WhatsApp Business is finally out; brings Business profiles, messaging tools, statistics and more

WhatsApp has finally launched its long-awaited app for small businesses across the world, ‘ **WhatsApp Business** ’. This new app is aiming to separate the personal and the business lives of people who had long wished to separate their business conversations from the personal ones on **WhatsApp** . [caption id=“attachment_4309449” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] WhatsApp Business[/caption] The company detailed all the new features in a detailed blog post on its WhatsApp blog highlighting how small business owners use WhatsApp to connect with their customers and other business partners. WhatsApp acknowledged that the normal ‘WhatsApp’ app is not meant for business owners and instead, it is meant for people. ‘WhatsApp for Business’ is a free to download app for Android users which will make it easier for business owners to connect with their customers. According to the post, the new features include ‘Business Profiles’, ‘Messaging Tools’, ‘Messaging Statistics’, ‘WhatsApp Web’ and ‘Account Type’. Let’s run down on what additional features ‘WhatsApp Business’ has in addition to the regular ‘WhatsApp’ mobile app. 1. ‘Business Profiles’ will help customers get additional information such as the email or the store address, website or any extra description of the business. 2. ‘Messaging Tools’ allow business owners to set quick replies to ensure that they can quickly send answers to frequently asked questions in addition to greeting messages that introduce customers to their business or custom away messages when the owners are busy or during off hours. 3. ‘Messaging Statistics’ provides business owners with a simple metric about the number of messages that were read so that they can tweak the content of quick replies or their strategy of contacting their customers. 4.‘WhatsApp Web’ is the regular web interface of ‘WhatsApp Business’ allowing owners to send or receive messages using a desktop. 5. ‘Account Type’ One of the most important parts here is the fact that business owners can list themselves as businesses after installing the app to ensure that the customers contacting them know that they are business owners. WhatsApp pointed out that over the time business accounts will get ‘confirmed accounts’ after it is confirmed that the operator of the WhatsApp Business account is using the same number as the actual business contact number. [caption id=“attachment_4309413” align=“alignnone” width=“1280”] Image: WhatsApp[/caption] The company clarified that normal users can continue to use WhatsApp without change and there is no need to download anything new. Users have full control on the messages that they receive as they can block any number including the messages coming from a business account. Users can also report the messages from Business accounts as spam if they are spammy in nature. According to the post, it stated that over 80 percent of small business in India and Brazil state that WhatsApp helps them both stay in touch with their customers, as well as grow their business. We have already covered **the app in detail when** it leaked out back in October last year. The company tested out the app extensively before launching this separate app. If you can’t find ‘WhatsApp Business’ on Google Play Store then don’t worry as the company pointed out that it is available to download in Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, UK and United States. The app is gradually rolling out to more countries in coming weeks.