WhatsApp is an instant messaging platform that is used by almost 1 billion people in over 180 countries. People use it to stay in touch with their loved ones through messages, calls, and sending pictures and videos. It is free and is user friendly along with being reliable to use. The idea of WhatsApp was to introduce an alternative to SMS which was first introduced for smart phone users in 2009, developed in California. The app was developed for both android and WhatsApp users and competed with BlackBerry Messenger at that time and became the leader in no time.
There are certain factors that are involved in the success of WhatsApp and make it stand out in the kind of competition that is present these days. One of the competitive edges of WhatsApp is it being a pioneer in its industry. Many other apps were introduced after WhatsApp following the same model but WhatsApp had the first mover advantage. It was introduced around 2009 when no other similar and popular enough app existed in the market.
Moreover, WhatsApp brought convenience with it being available for all smart phone users. It is easy to download, free, convenient and secure. Even people with a very basic smart phone are able to use WhatsApp. It is available and works all around the world. All this convenience that it provided became its competitive advantage. Adding more features to the app resulted in even more convenience for users as the users today use WhatsApp for all their communication needs. Not only they can use it to stay in touch but also use it for business purposes and sharing of more than just messages.
Today, after WhatsApp has just been in the market for nine years, it has already established a very strong customer base and that too loyal customer base. This customer base is also WhatsApp’s competitive advantage, where similar Apps like Viber which was introduced following WhatsApp’s model were not able to gain. With WhatsApp being successful around the world, it is now one of the most known brands around the world and the world’s biggest mobile messaging service. The brand name that WhatsApp has gained and maintained over the years now counts as its competitive advantage as well.
Another competitive advantage that WhatsApp enjoys is the fact that it is add free. In the age of technology and apps where users are always avoiding ads and sometimes get too annoyed by the ads that they give up on the app, WhatsApp has maintained its position of being ad free for all its users. Not only is the app free, it does not bring in any barrier or break in using the app by bringing in the ads. Users appreciate this feature and when compared with other similar apps, they always choose WhatsApp being ad-free for all its users.
WhatsApp has developed its brand name in a very short period of time because it was able to revolutionize messaging for smart phone users and in a competitive industry of technology, that is the foremost ingredient in the formula of success.
References
About WhatsApp. Retrieved February 5, 2018, from https://www.whatsapp.com/about/
Jan Koum. Retrieved February 5, 2018, from https://www.forbes.com/profile/jan-koum/
Martin, J. A. (2014, February 20). How WhatsApp is Different Than Other Messaging Apps. Retrieved February 5, 2018, from https://www.cio.com/article/2370112/mobile-apps/how-whatsapp-is-different-than-other-messaging-apps.html