WhatsApp Business: discovering the business opportunities for your company

13 years ago - back in 2009 - WhatsApp was released as a messaging app for consumers. Initially available only for the iPhone, the app soon became accessible to the masses, opening up to other operating systems.

With the arrival of WhatsApp, and the pace of mobile internet rollout, the way we communicate changed at lightning speed. Today, WhatsApp has over 12 million users in the Netherlands, and 2 billion users in total. An astonishing global reach.

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What is WhatsApp Business?

It didn't take long for businesses to start thinking about the rising popularity of this channel, and the opportunities that come with it. After all, why communicate so easily with friends and family, but not use this trusted channel for customer contact? Exactly! That’s why WhatsApp for Business was introduced in January 2018. The ideal way to communicate with (potential) customers, in the same simple way as with friends.

WhatsApp Business is the umbrella term used for business WhatsApp solutions, aimed at companies that want to maintain customer contact through this communication channel. Businesses can choose from several solutions, such as the WhatsApp Business App or the WhatsApp Business API.

whatsapp business profile

WhatsApp Business profile

Just like with private use, a business WhatsApp account can be reached via a phone number linked to your profile. For a business account, this can be either a mobile or landline phone number. A WhatsApp business profile is very similar to a private one, but allows for extra business information. Enrich your profile with...

  • -Your company logo
  • -Industry and category
  • -Your opening hours
  • -A company description
  • -Your company location with clickout to Google Maps
  • -Your business email address
  • -Space for 2 URLs
  • -a catalogue to highlight products

Business WhatsApp functionalities

With a WhatsApp Business account, you also benefit from additional functionalities that help you communicate with customers more easily. You can reply faster by using pre-formatted messages, responding automatically with absence messages or adding conversation tags to categorise messages.

Why WhatsApp Business?

The business opportunities of WhatsApp, allowing your company to be accessible to customers through this channel, are endless. By adding WhatsApp as an additional channel, you lower the threshold for your (potential) customers to reach out. WhatsApp offers the chance to get customers started, creating a bond of trust and giving them that extra push in proceeding to an (online) purchase. In addition, a full WhatsApp profile acts as an inviting business card.

Getting started with WhatsApp Business

You can quickly and easily get started with the free WhatsApp Business App. Follow the steps below, and you'll be online in minutes.

  • 1.) Get a mobile phone with a business phone number
  • 2.) Download the WhatsApp Business App
  • 3.) Create a business WhatsApp account and connect an existing or new phone number
  • 4.) Add your logo and company information, and complete your business profile
  • 5.) Done! You can now be reached via WhatsApp Business

WhatsApp Business App

Download this mobile application from the App Store or Google Play Store. You can get started right away and be reached via WhatsApp within minutes. In addition to the mobile app, you have the option to use WhatsApp with multiple devices (up to 4) via WhatsApp Web or the WhatsApp Business Desktop application.

Want to scale up your customer contact, or start managing WhatsApp with multiple users? Then the free business application allows you to log in up to 5 users simultaneously via multiple devices. But teams that want to get more professional with WhatsApp's business capabilities need more. For them, the WhatsApp Business API is a better solution.

WhatsApp Business API

If you want to benefit from all the professional functionalities of WhatsApp Business, the WhatsApp Business API is the ideal business solution. It’s aimed at medium and large-sized organisations that want to get everything out of WhatsApp Business without any limits. To handle lots of WhatsApp messages, for example, or to integrate the WhatsApp channel with a customer service system. Those who want to respond to WhatsApp with multiple users, collaborate smarter on messages, and/or manage multiple WhatsApp numbers would also do well to consider the possibilities of the WhatsApp Business API.

→ Read more about the WhatsApp Business API

whatsapp business pricing

WhatsApp Business pricing

Whether and how much you pay for WhatsApp's business solutions depends on how many messages you expect to send. WhatsApp offers the first 1,000 conversations for free. And conversations started from a Facebook or Instagram ad don’t cost you anything either.

→ Read more about WhatsApp Business pricing

 
 

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