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Converting your normal WhatsApp account to a WhatsApp Business account can unlock a range of powerful features for your business. This step-by-step guide walks you through the process of converting your account, empowering you to leverage the full potential of WhatsApp Business for seamless communication with your customers.
As a small business starting out new while trying to lift your ecommerce venture from the ground, you might have used WhatsApp to aid your business through your personal account. In the early stages when your contacts and customer base is yet to grow this is a simpler way to communicate with your buyers.
But this won’t be the case throughout. Your business is expected to grow and by then using a personal account will become cumbersome.
As you scale, it will be harder to navigate through your messages with all the personal and professional chats standing a greater chance of getting mixed up.
You need to find a way to separate your professional, business-related messages from your personal lot of chats, or else it would get more cluttered later on. In such a state, you stand a risk of missing out on important customer communication or on a potential sale, and no one wants that.
That’s the point at which you might want to consider converting your normal WhatsApp account that you use to do business, into a full-fledged WhatsApp Business account. And we’ll help you with it!
WhatsApp vs WhatsApp Business
Most users of WhatsApp Business had reached the platform having made the transition from WhatsApp chat app. And they as businesses have done so for all the right reasons, which we will get to shortly.
Before getting into the how part of making this transition, we should look at how WhatsApp Business can be an upgrade over WhatsApp Messenger, so as to have a better perspective.
First, we will ask: How does WhatsApp Business differ from WhatsApp Messenger app?
WhatsApp has three different products and understanding them will help answer the question. These products are - WhatsApp Messenger app, WhatsApp Business app and WhatsApp Business API.
WhatsApp Messenger is one of the most popular free to use chat apps that is used by more than 2 billion people globally. The messenger app unlike the other two is more modeled towards personal use.
WhatsApp Business App is free-to-download and is tailored around providing tools for businesses to operate on WhatsApp. So, it can be said that it is specifically created for business use. WhatsApp Business differs from the business app mainly in terms of the features it provides for catering to the needs of both small scale and large-scale businesses.
WhatsApp Business allows businesses to create a business profile, make catalogs, upload media and much more.
WhatsApp Business API takes it a level higher as it can be used by companies that seek enterprise level features. But for now, we will stick to WhatsApp Business App, which is ideal for a growing business user at the early stages, and then you can get WhatsApp business API to unlock more features.
Why Switch to WhatsApp Business App?
There isn’t any compulsion for businesses, be it solopreneurs or small to mid-scale businesses, to use WhatsApp Business as a staple, but the advantages companies can reap out of it is too good to pass. And when concerning the disadvantages of doing so, you will be pleased to know that there is none.
Both the business app and the API have been designed in a way that businesses can use it even as a customer-support platform, improving the communication and subsequently customer relations in the long run.
The features that are provided at the hands of companies can help share information more effectively, which in turn cements brand trust and solidifies the company’s dependability. WhatsApp Business app and API also has room for unique integrations with Customer Relationship Management or CRM softwares and other eCommerce platforms. This way one can streamline and organize business much more efficiently. Since this can remove the need to navigate back and forth between different software and platforms, it can become particularly useful for larger companies.
By having a WhatsApp Business account, you can use the Official WhatsApp Business API too, which will allow for many additional features like setting up custom WhatsApp message templates, automations, and measuring the performance of your campaigns. But you will require a WhatsApp Business API solution provider like QuickReply.ai to make use of all these features.
Moreover, WhatsApp is always focusing on developing newer tools and improving the features available on WhatsApp Business, keeping assistance to growing companies as one of their top priorities. That’s one key reason why converting WhatsApp to Business Account can benefit you when viewing the bigger picture.
How to Switch to WhatsApp Business App
Setting up WhatsApp is relatively a simple process. But there are a couple of things you need to keep in mind before you begin the process of converting to a WhatsApp Business Account.
The very first thing you need is a different phone number; not the one you were using for your WhatsApp messenger account, so that you can link it to your WhatsApp Business account. In order for you to retain the personal number you have in use on the messenger app, you can register with a new number on the WhatsApp Business app. Both the numbers will work simultaneously in your phone given that they both are registered under different numbers.
Having said that, let us look at how we can convert your WhatsApp Messenger account into a WhatsApp Business Account.
1. Create a Backup
Backups should be your first step when dealing with anything and here it's no exception. Take a backup of your WhatsApp Messenger chats before you start the conversion. For you to retain chat history and save important data from getting lost, backup is important. To do this go to Settings and open Chats. From there select the chat back up option and select Back Up. This process is common to both Android and iOS devices.
2. Download and Install WhatsApp Business App
After creating your back up, it's time for you to get down to the real thing. Install the WhatsApp Business App for free from Google Play Store or App Store, depending on the device you are using.
3. Go through Terms of Services and Register
Before registering, go through the WhatsApp Terms of Service and then click on “Agree” and “Continue” to accept the terms. The personal number that you are using on the Messaging App will be automatically detected by WhatsApp. Enter your business number for registration to continue to the next step.
4. Transfer Account
Keep your phone turned on and the WhatsApp Business App open while the transfer is taking place. During this process you may receive prompts to restore chat from your backup. You can either select “Restore” to do so, or select “Continue” if you choose not to restore the backup. Then click on “Next” and give permission for WhatsApp to access your phone’s photos and media.
5. Add Contacts from Phone
Now add contacts from your phone’s contact list into your WhatsApp Business contacts.
6. Create your Business Account
You should now fill in your business name, profile picture and business category to create your business account.
7. Set up Business Profile
After having created your business account, now it's time for you to add up all the relevant info and set up your business profile. To do this go to “Explore” and then select Business profile. There you should fill in information like your address, business’s description, working hours etc. Note that you can always edit your business profile after your WhatsApp Business account is activated.
Scale your Business with WhatsApp Business!
Your business’s growth should not be hindered by the limitations of mixing up the personal with the professional. With all the features and possibilities that it provides, it's time for you to move to WhatsApp Business and WhatsApp Business API, to make the most out of your WhatsApp Marketing journey. An app like quickreply.ai can help ease the process and make the most out of the platform.
Next read: How to get the verified WhatsApp green tick on your business account
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