Whatsapp Business: What is it for, how it works and who it is for

WhatsApp is undoubtedly the most used app in the world to exchange messages between users and user groups, presenting itself as a large pool of future customers for companies in step with the times, who can use the app to advertise. present exclusive discounts, place orders and provide assistance. Precisely for this great potential Facebook, the company that controls WhatsApp, provides for all owners of companies, shops and VAT numbers in general (therefore also doctors, architects, engineers etc.) makes available a special version of the app: WhatsApp Business.
In this guide we will show you what is WhatsApp Business, how it works and how to download it on our smartphone, so as to always stay in touch with all our customers.
Before continuing it is important to know that too this app is free, exactly like the counterpart intended for private users.

What is WhatsApp Business

WhatsApp Business works exactly like normal WhatsApp with the difference that the account provides all the information and communication tools of companies, organizations, shops and companies.

The main difference between regular WhatsApp and the Business application is in the profile card: while the personal one contains only name, status and photograph, with the dedicated Business app we will be able to show a real business card, with all the useful information to be recognized and found by customers: name, logo, photo, description, opening and closing hours, website, email address, etc.
With the Business app we will also get automatic reply features, so that we can always reply to our customers contacted in chat or in a group even when we are absent, when contacting us for the first time or when we cannot reply (by setting our status activity directly in the settings).
Also to use WhatsApp Business a phone number is required to create the account and we will have to make sure that it has not already been used for normal WhatsApp, otherwise we will get a warning message when creating the account.

How to download WhatsApp Business

WhatsApp Business it can be downloaded for free for both Android and iPhone smartphones.

As mentioned in the previous chapter we will have to configure the new account using a new phone number not yet used on WhatsApp, otherwise we will not be able to continue or we will have to give up one of the two services (transferring the entire account in the case).
To use WhatsApp and Whatsapp Business together on your smartphone there are several alternatives:

1. Use a Dual SIM phone: the simplest and most immediate method, considering that almost all modern smartphones now have two SIM slots.
2. Activate a Business account using a landline phone number: many companies still have a landline and, compared to normal WhatsApp, we can also use a landline number (at the time of the confirmation message we will have to call us instead of receiving an SMS).
3. Use a smartphone with profile separation: many Chinese smartphones such as Xiaomi offer a second space on the phone on which to install only business apps, which will never interact with personal apps but still provide notifications from both environments.

In any case it is possible, at the first start, to transfer all the data from the WhatsApp account to the Business one so as not to lose the history of previous chats. This migration from WhatsApp to WhatsApp BusinessHowever, it is not reversible and there is no going back, so better think carefully about what we do before giving a definitive confirmation.

How to set up WhatsApp Business

To configure the WhatsApp Business account on the new application installed, press the button of the three dots at the top right, access the Settings and then press on Activity settings.

From this screen we can fill in the menu Profile and write your name, description, business category, opening hours, website, email address, shop address (if any) etc. We try to be as accurate as possible, so that they can be easily found and recognized by customers.
In the same screen we can configure personalized automatic repliesby pressing on the menus Absence message, Welcome messages e Quick responses.
From these menus we can create an automatic reply message when we are away, a welcome message for new customers who start a chat with us and various personalized quick replies, useful for special customers or to respond to superiors or prominent people in a different from “common” customers. The only other additional menu is Statistics, where we will be able to check the statistics of the activity carried out on the app towards our customers.
For everything else, WhatsApp Business is the same as normal WhatsApp: we can send messages to individual users, be added by loyal users, participate in groups, send the same message to many people, make phone and video calls, send files, photos and documents of all kinds and even use WhatsApp Web.

Conclusions

The purpose of Whatsapp Business is to provide a communication tool for companies that differs from the service offered by the normal app (designed for communications between people): with this app we will be able to benefit from a great communication showcase for any entity. o organization and provide after-sales help, support for activities and services and why not also make dedicated promotions, “secret” discounts and in general use all methods to make good advertising.
Unfortunately, WhatsApp Business can only be used on a phone and therefore cannot be shared between partners, colleagues or employees of a company, making the application much more limited than Telegram, which instead allows shared company accounts.

If we want to use Telegram to manage our company’s communications, we invite you to read our guides Download Telegram for PC, Android and iPhone e Telegram: Tricks, secrets and hidden options of the most complete messaging app.
If, on the other hand, we want to become expert users of WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business, we can continue reading our article Whatsapp: 30 tricks and secrets of chat on Android and iPhone.