Have you ever wondered how you can convert WhatsApp to a Business Account? Learn this with our ultimate step-by-step guide and transform your business. With almost 65 billion messages that are daily exchanged on WhatsApp, it’s clear that as a business owner, WhatsApp is THE place to promote your products and services! Here’s how you can do it.
What is WhatsApp Business?
WhatsApp Business was introduced at the beginning of 2018 and it is basically an upgraded version of WhatsApp, but designed for business owners. In this article, we will dive into the process of how you can convert WhatsApp to a Business Account ( no worries, we also provide information on how you can easily create your WhatsApp Business account from scratch), optimise its use, and enjoy the benefits it has to offer. Therefore, let’s have a deeper look into how you can convert from personal WhatsApp to Business Account.
Which criteria is required to convert WhatsApp to a Business Account?
In order to be eligible for a Business Account, your company should meet the following criteria:
- Your company must be a legal entity
- You must legally have the authority to represent your company
- You should own an active phone number which is designated to your company’s labour
For a smooth switch of your WhatsApp into a Business account, there are few further technical requirements you need to know about such as: an active SIM card on your smartphone ( iPhone or Android), high-speed internet connection, high storage space and downloading of the latest, updated version of WhatsApp Business.
Comprehensive guide: How to convert WhatsApp to a Business Account
Follow this Ultimate step-by-step Guide we put together and ensure that you successfully switch from your personal WhatsApp Account to a WhatsApp Business Account.
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Step 1: Create a Backup of your WhatsApp Messenger Account
Before you switch to a WhatsApp Business Account, you should take into consideration backing up your personal data and chats. For this, open your WhatsApp app, go to “Settings” > “Chats” > “Chat Backup”, and create a backup to your cloud or local storage.
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Step 2: Download WhatsApp Business App
Open your Apple Store or Google Play Store and download the WhatsApp Business app. Once installed, open the app and begin the setup process.
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Step 3: Verify your Phone Number
During this step, WhatsApp Business app will automatically identify your current phone number, and will ask you to verify it. Note that in order to use WhatsApp Business for commercial purposes, you need to “Agree” with WhatsApp’s terms of service and “Continue”.
Perhaps, you were wondering if you can continue with the same number that you are actively using for your normal WhatsApp? Yes, it’s possible, but only after you have first deleted it of your personal WhatsApp account (only in this way you can proceed to change it into a business number). Then, enter the phone number that you have previously deleted of your personal WhatsApp into WhatsApp Business and the app will send a verification code via SMS or call. Fill in the 6-digit verification code to proceed with the WhatsApp business account verification. Additionally, if you are thinking of using your personal WhatsApp number separately from your business endeavors, then DoveHero Number Provider is the solution for you. Keep reading to discover how!
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Step 4: Restore the Backup of your personal data and chat history
After you have verified your phone number, you will be able to restore your chat history from the backup created in Step 1. Next, you can select the file from your cloud or local storage and follow the steps that WhatsApp Business will provide. Ensure that you smoothly restore your personal chats and data.
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Step 5. Set up your Business Profile
To make your WhatsApp Business profile look professional and trustworthy, you should have in mind filling out these elements :
- Profile Picture: Use your business logo.
- Business Description: Provide a clear and concise description of your business.
- Contact Information: Include your business email, address, and website.
- Catalog: If applicable, add products or services to your catalog for customers to browse through.
Quick reminder here! If you want to make your business seem legit, it’s important for you to know that you must provide accurate and precise information about your business. Otherwise, you can risk losing the trust of your customers and the possibly of your business being active on WhatsApp – by getting temporarily banned by Meta.
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Step 6. Customise your Business Account
Once you have restored your chats and data, you can move on to setting up your business profile. Simply add your business name, upload your brand’s logo, and provide a brief description of your business, services or products. Your customers can easily access this information, as it will be visible on your WhatsApp Business account.
Furthermore, you can personalise your business account directly within WhatsApp Business app, by accessing the “Settings”. Here you should add helpful information about your business such as elements that can showcase your brand’s identity (your business hours, location, email address) or other relevant details that enable customers to quickly reach out to you.
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Step 7. Leverage Business Features
Congratulations! You have successfully converted to a WhatsApp Business Account. Start by exploring all innovative features available in WhatsApp Business. Engage better with customers, provide timely support, and exponentially grow your business.
Now, you will be able to learn how to automate welcoming messages for your customers, create auto-replies for moments when you are unavailable, make catalogs for showcasing your products or services and gather statistics to help you improve your marketing strategy. In this way, you can efficiently streamline your interactions with customers, enhance customer satisfaction and experience.
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Step 8. Let your contacts know about the switch
As soon as you done with setting up your WhatsApp Business account, we recommend you to send out a single message to all of your customers, and notify them about your number change. In such manner, you can effortlessly avoid any misunderstandings or questions that may arise.
Convert to WhatsApp Business API with DoveHero
If you need more advanced features than WhatsApp Business can offer, then choosing a WhatsApp business API provider such as DoveHero is the winning solution.
DoveHero is the ultimate game-changer for revolutionising your marketing efforts. Whether you are thinking of boosting your business performance or saving precious time with sending unlimited messages to your clients, DoveHero can empower your business to streamline customer interactions, automate processes and drive sales. Besides this, we have strategically combined WhatsApp, SMS and Email Marketing in our platform, to help you maximise your communication potential and create an undeniable successful strategy.
Teaming up with us can enable your business to unlock the power of all our tools and expertise. We provide a wide range of features such as campaigns creation and management, A/B split test for your messages, integrations with your workflows, innovative AI tools and gather valuable statistics to help you tailor your campaigns upon your audience’s behaviour and needs.
What’s needed for setting up my account with DoveHero?
The only thing needed is an Email and a WhatsApp Business phone number (don’t worry if you don’t have one, we also are WhatsApp Number Providers), so you can send your Emails, SMS and WhatsApp messages at any moment and from anywhere you might be. In case you want to use your personal WhatsApp number, you will have to delete it of WhatsApp first. If you are wondering why, check out our frequently asked questions section.
DoveHero provides a useful alternative to this, because we have partnered up with a virtual number provider to supply you with a WhatsApp Business outreach number and for small added cost. When you sign up for our free trial, we will guide you through all technicalities of our onboarding process, in order for you to complete your account validation within no more than 5 minutes.
How to set up my WhatsApp Business Number with DoveHero?
The process of setting up your WhatsApp Business Number with DoveHero is very simple. As part of our onboarding journey, you will easily find the steps on how to do it. However, if you ever want to change the details, you can always go and edit your information from your profile settings. If you are encountering difficulties or have any questions, remember that you can always reach out to our team. We’ll be happy to assist you anytime.
What if my customer will be confused with the number switch?
Your customers will be able to see on your WhatsApp Business account the display of your brand’s logo, along with the company name, so you erase any misunderstanding about whether or not this is your official business number. Once verified, you will learn the numerous benefits the account switch has for your business, as you will also receive a verified green checkmark from Meta. They take the responsibility for underscoring and supporting your company’s officiality in front of your customers. If you think that it could cause any problems, we recommend that you broadcast a standard message to all of your customers describing your number change.
Are there any limitations for the number of messages I can send through WhatsApp Business?
WhatsApp Business imposes certain limitations on message volumes and sending frequency to maintain a high-quality user experience. It’s recommended to review WhatsApp’s guidelines to ensure compliance and avoid potential restrictions. We will do our best to support you in this process, even with the restrictions set by Meta – so if you need any help, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
However, take into consideration these few limitations:
- Messaging Limit: There are tiers that limit the number of messages you can send daily. These are designed to encourage businesses to send high-quality messages that recipients find useful.
- Cost: According to our pricing list, a very small fee for using DoveHero WhatsApp API: https://dovehero.ai/conversation-pricing/.
What can DoveHero do for you?
DoveHero not only simplifies the creation and management of your WhatsApp Campaigns, but also allows you to craft your winning strategy by combining WhatsApp, Email and SMS campaigns, all streamlined under the same platform.
Here are some of the things you can do to drive business growth and nurture long-lasting customer relationships with us:
- Set up automated responses for frequently asked questions or inquiries. This will save you time and provide a quick response to your customers.
- Organise your chats by using labels and filters to easily categorise and prioritise conversations. It will help you stay organised and respond to important messages promptly.
- Send out messages in bulk to thousands of contacts and at once using broadcast lists. Offer exclusive deals and promotions via WhatsApp to engage with customers.
- Leverage the various tools available on DoveHero such as the catalog feature for showcasing your products or services, and allow your customer to receive order updates directly within WhatsApp.
- Use WhatsApp campaigns to target specific customer segments and drive conversions.
- Nurture quality customer experiences by asking for feedback. Provide prompt personalised responses to build a strong relationship with them.
- Keep track of your WhatsApp campaigns performance metrics, such as response time and message volume. Identify areas that need optimisation to ensure that you provide a high level of customer service.
Transforming B2B Relationships with DoveHero
To summarise, using DoveHero WhatsApp Business API is a powerful strategy if you want to take your business to the next level. By leveraging the power of technology and data analytics, DoveHero enables companies to automate their processes, improve customer experience, and ultimately thrive in an increasingly competitive market. Showcasing numerous features, this marketing tool provides a complete solution for businesses that want to transform their B2B relationships from transactional to strategic partnerships.
Sign up for our free trial today and explore the potential of DoveHero. Streamline your customer communication strategy and embrace our innovative solutions for long-term success.