‍Learn everything about WhatsApp Business Web and how to get started. 

WhatsApp Business and the WhatsApp Business API has clearly opened many news doors for online businesses and brands. From being able to serve their customers better through support and service to making the messaging platform a core part of their marketing strategy, we’re seeing DTC brands explore the potential of this channel every day. But managing it all on mobile devices can often be tedious for most owing to smaller screens; despite the WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business mobile apps being very intuitive to use. This is where using the WhatsApp Business web can come in handy. 

In this blog, we’re going to discuss everything you need to know about using the WhatsApp Business web for your brand, starting right from the basics. 

What is WhatsApp Business web? 

WhatsApp Business web is a web application that enables businesses to use the WhatsApp Business App on a PC or a desktop. It is pretty much similar to how an individual uses WhatsApp on the web, where they can send/ receive WhatsApp messages directly using the web browser. The web app essentially serves as an extension to the WhatsApp Business Messenger app, syncing all your WhatsApp messages and media across the devices so that you can stay connected from both. 

How does the WhatsApp Business web work? 

To get started with using WhatsApp Business web, you need to complete the following simple steps; which are pretty similar to how the regular WhatsApp web works for individual and personal accounts:  

• Go to the WhatsApp web website 
• Open the WhatsApp Business app on your phone 
• Tap the three dots at the top right corner 
• Tap on Linked Devices 
• Scan the QR code available on the WhatsApp Web website 

‍

‍

Once completed, it may take a few minutes for the WhatsApp Business web app to sync all the messages from mobile so that they become visible to you on the browser as well. The interface of the WhatsApp Business web app is similar to the mobile app and hence using it is just the same experience! 

Why should you use the WhatsApp Business web app? 

If you have been using the WhatsApp Business mobile app for scaling communication with customers, you should consider the WhatsApp Business web app for the following benefits: 

• The WhatsApp Business web app can support upto 4 logins at a time; which means you can use the same account on three different desktop devices 
• WhatsApp Business web client can be beneficial and more easier to use if you have shared devices for communication 
• You can provide multi-agent access for offering customer support at scale using the WhatsApp Business web 
• WhatsApp Business web app offers all the features and functionalities of the WhatsApp Business mobile app 
• The web app serves as an easy add-on to the WhatsApp Business mobile app without having to install any software on the PC or laptop 

How to download WhatsApp Business web app? 

If you’re someone who likes to keep the number of apps on your desktop streamlined, simply make use of WhatsApp Business web on your browser. But if you do prefer using an app instead, there is a dedicated desktop application that is available on both Windows and Apple devices. 

‍

What are the limitations and drawbacks of WhatsApp Business web app? 

While there are obviously a lot of benefits of using the WhatsApp Business mobile app features on a bigger screen, there are also some limitations that come with it. This includes the following: 

• Limited WhatsApp broadcast messages: You can only send WhatsApp broadcast messages to upto 256 recipients at a time; which can be on the lower side for a scaling business. 
• Limited multi-login: The WhatsApp Business web app allows only 4 user logins. For a business that offers customer support and shopping assistance at scale, this can be very low, limiting the service they offer to customers. 
• Limited message scheduling: The WhatsApp Business web app only allows you to schedule your greeting and away messages; for an ecommerce business that wants to personalize marketing communication, the options are too few. 
• Limited chat automation: The web app for WhatsApp Business can only automate a handful of canned replies. You cannot integrate it with a chatbot to answer FAQs, support and sales queries that are more complex. 
• Limited integrations: If you want to make use of the data you collect on the WhatsApp Business account, you will need to request or build out integrations with the CRM and other tools you’re making use of. 

This is where getting access to the WhatsApp Business API through a solution provider like QuickReply.ai can help tackle the limitations and extend the functionalities of WhatsApp Business web. 

How to use WhatsApp Business web with WhatsApp Business API? 

If you have a WhatsApp Business account, we recommend using the WhatsApp Business API to tap into the automations you can set up on the messaging platform. This can help you scale communication across the entire customer journey - marketing, sales, support and after-sales, delivering a seamless customer experience and enabling conversational commerce for your business. 

This is where using a WhatsApp Business API like QuickReply.ai comes into the picture. With QuickReply.ai WhatsApp Business API, you get access to the following benefits on the WhatsApp Business web as well: 

• Extend WhatsApp broadcast capabilities: QuickReply.ai enables you to send 100k broadcast messages per day, giving you more room to touch base with subscribers and customers. Learn more about WhatsApp broadcasts here. 
• Better personalization with customer segmentation: With pre-built customer segments and the ability to track engagement on WhatsApp campaigns, QuickReply.ai helps you personalize beyond the first name of the consumers to deliver contextual messages. Learn more about segmentation here. 
• WhatsApp Automations: Schedule WhatsApp messages like broadcasts, promotions, abandoned cart recovery, customer win back campaigns and more with intelligent automations with pre-built and customizable workflows. From order status alerts, shipping notifications to more, there’s a lot that can be enabled with the help of QuickReply.ai WhatsApp chatbots. 
• Powerful analytics and tracking: Track the performance of your WhatsApp marketing and sales campaigns; go beyond messages sent and open rates, to track click through rates and purchases in real-time to optimize strategy for better results. 
• Scale without increasing budgets: Use the messaging platform for customer support, marketing, sales and more, all without having to increase the budgets you invest into the messaging platform with the help of smart strategizing using QuickReply.ai. 
• Shared inbox: Manage customer conversations across all functions with ease. QuickReply.ai comes with a shared inbox that has multi-agent access and labels to organize the chats based on intent and status. The inbox also doubles up as a smart CRM for businesses. 
• Smart integrations: Integrate your WhatsApp marketing campaigns with other channels to enable an omnichannel strategy to acquire, engage and retain customers more effectively. The team of Shopify experts also helps build out custom integrations when required like the IVR deflection. 
• WhatsApp templates: QuickReply.ai comes with thousands of pre-designed, customizable and high-converting WhatsApp templates for different occasions, sale seasons, business goals and objectives. Explore them all here. 

Also read: How to integrate WhatsApp Business API with your Shopify store

Do you need the WhatsApp Business web app? 

If you ask us, we love working on bigger screens when tackling our marketing and sales campaigns. From ideation to set up, having a bigger screen at hand simply helps us put things to work with more ease. The same holds true with the WhatsApp Business web app! 

But to be able to actually leverage the messaging platform’s capabilities, it is important to get access to the WhatsApp Business API. 

If you have been making use of the WhatsApp Business mobile app, it’s time to experience the desktop app for your business. 

Ready to explore the WhatsApp Business web app with the WhatsApp Business API? 

Book a demo of QuickReply.ai today. 

Alternatively, if you have a Shopify store, simply install our WhatsApp marketing app today to get started. 

Frequently asked questions 

Can I use WhatsApp Business on web? 

Yes, you can use your WhatsApp Business account and access all of its features/ capabilities on the web. It works in the same manner as the WhatsApp web for personal or individual accounts. 

How can I open WhatsApp Business on my laptop? 

You can access the WhatsApp web app simply through your browser. Alternatively, you can also install the WhatsApp Business app on your desktop which is available on both Windows and Apple devices. 

Can I use WhatsApp Business on multiple devices? 

Yes, you can use the WhatsApp Business account on upto 4 devices at a time. If you have a bigger team in place to handle different use cases of WhatsApp, you should get access to the WhatsApp Business API with the help of a solution provider like QuickReply.ai. 

Can I use WhatsApp Business on my laptop and phone at the same time? 

Yes, you can. You can use the same WhatsApp Business account on a total of 4 devices and one phone at a time. For more access, you will need the WhatsApp Business API. 

How long does WhatsApp web stay logged in? 

Whether you are using it for personal or business use, the WhatsApp web app will automatically log you out after 30 minutes of inactivity. But if you intend on using it throughout the day with fluctuating activity levels, you can select ‘stay logged in’ at the time of logging in to your WhatsApp Business web app.