Website
The advantages of integrating WhatsApp into your website and marketing plan rely on how well you implement the messaging service. The following are some typical benefits.
Easy to Connect With Customers
Since customers prefer engaging in a chat over speaking with a customer support representative, chat has a significant impact on sales. Customers can now chat with your brand more easily than ever when you incorporate WhatsApp into your website.
Communicate With Website Visitors
You won’t be able to get in touch with a website visitor who uses live chat after they leave the website. A visitor who contacts you over WhatsApp can be easily contacted again without having to wait on your website for a response.
Even if your clients aren’t online, you can still communicate with them. You may send them broadcasts with information on promotional coupons, new releases, and other important news after they add your number to their contact lists.
Provides Personalized Experience
WhatsApp is an app that we all use daily to communicate with our friends and family. You naturally develop a more close connection with your consumer by integrating your company into that setting.
Especially if you can respond quickly and informally. Incorporating WhatsApp on your website might increase your chances of connecting with users through one of their preferred mobile messaging services.
Increases Sales
To encourage more individuals to buy, WhatsApp can present helpful information about your offerings. Overall, WhatsApp chat enables greater conversion and quicker customer connection.
Automated Responses Provide Instant Replies
Customers that prefer to chat frequently don’t want to wait for a response. Their demands are well-served by automated answers. Customers can be guided through steps for making purchases, confirming reservations, checking the status of their purchases, and completing other frequent actions using automated answers with WhatsApp.
There are numerous ways to incorporate WhatsApp into your website, and we’ll examine 3 of them in this post so you can pick the simplest one to start with.
Chat Widget
An Example- The website Wati uses Whatsapp chat widget
Similar to other assistance options like Live Chat, which we frequently encounter online, a chat widget is the best way to include a WhatsApp button on your website. In addition to directing all traffic produced into the instant messaging channels of their choosing, this will enable website visitors to start a chat with only one click.
When it comes to customer trust, businesses that offer a WhatsApp chat button typically have the upper hand. The reasonable explanation for this is that customers can contact companies by simply clicking on the WhatsApp Button symbol on their website, which launches a WhatsApp dialogue window.
You must first choose the best chat widget provider of your choice, create your account, construct your own widget in a few steps, and then put it on your website using either WordPress or Google Tag Manager. The widget may be configured to appear on both desktop and mobile devices, or both.
The widget will then show up on the bottom edge of your website’s pages (you can choose to have it appear on the right or left of the screen), giving your website visitors the option to contact you by tapping on the WhatsApp button.
Click-to-Chat
An Example- The website Kommo has a click-to-chat feature on its website which then opens up another window
With WhatsApp’s click-to-chat functionality, users may click a URL to begin a conversation with a specific person or company. You can do this without saving any phone numbers on your phone. You can open a conversation by clicking the link and begin typing. Both WhatsApp Web and the smartphone app are compatible with this.
You could use this capability to attach phrases like “Chat with us!” to WhatsApp. Your phone number can also be typed out and linked. If you want to provide WhatsApp throughout your whole online customer service experience, it becomes a little more challenging to give a click-and-chat link on your contact page. Your website would seem cluttered if you have to share this link on every page.
You must update this URL, https://wa.me/[WhatsAppNumber], to create a click-to-chat link. The phone number you want to use should be entered in place of the “WhatsApp number.”
QR Code
An Example- the website CM uses Whatsapp QR code on its website
Presently, QR codes are more popular and widely used in the modern world. Customers may find it tedious to have to add a mobile number to their contacts list to begin a WhatsApp communication. This isn’t a practical method, especially if you intend to provide this channel as a business.
By adding your company’s phone number to a customer’s contact list, a QR code helps automate the procedure. To launch WhatsApp and enter your number, all your users need to do is scan their smartphone to the display. It’s simple and obvious, just what your clients want and needs.
You must first establish a click-to-chat link before creating a QR code. Through tools like QR Code Generator, this click-to-chat link can then be converted into a QR code.
How WhatsApp Web Chat can Help Your Business?
WhatsApp users worldwide
Here’s how WhatsApp chat on your website can help you capture leads and increase your overall conversion rates.
Personalized Customer Support
WhatsApp is a highly useful tool to implement into your system, and it also helps make customer service more personalized. You could have several customer service representatives that visitors can choose from when contacting you through your website by using the WhatsApp widget. Your customers will have better customer service thanks to this quick and efficient communication system, which will increase their likelihood of making purchases from you and regularly visiting the website.
Marketing and Sales
You can add a conversational aspect to the online presence by including a WhatsApp chat on your website. In a friendly and casual setting, it helps your staff to gather leads, recommend items, and even complete transactions.
By removing the requirement for manual data collecting, WhatsApp webchat enables you to get more leads. You will instantly receive the names and phone numbers of leads who start a WhatsApp web chat. The customer can still continue the chat on WhatsApp after leaving the website. This is a significant advantage of WhatsApp over standard live chat.
To interact with current and potential customers, you can still prefer email and the phone. WhatsApp, however, brings a lot of exciting opportunities. It helps you to transform what is typically a one-way conversation into one that’s simultaneous and entirely at the convenience of the customers, encouraging customer engagement and loyalty.
When using WhatsApp for sales, marketing, and customer support, real-time data sharing and processing is possible. To increase your lead generation and sales closing rates, you can utilize WhatsApp differently. However, the magic lies in how effortless it is for you to introduce your marketing message into the routines of potential leads with WhatsApp.
FAQs
When was WhatsApp launched?
WhatsApp was launched in January 2009.
Who is the current CEO of WhatsApp?
Will Cathcart is the CEO of WhatsApp since 2019.
How many users use WhatsApp daily?
Over 2 billion people use WhatsApp regularly worldwide.
