9 WhatsApp Business App Features

If you are a business owner, I am pretty sure that you have heard of WhatsApp Business App, right? Even though many think that it is just a messaging app, it goes way beyond that. Let me give you the key 🔑 to unlock the secrets of the WhatsApp Business app and find out the magical WhatsApp Business features that it has to offer for your business!

In this blog, we will discuss WhatsApp Business App features and how you can use them for your business.

What is WhatsApp Business App?

As the name suggests itself, WhatsApp Business is the version of WhatsApp, designed for businesses. WhatsApp Business platform has all the features in the regular WhatsApp app with some additional tools and features for business owners.

WhatsApp Business offers a sophisticated interface designed to handle high volumes of customer conversations efficiently. For example, you can send quick replies and automated messages to address frequently asked questions from your customers. 

Additionally, you can customize your business profile and add a separate phone number for your WhatsApp Business account.

With these many advantages, you might think WhatsApp Business is an expensive platform. 

So, How much does WhatsApp Business cost?

The great thing about WhatsApp Business is that it’s completely free. You can easily download the app from the App Store or Play Store without any subscription fees or hidden costs. However, if you need to use WhatsApp Business for sending marketing messages, you’ll need to budget for advertising expenses.

WhatsApp, WhatsApp Business & WhatsApp Business API

Okay! Now we have the basic idea about WhatsApp Business App. Shall we see the WhatsAp Business App features now?

Best WhatsApp Business App Features

Interacting directly with your customers and providing a personalized customer experience for them is the key to the success of a business. WhatsApp Business helps you understand your customers better. If you want to improve communication with your customers and boost sales, here are the best WhatsApp Business App features you should try.

1.WhatsApp Business Profile

Any business that uses WhatsApp for sales needs to create a Business profile. I am sure you have heard of Google Business profile, which helps to provide information for potential customers about a business. 

If you haven’t, we have a helpful article for you. Click here to read.

A WhatsApp Business Profile is just like that. It helps to share helpful information with your customers. 

For example, refer to the below image to see DigiFix’s WhatsApp Business Profile.

A business profile provides a recognizable “face” and identity for your business. To earn a “Verified” badge next to your company name, WhatsApp verifies that your account is associated with a legitimate business.

Customers can view your profile to find essential information like contact details, business hours, and location. This feature is a fantastic way to build trust and show that your company is legitimate.

How to create a WhatsApp Business Profile?

Step 1: Download the WhatsApp Business app from the Play Store or App Store.

Step 2: Open your WhatsApp Business app and click Tools from the menu.

Step 3: Select the “Profile” section under “Business tools.”

Step 4: Now, you can add your business information, such as business name, description, business hours, business address, email address, and website link.

Step 5: Then, you can add a Profile picture and a cover photo for your business profile.

2.WhatsApp Catalogs

We have recently published a blog article about WhatsApp catalogs and how to create WhatsApp Catalog. You can refer to that to learn more about this feature.

The Catalog feature on WhatsApp allows businesses to showcase their products and services to potential customers. This feature is useful for online businesses.

Displaying your products to customers can be challenging for online shop owners. However, with WhatsApp Business catalogs, you can effortlessly showcase your products or services. 

In WhatsApp catalogs, you can share the below information:

• Product image
• Product Description
• Product price
• Product or service name
• Website link
• Product or service code

Customers can conveniently browse through catalogs and add items to their shopping carts, while store owners can utilize the feature to monitor customer engagement and sales. 

It’s important to note that the catalog feature is accessible to WhatsApp Business customers who have verified their business accounts.

Let’s see how to Create a WhatsApp Catalog. You can refer to the below tutorial as well.

• Open your WhatsApp Business App. Then select the “Tools” icon at the bottom of your screen.
• Then click “Catalog” from the menu.
• Select  “Add new item” to add a new catalog.
• Select the “Add images” option to add your product images.
• You can select “Choose Photo” to add images from your gallery. Select “Take Photo” to take new photos. You can upload up to 10 images.
• Add the product name and product details such as price, description, link, and product code.
• Finally, Click “Save”.

3. Send Quick Replies

When exploring WhatsApp Business App features, we cannot forget Quick replies. If you are a business owner who needs to respond to customer queries more effectively, Quick replies are a must to use!

With Quick Replies, you can send pre-written messages with just a few steps. For example, imagine you manage an online store selling women’s clothing. You frequently receive similar queries from potential customers regarding pricing, dress availability, and more. You can prepare responses to these common questions and effortlessly send them to customers, using Quick Replies.

Quick Replies is helpful for businesses that get lots of messages because it saves time by sending pre-written responses. It makes responses faster and improves the customer experience.

You can create up to 50 quick replies and assign shortcuts or keywords to access them during conversations. Press / and your list of quick replies will pop up.

Now, let’s see how to set up Quick replies.

• First, Open your WhatsApp Business App.
• Then click the Tools icon at the bottom.
• Select Quick Replies from the Messaging Tools menu.

4.Click the ➕(plus icon) at the top right hand side.

5. It will open up a space where you can write a quick reply. And also you can add images or videos along with quick replies.

6. Then, add a shortcut for your Quick reply. This is for you to remember the particular reply. 
7. Finally, click save.

How to send a Quick reply?

When someone sends you a question or a query, you can click the ➕(plus icon) as shown in the below image.

It will open a menu and select Quick Replies from that menu.

It will open the list of Quick replies you added. You can see that there is a / icon already on the keyboard. 

You can type the shortcut key to the relevant Quick reply. 

It will add the particular reply to the keyboard and you can send it quickly.

4.WhatsApp Greeting Messages

A greeting message is a customizable message WhatsApp sends automatically to your customers when they first message you. 

It’s also sent when customers message you after 14 days of inactivity in their chat with you. Setting up greeting messages like “Hi there! How can I help you today?” can engage your customers in conversation and make them feel welcome. It can ultimately lead to improved customer satisfaction.

Let me show you how to set up Greeting Messages in WhatsApp Business.

Step 1: Open your WhatsApp Business App

Step 2: Click the Tools icon below

Step 3: Select the Greeting Message option under Messaging tools.

Step 4: Choose to send a Greeting message.

Step 5: Select the Recipients option.

• Everybody= A Greeting message will be sent to everyone.
• Exclude my contacts= Send messages to anyone who isn’t in your contact list.
• Everyone except= Send to anyone except the people you select
• Only Send to= Only send to selected contacts.

Step 6: Type your Greeting message. Make sure that it will make the recipient feel welcome.

Step 7: Finally, click Save.

5.Away Message.

Have you ever sent a message on WhatsApp and waited forever for a reply? It’s frustrating, right? 

Well, you don’t want your customers to feel that way about your business. Thankfully, WhatsApp’s away message feature comes to the rescue. 

This automated feature helps you to set a personalized message to inform contacts when you are unavailable. WhatsApp Business sends these away messages only when your phone has an active internet connection. If you turn off your phone or disconnect from the internet, the feature won’t work.

Let me show you how to set up Away Messages in WhatsApp Business.

Step 1: Open your WhatsApp Business App.

Step 2: Click the Tools icon below.

Step 3: Select the Away Message option under Messaging tools.

Step 4: Choose to send an Away message.

Step 5: Select a Schedule. 

If you select “Always Send” it will send an automated message at all times. 

If you select “Outside of business hours” it will only send away messages outside of your business hours. Here, you need to set your business hours in your WhatsApp Business profile.

If you choose the Custom Schedule option, you can select the starting and ending period for your away message.

Step 6: Select the recipient option.

• Everybody= An away message will be sent to everyone.
• Exclude my contacts= Send to anyone who isn’t in your contact list.
• Everyone except= Send to anyone except the people you select
• Only Send to= Only send to selected contacts.

Step 7: Type your Away message. 

Step 7: Finally, click Save.

6.WhatsApp Business API

The WhatsApp Business API is for larger-scale business messaging, catering ideally to medium to large enterprises. 

Business API provides integration with business systems such as CRMs and customer support software, offering features like automated messages, high-volume messaging capabilities, advanced metrics, and analytics, among others. 

Primarily designed for extensive customer support, automated notifications (such as flight updates or bank alerts), and integration with third-party tools for larger businesses. 

Notably, the interface for WhatsApp Business API differs significantly from the standard WhatsApp applications we’re familiar with, and it requires a subscription and a complex setup process.

7.WhatsApp Labels

With WhatsApp Business Labels, you can easily categorize and organize your chats, making it easy to manage customer interactions and follow-ups. 

These labels work like visual cues, helping you understand the status or context of each chat, just like virtual sticky notes. But Labels aren’t just for show – when used wisely, they can help you work more efficiently, respond faster, and gain insights into customer interactions. 

Taking the time to set up and maintain a good labeling system is key to making the most out of this feature.

Let me show you how to use WhatsApp Labels.

1. Open a chat on your WhatsApp Business account.
2. Click the name/number of the person whom you chat with.
3. It will open a menu.
4. Scroll down, and you will see the Labels section. Click that section.
5. Now you will see all the available labels.

6. Select a relevant label for that customer. For example, if he/she is a new customer, you can select the New Customer label.
7. Now, you will see a label under the chat.

8.Message Statistics

The Message Statistics feature provides valuable metrics about your messages, including the number sent, delivered, read, and received. This tool is crucial for planning your messaging strategy. 

By understanding how your messages are performing, you can assess customer engagement, evaluate the effectiveness of specific messages, and refine your overall communication strategies. 

Analyzing and responding to these statistics can improve your business’s interactions with its customers.

9.Short Links

Looking to streamline customer contact? Introducing: Short Links. These URLs or QR codes allow customers to instantly start a chat with you on WhatsApp Business. And the best part? They’re incredibly easy to set up.

WhatsApp Business Short Links provide a seamless way for customers to connect with you without needing to enter phone numbers or save new contacts. With just one click, they can reach out.

When a customer clicks the Short Link on a device with WhatsApp installed, a chat will automatically open between you and them. If they click the Short Link on a web browser, they’ll see a web page displaying your business details, with your default message (if you’ve set one up).

Upon creating a WhatsApp Business account, a short link is automatically generated for you, which you can access easily.

Here is how to access it,

Step 1: Open WhatsApp Business profile

Step 2: Click the Tools section.

Step 3: You will see the Short link option under the Reach More Customers section.

Step 4: There are three options for you to select.

• Share link- It allows you to share your WhatsApp Business profile link with others through WhatsApp or other platforms like Gmail, Messenger, and regular WhatsApp. 
• Copy Link- It will copy the link to your profile.
• QR Code- It will help you to share the QR code of your profile.

That’s the end of our list of WhatsApp Business App Features for your business. We believe this blog will help you to be familiar with these WhatsApp Business App features, which will upgrade your business.

And if you would like to digitalize your business, we are more than happy to assist you. You can reserve a FREE consultation with us.