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In many countries, people would rather send a quick message than call or write an email.
In Spain, much of Latin America and large parts of Europe, WhatsApp is the app people use every day to talk to friends, family and, more and more, businesses.
Used well, WhatsApp Business makes it easy for customers to ask questions, book, order and get help, and it can turn conversations into sales.
Used badly, it becomes a second inbox that nobody has time to answer.
In this guide we explain how WhatsApp Business works, how to set it up and how to use it professionally.
WhatsApp Business app or WhatsApp Business Platform?
There are two versions, and choosing the right one is the first step.
WhatsApp Business app
A free app for phones, made for small businesses.
You get a business profile, a product catalogue, quick replies, automatic greeting and away messages, and labels to organise chats.
It can be used on a phone plus a few linked devices, such as a computer, which makes it fine for small teams.
WhatsApp Business Platform
The version for larger volumes, used through a provider or integrated into a CRM, helpdesk or chat system.
It lets many team members answer from the same number, connect WhatsApp to your website chat and CRM, and send approved message templates such as order updates and appointment reminders.
It is paid, with costs that depend on the type and number of messages, and requires more setup.
Most small businesses start with the free app and move to the platform when the number of conversations or team members grows.
Setting up the business profile
Your profile is what customers see when they open a chat with you, so complete it properly.
- Use your logo or a clear photo as the profile picture.
- Write a short description of what you do and where.
- Add address, opening hours, email and website.
- Choose the right business category.
- Use a number that belongs to the business, not a staff member’s private number.
Useful features in the app
Greeting message
An automatic message sent when someone writes to you for the first time, or after a long pause.
Use it to say hello, explain what you can help with and when to expect an answer.
Away message
An automatic reply outside opening hours, so customers know you have received their message and when you will reply.
Quick replies
Saved answers to common questions, such as prices, opening hours, directions or delivery times, that you can insert with a shortcut.
They save time and keep answers consistent across the team.
Labels
Colour labels such as “new customer”, “waiting for payment” or “order shipped” help you keep track of conversations.
Catalogue
Show products or services with photos, descriptions and prices directly in WhatsApp, so customers can browse and ask about a specific item.
Make it easy for customers to write to you
- Click-to-chat link.
A link in the format wa.me followed by your number opens a chat with you directly.
Add it to your website, email signature and social media profiles. - WhatsApp button on your website.
A small button in the corner, ideally only shown during opening hours or with a clear note on response times. - QR code.
Print a QR code on flyers, menus, receipts, shop windows and vehicles. - Ads that open WhatsApp.
Facebook and Instagram ads can open a WhatsApp chat instead of a website, which works well for services where people want to ask before they buy.
What businesses use WhatsApp for
- Questions before buying.
Sizes, availability, prices and delivery times. - Bookings and appointments.
Restaurants, salons, clinics, tradespeople and tour operators use it to book and confirm. - Quotes.
Customers can send photos of a garden, a broken appliance or a room, and you can reply with a price. - Order updates.
Confirmation, shipping and delivery messages, especially through the Business Platform. - Customer service.
Questions after a purchase, returns and small problems that are easier to solve in a chat.
Three examples
A restaurant
Guests scan a QR code on the table or the website and ask about allergies, group bookings or availability tonight.
Quick replies answer the most common questions, and the menu is in the catalogue.
Bookings are confirmed in the chat, and a short reminder is sent on the day.
A tradesperson
A plumber or gardener receives photos of the problem by WhatsApp, which makes it possible to give a rough price before visiting.
Labels show which customers are waiting for a quote, which have accepted and which jobs are finished.
After the job, a short message thanks the customer and links to a review form.
A small webshop
Customers ask about sizes and delivery before buying, through a chat button on product pages.
After the order, they receive updates and can ask about returns in the same chat.
Regular customers who have opted in get a personal message when their favourite product is back in stock.
Rules for a professional tone
- Answer quickly, or at least confirm that you have seen the message.
- Write clearly and politely, even if WhatsApp feels informal.
- Use the customer’s language if you can.
- Keep emojis in line with your brand, and do not overdo them.
- Do not send voice messages to customers unless they send them first.
- Move complex cases to email or a call, and say so in the chat.
Marketing messages on WhatsApp
WhatsApp is personal, and people react quickly if they feel spammed.
Only send marketing messages to people who have clearly agreed to receive them on WhatsApp, and make it easy to stop.
WhatsApp’s own rules require opt-in, and in the EU, marketing messages also fall under consent rules.
Keep promotional messages rare and relevant, such as a personal offer to regular customers or a reminder of an event they signed up for.
Broadcast lists in the app only reach people who have saved your number, which helps prevent unwanted messages.
Privacy and data
Chats contain personal data, and sometimes sensitive information such as photos, addresses or health details.
Mention WhatsApp in your privacy policy, use a business number and device rather than private phones, and set clear rules for who in the team has access.
Delete chats and media you no longer need, and avoid asking for sensitive information over WhatsApp if another channel is safer.
When staff leave, make sure business conversations stay with the business.
Connect WhatsApp to the rest of your customer service
As conversations grow, it becomes hard to manage WhatsApp on one phone.
Many helpdesk and CRM systems can connect to the WhatsApp Business Platform, so messages from WhatsApp, your website chat, email and social media appear in one shared inbox.
The team can assign conversations, see the customer’s history and reply from a computer.
This is how we run customer service across our own websites, and it makes a big difference once there are many chats a day.
Measure the results
- Number of new conversations per week and where they came from.
- Average response time.
- How many conversations end in a booking, order or quote.
- Repeated questions that should be answered on your website instead.
Set expectations
Tell customers when you answer and how fast, for example “We reply within two hours on weekdays from 9 to 18”.
Show it in your profile, greeting message and next to the chat button on your website.
Clear expectations reduce frustration far more than trying to answer every message instantly.
Organise the team
Decide who is responsible for WhatsApp each day, who covers holidays, and which questions should be passed to a colleague.
Write short internal guidelines with your tone, standard answers and what not to share in a chat.
Review the chats now and then to see what customers ask and how the team responds.
When WhatsApp is not the right channel
Some conversations belong elsewhere.
Contracts, complaints with legal consequences, sensitive health or financial details and long technical explanations are often better handled by email, phone or a secure portal, where everything is documented properly.
Common mistakes
- Using a staff member’s private number for the business.
- A WhatsApp button on the website but nobody answering.
- No greeting or away message, so customers do not know what to expect.
- Sending promotions to everyone who ever wrote to you.
- Keeping customer data and photos on private phones.
A quick start checklist
- Install WhatsApp Business on a business phone with a business number.
- Complete the profile with logo, description, opening hours, address and website.
- Write a greeting message and an away message.
- Create quick replies for the ten most common questions.
- Add your main products or services to the catalogue.
- Put a click-to-chat link on your website, email signature and social media.
- Print a QR code for your shop, menus or vehicles.
- Agree in the team who answers, and how fast.
Need help with WhatsApp and customer service?
We set up WhatsApp Business, chat buttons, QR codes and click-to-WhatsApp ads, and we can connect WhatsApp to a shared inbox, CRM and your website.
See our CRM and customer service prices or contact us for a free chat.
