What is Whatsapp Business Account? What are the Advantages?

More than two billion people worldwide use the WhatsApp Messenger app to send messages, pictures, videos, voice notes and audio files to family and friends.

A WhatsApp Business account is separate from your personal WhatsApp account and is designed specifically for professional use. It's free, secure and easy to set up, just like WhatsApp Messenger, but it also offers a range of features designed to support and help you grow your business.

What is a WhatsApp Business Account?

WhatsApp Business is a free messaging app that can be downloaded from the Google Play Store or App Store. WhatsApp Business Account is specially created for businesses to interact directly with their customers. WhatsApp Business is very similar in function and design to the WhatsApp Messenger app, but also includes professional tools. These allow businesses to automate messages, categorise chats and effectively advertise products and services.

1. Business Profile 

You can create a Business Profile to let customers know that they are using the official customer contact channel to connect with the business. The business profile includes your business description, address, website and email address.

2. Automated Messages

Automated messages are pre-written responses that can be sent automatically when certain conditions are met. For example, when someone sends the business a message on WhatsApp, an automated message can be set up to send a greeting. Welcome messages are also available that allow businesses to create customised welcome messages for each customer they interact with. This helps build relationships with customers by making them feel valued and appreciated.

3. Quick Replies and Labels

Quick answers allow businesses to save time by creating templates of commonly used phrases or answers, such as "What are your opening hours?". Therefore, they don't have to type them every time they respond to a customer query. Tags allow businesses to organise conversations into different groups based on topics or keywords, so it's easier for them to keep track of all conversations happening at the same time.

4. Publication Lists

Instead of writing each message individually, you can use broadcast lists to send one message to multiple people at the same time. Broadcast lists allow companies to send mass notifications such as promotional offers, new product launches, etc. to large groups of people at the same time, instead of sending individual messages. This saves both time and effort while ensuring maximum reach with minimum resources.

5. Away Messages

Away messages allow SMEs to set up automatic notifications when they are not available. This way, customers know when their enquiry will be answered, rather than waiting in limbo with no response from the owner or staff member conducting the call.

6. Statistics

The statistics provide insights into how many people are interacting with your business via WhatsApp, as well as other useful metrics such as average response times that can help you identify areas where you need to improve to better serve your customers in the future.

WhatsApp Business' features make it a powerful tool for SMBs to communicate with their customers and automate processes, saving time and effort.