WhatsApp officially launches its app for businesses in select markets

WhatsApp today officially launched its new WhatsApp Business application in select markets, including Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, the particular U. K. and the U. S., ahead of its prepared worldwide rollout. The addition of business profiles and new messaging tools aimed at business customers is part of the company’s wider plan to generate revenue by charging larger enterprises with regard to advanced tools to communicate with customers on the platform right now used by over a billion people worldwide.

The WhatsApp Company app is the initial entry point in this market.

Aimed at small enterprises, the free app – Android-only for now – assists companies better connect with their customers and establish an official existence on WhatsApp’s service. Essentially, it’s the WhatsApp edition of a Facebook Page.

The company had previously announced typically the app’s arrival and begun verifying business accounts included in its WhatsApp Business pilot program back in September 2017. Verified accounts were given a green checkmark as a means of showing their authenticity.

Using the new WhatsApp Business app arriving today, small businesses can set up their WhatsApp Business profiles by completing information like a business description, email, address and website.

WhatsApp says people will know when they’re talking to a company because these accounts will be listed as “Business Accounts. ” Over time, some of these will become “Confirmed Accounts, ” after WhatsApp verifies the account phone number is registered with has the exact business phone number.

Once established on the WhatsApp network, companies can then use a series of tools provided by the app, such as smart messaging tools that offer similar technology as exactly what you’d find today in Facebook Messenger.


For example, the actual app offers “quick replies” that provide fast answers in order to customers’ frequently asked questions; “greeting messages” that introduce customers towards the business; and “away messages, ” that let clients know you’re busy.

Businesses will also be able to access messaging statistics, like a number of messages read, and they can deliver and receive messages from the desktop via WhatsApp Internet.

While businesses will need to use this new app to contact customers, for the general WhatsApp user, there’s no modify. They’ll be able to message businesses but can control their own experience by blocking numbers and businesses, as well as statement spam.

In addition, businesses will only be able to contact people who supplied their phone number and agreed to receive messages from the company, the company had previously said.

The Business app will, later on, be joined by an enterprise solution aimed at big businesses with a global customer base – like airlines, websites, and banks, WhatsApp had said the last drop. It didn’t announce any news regarding this solution these days, but in the past, the company said it would charge for these business tools. Presumably, they’ll be built on top of the current WhatsApp Business core product.

The organization also indicated today how critical it is to address the requirements of businesses on its service, which now reaches one 3 billion users. According to data, it cited through Morning Consult’s research, over 80 percent of small businesses within India and Brazil said that WhatsApp helps them contact customers and grow their businesses.

WhatsApp declined to express how many businesses are today active in its app when requested.

At launch, the WhatsApp Business is available as a download free on Google Play in supported markets. WhatsApp didn’t provide an ETA on when the Business app would rollout to worldwide markets beyond “the coming weeks, ” or when an iOS version would arrive.

However, the organization did confirm to us that – while it prioritized Android after researching with businesses where WhatsApp is utilized prominently – it does plan to support other platforms later on.