That one question WhatsApp takes seriously. WhatsApp Business, for businesses only. It was designed from the ground up to provide customers with a concierge-like service and will only be used by business owners. WhatsApp Business simply provides an app or platform for businesses to interact better with their customers by providing updates, support, and the option to run their business via mobile phone, on WhatsApp, instead of going elsewhere online. In short, the customer will use the standard WhatsApp app, while the business owner or manager will use the WhatsApp Business business Profiles
For general features, there are ‘Business Profiles’ that will help customers find more information like email or store address, website, and any additional business information. These are very detailed and help to establish your business type on WhatsApp. A guaranteed business will only add authenticity and will inform WhatsApp users that you are not a thief who wants to cheat customers online. WhatsApp takes validation as a priority, as I will explain in the ‘setup’ section.
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Messaging Tools
Messaging tools such as instant reply, greeting message, absence message are only available in Business
Messaging tools such as Quick Response, Greeting Message, Missing Message are only available on WhatsApp Business
Many messaging tools allow you, as a business, to set up ‘quick answers’ to ensure they can quickly send answers to frequently asked questions. You can also give your visible business a welcome desk by setting up greeting messages that introduce customers to your business. WhatsApp Business also allows ‘absence messages’ for use during office hours or when owners are busy.
Statistics
Messages also specify data. Data that can be used to better understand your customers and provide better services, growing your business over time. To date, WhatsApp Business provides messaging statistics, a feature that gives business owners simple metrics about the number of messages sent, delivered, and read so they can adjust the content of instant responses or their customer communication strategy. A small, but really useful feature.
WhatsApp Web
WhatsApp Business also supports WhatsApp Web, where you can manage the service online, without the mobile app. The feature is still not as clear as the mobile app, but we expect it to bring more in the future as more large organizations join the group.
These are excellent points that make WhatsApp Business different from the standard operating system. As you can see from the drop-off point, it is built from the ground up for businesses or individuals using their setups, to meet the needs of clients. It is also the reason why an app exists because it offers so much more than what a normal app can offer to those currently doing business in a normal app.
There are a few requirements to start WhatsApp Business due to the way WhatsApp as a service is designed.
You will need a smartphone running Android (iOS owners will have to wait a while), a subscription number for the service. This will be your official, business number and will be used when communicating with customers. It is best if this is a completely different number, so you may want to take a new SIM. The reason for this is the WhatsApp verification process.
WhatsApp only allows one mobile phone number to be connected to a single WhatsApp account. If your current number is already used by WhatsApp, you cannot use it for a WhatsApp Business account.
What happens if you have one SIM card and one smartphone? Alternatively, you will need to move your current WhatsApp account details into your WhatsApp Business profile. Note, I said “delete” and not copy. Yes, even if you have both apps installed on your one SIM phone, you will still be able to use one or the other.
You cannot use your registered WhatsApp number in WhatsApp Business.
You cannot use your existing registered WhatsApp number in WhatsApp Business.
How can I do WhatsApp Business?
- If you already have a business number used primarily on WhatsApp, you will first need to back up your chat data to cloud storage.
- To make this headline in Conversations> Cache> and hit the ‘Backup’ button. Make sure cloud upload is complete.
- Next, download the app from the Google Play Store, install it, and launch it by tapping the new WhatsApp Business icon on the home screen of your smartphone.
- Once you have opened the app, you will first need to verify your business phone number. This will be the same number you will use as a business to communicate with your customers.
- Once your number has been verified, you can choose to restore the previous conversation associated with the mobile number. This will be the one who made the backup copy in step 1.
- Set your business name and once in the chat area, press the menu button and go to Settings> Business settings> Profile. Out here you will find various fields such as contact cards and you can fill in all the details you want to share with your customers.
The settings section on WhatsApp Business looks very different
Once you’ve done the above, the basic setup is complete. You can now start communicating with people from your contacts list and use messaging tools to stay in touch with them.
As you may have noticed by now, WhatsApp Business does not currently support business search on WhatsApp. The business owner will need to have your contact number and add you to your WhatsApp contacts to start interacting or add you to a group. Sounds complicated at the moment, but with the messaging features available, WhatsApp Business has a lot of potentials to turn into something great and the addition of WhatsApp Payments should serve as a catalyst.
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