Connecting with customers through familiar and convenient platforms is crucial for businesses of all sizes. This guide will help you create a WhatsApp Business account, guiding you from installing the app to configuring your business profile and automatic messaging features.

What is A WhatsApp Business Account? #

A WhatsApp Business account is designed specifically to meet the needs of businesses. It allows companies to communicate more effectively with their customers by providing tools tailored for professional communication.

This platform is different from the standard WhatsApp version by offering unique features that can help you communicate and manage customer relationships over WhatsApp more efficiently.

How to Create A WhatsApp Business Account: Step-by-Step Guide #

Creating a WhatsApp Business account is straightforward and will take about 15 minutes to 1 hour. Here’s a quick rundown of how to get started with the WhatsApp Business app:

1. Download the WhatsApp Business App
2. Create a Business Account
3. Set up your Business Profile
4. Set up your Office Hours
5. Bonus: Setting up automatic Greeting and Away messages

Before you start creating your account, make sure you have:

1. A business – The WhatsApp Business app is ideal for micro-businesses.
2. A mobile phone – The WhatsApp Business App is available for both Android or iOS.
3. A phone number to register on WhatsApp.

1. Download & Install the WhatsApp Business App #

Start by visiting the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store on your mobile phone. In the search bar, type “WhatsApp Business” to find the app. Make sure you select the correct app, as it is distinct from the regular WhatsApp Messenger.

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At first launch, you’ll be asked to accept the WhatsApp Terms of Service. Click on Agree and Continue to accept the terms:

If you already have the personal WhatsApp Messenger installed on your phone, you’ll be asked if you wish to migrate that account to the WhatsApp Business app.

Select Use +XXXXX if you want to migrate your existing account, or Use a Different Number if you’d prefer to use another number, keeping your personal & WhatsApp business accounts separate. In this example, we’ll select Use a Different Number:

On the following screen, select your Country, and then enter the phone number you’d like to use. Click Next to verify the phone number. You’ll receive a 6-digit code via SMS. Enter it.

Next, you’ll be asked to give the app access to your contacts and media. Click Continue. You’ll then be asked to restore a backup if you have one on Google Drive. Tap Continue if you do, or Cancel if you don’t:

2. Create WhatsApp Business Profile #

This is what your contacts & customers will see when they chat with you on WhatsApp. You can enter your business name & add your logo, address, description & business category. Later on, you can add more info, such as your opening hours:

Once you’ve created your profile, you’ll be asked to create a catalog. This is a way to showcase the products & services you’re selling and allow your customers to browse through them on WhatsApp. We’ll skip this step for now, but you can come back to it later. Select Not now at the bottom of the page:

Congratulations! 🎈 You’ve created a WhatsApp Business app account and you should now see this:

On the top right corner of your screen, click on the three-dotted menu ⁝ and then select Business tools:

Here, you’ll be able to edit your business profile, create a product catalog, connect WhatsApp with your Facebook & Instagram accounts, and use WhatsApp Business features such as automated greeting & away messages, quick replies, labels, and more.

For now, let’s select Business Profile:

As you can see, this business profile is a little more detailed than the one we created earlier:

3. Set Up Business or Office Hours #

Select Business hours & on the following page and choose Open for selected hours. This will allow you to set your exact business hours:

Choose which hours & days your business is open. We’ve selected Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday, and we’ve added two sets of hours on Tuesday to indicate a lunch break. Customize this to fit your own schedule.

Once you’re done, hit Save:

Your business profile will now show your office hours, as you see in the following image. You can also add your email address and websites to your profile:

Your business profile is now complete! 🥳

4. Set Up Automatic Greeting & Away Messages #

Automatic WhatsApp greeting messages are a great way to give a warm welcome to your customers. These messages are sent whenever someone sends you a WhatsApp message for the first time.

Greeting messages do not have a defined schedule.

WhatsApp Away messages are similar to out-of-office messages and can be set to either the same schedule in your business profile, or to a different one. Let’s set them up:

From your Settings, go to Business tools, and select Greeting message:

Set the Send greeting message toggle to On. Click on the pencil icon to change the message:

Customize the greeting message further by clicking on Recipients. Perhaps you wish to send this message only to people you don’t know, or you wish to add specific exceptions:

For away messages, go to Settings once again, Business tools & select Away message:

Here, turn the Send Away message on. You can edit the message by clicking on the pencil icon:

Select Schedule to define when your away messages will be sent:

Now, let’s try them out. Send a message to yourself on your WhatsApp Business app number, or ask a friend to help out.

If you’ve set a greeting and an away message, and it’s outside your office hours, you should see both the greeting and the away message, like this:

That’s it! You’re now ready to connect with your customers over WhatsApp.

Why Connect Your Account to the WhatsApp Business API #

To enjoy the full potential of WhatsApp for your business, you can create and connect your account to the WhatsApp Business API through a Meta Business Partner like Rasayel. Once connected, you can send WhatsApp messages and engage with customers more efficiently. The WhatsApp Business Platform offers a robust set of tools designed for business communication.

The programmable nature of WhatsApp Business API allows you to integrate WhatsApp with your CRM, use chatbots to streamline communications with your customers, monitor your interactions with detailed analytics, and more.

Conclusion #

Setting up a WhatsApp Business account is a straightforward process that can significantly improve your business’s communication capabilities. By following the steps outlined in this guide, from downloading the app to connecting with the WhatsApp Business API through services like Rasayel, you’ll be well-equipped to manage customer interactions more efficiently.

Frequently Asked Questions #

About the author

Mohamed Elbadwihi

Mohamed has a background in digital enterprise strategy and software engineering. When he’s not staring at his computer screen, he can be found staring at the night sky somewhere in Alberta, Canada. He enjoys reading, and writing about the things he reads.

@Mohamed Elbadwihi on LinkedIn