Black Friday Sale! 50% Off All Access

How Whatsapp Become The Big Success In The Industry? Constant crashes and glitches dated back in WhatsApp have attributed to its success rate.

By BusinessEx Staff

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

Twin Design / Shutterstock.com

This week, Facebook-held messaging app, WhatsApp revealed that the application has crossed 5 million users-marker. Within a year's launch of "WhatsApp Business" app, small, as well as medium entrepreneurs, are making use of it to connect with customers and thrive in the market.

In Days Of Yore

The messenger application was founded by two former Yahoo employees in 2009. Initiating a standard messaging app to adding VoIP feature and photo-sharing attribute, WhatsApp has been meticulously changed to what it is today. The increasing popularity of WhatsApp grabbed the attention of Facebook's founder and later, the application got officially acquired by Facebook in February 2014. As time goes by, the messaging app who now owned by Facebook got immensely popular and gained a user-base of 1 billion as reported by Forbes.

Recognition Amid The Users

The popular messaging application plunged numerous hurdles to become the most-preferred and secure messaging app. There was a time when Jan Koum, one of the founders, decided to give up the project owing to the recurring glitches in the mobile application. Mainly, the first few versions of the app were dysfunctional in many ways which, in turn, grew dejection in the then-founder. Nonetheless, the founder kept working on it and soon gained 250 million users, followed by highest 1 billion users in 2016.

Timely addition of new attributes helped popularize the messaging app. Earlier on, new updates in the series incorporated launching iOS and Blackberry versions only whilst later, newly introduced versions augmented user's experience and thus, expanded its reach by addition of OTT services, status feature, group audio and video call feature, and lastly, WhatsApp Business launch.

Adversaries In The Industry

Texting and communication go hand-in-hand and thus, a fusion of both segments has enlivened the masses across the world. Following the emergence of WhatsApp, a series of other messaging apps were introduced envisioning the same success that the former achieved. Currently, there are abundant texting applications other than WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business that users employ in their day-to-day lives viz. WeChat, Viber, Line, Telegram, Hike and Facebook Messenger.

For survival in the nascent competitive industry, the present acquirer of WhatsApp, Facebook scrutinizes the market and keeps adding on new features so as to keep the messaging application on number first position.

Revolving Around The Texting Segment

After ruling in the texting segment, WhatsApp plunders into other industries. In 2018, the messaging app was planning to invade in the Indian digital payment domain but RBI regulations and Facebook-Cambridge Analytica episode delayed the plan. However, WhatsApp Business proposal got easily actualized and has grown popularized among small and medium-sized entrepreneurs.

The Indian-based entrepreneurs reckon that the messaging-cum-business application has accelerated their business and outgrown their enterprises in the respective communities. Witnessing the success, the WhatsApp celebrates the achievement and envisions to serve the users better.

Marketing

4 Neuromarketing Hacks to Reach More People and Maximize Results

You don't need to be a neuroscientist or have a big budget to start upping your conversions immediately.

News and Trends

Tech Burner's Anarc Smartwatch Achieves INR 3 Cr Sales with USD 1 Mn Investment

Anarc features a patented octagonal design by Thought Over Design and Seymourpowell, with a medical-grade stainless steel body. It includes advanced technology like a Hisilicon chipset, AMOLED display, and seven-day battery life.

Science & Technology

I've Spent 20 Years Studying Focus. Here's How I Use AI to Multiply My Time and Save 21 Weeks of Work a Year

AI is supposed to save time, but 77% of employees say it often costs more time due to all the editing it requires. Instead of helping, it can become a distraction. But don't worry — there's a better way.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Business News

The Two Richest People in the World Are Fighting on Social Media Again

Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk had a new, contentious exchange on X.