So whether you’re a one-person business running out of your garage or part of a growing team handling hundreds of daily inquiries, WhatsApp Business gives you the tools to connect with customers quickly, build trust, and keep conversations organized.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to set up your WhatsApp Business account, explore key features, and share best practices so you get the most out of it.

What is a WhatsApp Business Account?

WhatsApp Business is a special version of the standard WhatsApp app that’s designed specifically for businesses to communicate with customers. Launched in 2016, it allows businesses to meet customers where they are already active, fostering stronger relationships and improving customer experience.

A WhatsApp Business Account; Source: WhatsApp

Like the personal WhatsApp app, WhatsApp Business is free to use and designed for mobile devices. It also offers additional business-friendly features like automated greetings, quick replies, chat labels, and a business profile, making it easier to manage customer conversations. However, it is limited to five connected devices, so it’s best suited for small businesses.

Why Small and Medium Enterprises Need WhatsApp Business

According to a 2024 report by Whop, 78% of consumers consider it important to buy from small businesses, with 40% of them saying they regularly sought out small businesses. However, small businesses often operate with limited teams — the same report mentions 35% have just 2-5 employees, while another 30% have 5-20 employees.

If you're managing a small team, WhatsApp Business can help you streamline customer communication, ensuring every customer gets the attention they need — without overloading your employees.

And if you’re selling in a WhatsApp-first region (like India or Brazil), then you also get a direct line to your customers — whether you're answering inquiries, processing orders, or sending updates in real time.

Finally, while emails often go unread for hours or even days, 80% of WhatsApp messages are read within the first five minutes. According to Meta, WhatsApp comes with an impressive 98% average open rate (it’s 17%-28% for emails), making it one of the most effective channels for instant engagement.

Put simply, WhatsApp Business provides a low-effort, high-impact channel for SMEs to connect with customers directly.

How Unique Thread Sarees cracked organic customer engagement with WhatsApp Business

Here’s a small business WhatsApp Business success story from Meta.

Shanmuga Priya P. runs Unique Threads Sarees, a home-based saree business.

She moved to the WhatsApp Business app to manage orders, communicate with resellers, and provide real-time updates. Customers and resellers loved the convenience of Priya being a WhatsApp away. As one reseller put it:

“They post their products, and I share the same with my customers. If my customers place an order, I’ll connect with Unique Threads Sarees through WhatsApp.”

Simple but effective.

Top 5 Benefits of WhatsApp Business

Now that we’ve seen why every business needs WhatsApp Business, let’s explore what’s really in it for you.

1. Branding and credibility

A WhatsApp Business profile helps establish your business as legitimate and professional. You can add important details like your business name, logo, website, address, and operating hours, ensuring customers feel confident when interacting with you.

For an extra credibility boost, we recommend getting the blue verified badge by subscribing to Meta Verified. It starts at around $14.99 per month, and you get some extra features like a custom web page for your business and priority support.

Note: The verified badge was previously green and only available to WhatsApp Business API users. It switched to blue in mid-2024, and regular WhatsApp Business users can also get the badge via Meta Verified.

2. Messaging automation

The other big advantage of using WhatsApp Business is its automation features, which help respond to customers quickly. You can set up:

Automated greetings to welcome new customers
Away messages to inform them when you’re unavailable
Quick replies to answer FAQs with just a tap or two.

Creating a Quick Reply; Source: WhatsApp Business App (iOS)

This means you can stay responsive and efficient without spending hours on WhatsApp.

Also Read: 13 Best WhatsApp Business Greeting Messages (Copy Now!)

3. Conversation management

One of the main reasons WhatsApp for Business was introduced is that managing customer chats on a personal account can get messy really soon. To solve this, WhatsApp Business gives you labels (you can create up to 10), chat list filters, and private notes. The result: an efficient system to track interactions and follow up on leads.

Managing labels; Source: WhatsApp Business App (iOS)

4. Customer engagement at scale

WhatsApp Business is not just about “reactive” communication, where you wait for customers to make the first contact. It also helps you proactively engage with customers. With tools like WhatsApp broadcasts and Channels, you can share updates, promotions, and important announcements efficiently.

Broadcast Lists let you send messages to up to 256 contacts at once, while still keeping the conversation one-on-one. Perfect for sharing exclusive offers, event reminders, or product launches without creating group chats.
WhatsApp Channels, on the other hand, allow you to send a one-way broadcast — like a newsletter or social feed of sorts — to inform customers about product updates, behind-the-scenes content, and more.

Note: WhatsApp Communities are currently only available on the personal WhatsApp app. If you're using the WhatsApp Business app, you can join Communities but can't create or manage them—yet.

(Learn more about how WhatsApp Business Communities work.)

5. Cost-effective support

Beyond standard email (where you use a generic domain like gmail.com), WhatsApp Business is the only free channel to manage customer interactions — both marketing and support.

On average, SMS costs around $0.01–$0.05 per message domestically ($0.25–$0.50 internationally), and live calls are more expensive at $1.33–$1.45 per minute. And that’s before you subscribe to a tool that allows you to manage these channels.

Also Read: WhatsApp vs Email Marketing: Which is best for customer success

How to Create a WhatsApp Business Account (Step-by-Step Guide)

Creating a WhatsApp Business Account is super easy. Simply follow these steps, and you’ll be set in minutes.

2. Enter your business phone number

Once you install (and open) the app, you’ll be asked to enter your phone number. Once you enter your phone number, WhatsApp will send you a 6-digit code via SMS to verify said number.

If you're using the personal WhatsApp app and decide to install WhatsApp Business, the app will prompt you to convert your existing personal account to a business account. And if you plan to do so, we suggest backing up your chat history beforehand.

Source: WhatsApp Business (iOS)

You will also be asked to give WhatsApp access to your phone book at this point. And if you’ve used WhatsApp Business previously, you can restore old chats in the following step.

3. Add your business details

After verifying your phone number, it's time to set up your business profile. This information will be displayed to customers. This includes:

Profile picture: Upload a clear image (640 x 640; less than 5 MB) that represents your business, like your logo.
Business name: Enter the “official” name of your business. This will not only help customers identify you, but also prove your authenticity in case they dig into your brand.
Business category: Select the category that’s closest to your business. Some categories are prohibited from creating a WhatsApp Business account — find the list here.

Source: WhatsApp Business (iOS)

And you’re done — at least with the basics. Now, just a few more things to get things going.

a. Completing your business profile

When creating your WhatsApp Business Account, you’re only asked to add the bare minimum. But there’s a lot more you can add, including:

Business description — what your business does
Business hours — your opening and closing times
Business details — legal business name, customer care, and grievance officer information
Contact details — website, email address, Facebook, and Instagram

Source: WhatsApp Business (iOS)

To do this, go to Settings > Your Business Name. By creating a ‘complete’ business profile, you make a strong first impression and help customers know exactly who you are and how to reach you.

b. Linking your devices

WhatsApp Business allows you to link to 5 devices — but only one of them can be a mobile phone. If you’ve got a team replying to customers on WhatsApp, you can link their laptops or tablets to your account so they can access it.

Here’s how to do this:

Go to Settings > Linked devices > Link device > on your primary phone
Open a web browser on the laptop and navigate to WhatsApp Business Web. A QR code will be displayed.
Using your primary phone, scan the QR code shown on the laptop screen.

The laptop is now linked to your WhatsApp Business account. You can now assign a name to the linked device for easy identification.

Source: WhatsApp Business (iOS)

c. Creating a short link

A short link is a custom link that, when clicked, opens a WhatsApp chat with your business. Customers don’t need to save your number first. We suggest adding one to your social media bios, websites, and email signatures. If you run a physical store or do pop-ups, you can also generate a QR code version of the link and display it on signage, packaging, or receipts.

Go to Settings > Business Tools > Short Link to create a short, shareable link for your account. You can also add a default message that will auto-fill when someone clicks the link.

Source: WhatsApp Business (iOS)

How to Make the Most of WhatsApp Business’s Features

Now that you’ve nailed the basics, here are some WhatsApp Business features that can help you improve brand visibility and connect with customers better.

Product catalog

The product catalog in WhatsApp Business is like a mini storefront right inside your chat window. You can showcase your products or services directly on your WhatsApp Business profile, and customers can browse through them without ever leaving the app, making the buying journey smooth.

Plus, you can share individual items in chat just like you’d share a photo or message — great for personalized recommendations.

How to do this: Go to Settings > Business tools > Catalog > Add new item.

Adding items to your catalog; Source: WhatsApp Business (Web)

Pro tip: WhatsApp lets you add up to 500 items to your catalog. We suggest grouping them into easy-to-browse Collections so customers can find them faster.

How to do this: Go to Settings > Business tools > Catalog > Add new item.

Click-to-WhatsApp ads

These are paid ads (run on Facebook or Instagram) that include a “Send Message” button. When someone taps it, they’ll be taken to your WhatsApp chat. This makes it perfect for generating leads and answering product inquiries.

And the best part is that you can create and manage ads right from your mobile app — even if you don’t have a Facebook account.

How to do this: Go to Settings > Business tools > Advertise.

Creating click-to-WhatsApp ads; Source: WhatsApp Business (iOS)

Also, click-to-Whatsapp ads can take up to 48 hours to be approved, so make sure to schedule them ahead of time — especially if you’re promoting time-sensitive offers.

Marketing messages

We've talked about those automated welcome and away messages, which are great when someone messages you. And there are WhatsApp broadcasts where you can send messages to people who’ve saved your number. Here’s a third option: marketing messages that let you reach out to your customers directly — without waiting for them to initiate contact.

You can send scheduled, one-to-many messages to specific customer lists (from labels like “VIPs” or “new customers”). You’ll also get performance insights, such as read and reply rates, to see what’s working.

Two points to note —

Messages are reviewed by Meta before they’re sent
Each message can go out to a maximum of 500 recipients

Note: These messages are part of Meta’s paid messaging features, so they follow a pay-per-message model — and the rate depends on the country code of the recipient, not your business.

Maximizing Your Business Impact on WhatsApp with Gallabox

The WhatsApp Business App is great if you’re a small business just testing the waters. But if you’re planning to scale up and make WhatsApp a key channel for customer communication, you’ll quickly hit a few roadblocks:

Device restrictions: WhatsApp Business only supports up to five linked devices (in its free version), with only one phone allowed.
No integrations: There’s no built-in support for CRMs or e-commerce platforms.
Messaging limits: You can only send broadcasts to up to 256 recipients per broadcast list or 500 recipients per marketing message.
No chatbots: The free app doesn’t support chatbots, making it hard to stay responsive 24/7.
Compliance concerns: In some regions (like Europe), the app may not meet local data privacy or compliance standards.

Here’s where WhatsApp Business API solutions — or more specifically, Gallabox — can help. Gallabox is an end-to-end customer lifecycle management platform built on the WhatsApp Business API — meaning it removes these limitations and gives you tools designed for scale.

With Gallabox, you get:

Unlimited agents and devices: Let your whole team manage conversations from a shared inbox without worrying about device limits.
Higher message volumes: Reach 1000s of users with marketing campaigns using WhatsApp-approved templates — no more 256-recipient ceilings.
Drip campaigns and flows: Build automated message sequences that guide your customers through onboarding, re-engagement, or support journeys.
AI-powered chatbots: Use intelligent bots to answer FAQs, qualify leads, or route chats — all without human intervention.
40+ direct integrations: Connect WhatsApp to your CRM (like HubSpot or Zoho), payment gateways, and e-commerce tools to automate workflows and sync data.
Compliance-ready: Built with GDPR and other regional compliance needs in mind, Gallabox helps you stay on the right side of data regulations.

Whether you’re scaling support, driving sales, or running marketing campaigns that actually get seen — Gallabox helps you do it all at scale and with a personal touch that feels anything but robotic.

And you don’t have to take our word for it. Start your free trial today and you can see for yourself why Gallabox is the best fit for your business.

FAQs about WhatsApp business account

1. Is WhatsApp Business free to use?

Yes, you can download and use WhatsApp Business for free. However, if you'd like to use some of the more advanced features, you'll need to use the WhatsApp Business API. Access to the API typically requires a paid subscription through a WhatsApp Business Solution Provider like Gallabox.

2. Can I use both WhatsApp Business and personal WhatsApp on the same device?

Yes, but you’ll need separate phone numbers for each account.

3. Can I convert my personal WhatsApp account into a WhatsApp Business account?

Yes, you can switch by downloading the WhatsApp Business app and following the prompts to transfer your existing media, contacts, and chat history.

Meta title: How to Open a WhatsApp Business Account | Gallabox Blog

Meta description: Learn how to set up a WhatsApp Business account, explore features, and discover best practices to grow your business on the world’s most-used messaging app.