WhatsApp Business is a free app designed specifically for small businesses, catering to SME owners, online retailers, local merchants, and any commercial users who wish to communicate with customers through WhatsApp. It offers a platform for effective communication with customers and management of business operations. Beyond simple communication, it also provides many professional tools to help merchants create business profiles, automate messages, and provide customer support.
Comparison Between WhatsApp Personal and Business Accounts
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Target User Group:
WhatsApp Personal Account: Aimed at individual users for everyday social communication.
WhatsApp Business Account: Tailored for business owners, merchants, and brands for commercial communication and customer service.
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Account Settings:
WhatsApp Personal Account: Provides basic personal information settings, such as name, status, and profile picture.
WhatsApp Business Account: Allows for more detailed business information including company name, address, business hours, website, email, and company overview.
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Message Automation:
WhatsApp Personal Account: Lacks auto-reply functionality.
WhatsApp Business Account: Offers auto-reply features, including welcome messages, offline messages, and quick replies to enhance customer response efficiency.
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Tag Management:
WhatsApp Personal Account: Does not offer message categorization and tag management.
WhatsApp Business Account: Allows the use of tags to organize and manage customer conversations, facilitating tracking of customer interaction and order status.
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Analytics:
WhatsApp Personal Account: Does not offer message analytics.
WhatsApp Business Account: Provides basic analytics such as sent, delivered, read, and received messages to help businesses understand customer interactions.
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API Access:
WhatsApp Personal Account: Lacks API access and cannot integrate with other business systems.
WhatsApp Business Account: Through WhatsApp Business API, businesses can integrate WhatsApp with CRM systems, customer support software, etc., for more advanced automation and customer service.
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Multi-User Support:
WhatsApp Personal Account: Typically supports single-device login.
WhatsApp Business Account: Through WhatsApp Business API, multiple users can manage the same business account simultaneously, suitable for team collaboration. However, the basic WhatsApp Business account can only be logged in on four devices. If you need access on 10 devices, you need to subscribe to WhatsApp's multi-agent service, which requires an additional fee and is subscription-based.
| Without Multi-Agent | With Multi-Agent |
|---|---|
| Login on up to 4 devices simultaneously | Login on up to 10 devices simultaneously |
| Assign names to connected devices | Assign names to connected devices |
| Assign conversations to agents | |
| View the device or agent that sent a message |
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Message Broadcasting:
WhatsApp Personal Account: Supports sending broadcast messages but with a limited number of recipients, up to 256 users.
WhatsApp Business Account: Business accounts can achieve broader message broadcasting through API but must adhere to WhatsApp's rules and limitations.
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User Trust and Verification:
WhatsApp Personal Account: No official verification process.
WhatsApp Business Account: Can obtain an official verification mark to increase user trust in the brand.
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Customer Interaction:
WhatsApp Personal Account: More inclined towards informal communication with friends and family.
WhatsApp Business Account: Can customize exclusive WhatsApp links, providing a more formal customer service and interaction channel, which helps maintain a professional image.
| Without WhatsApp Web | With WhatsApp Web |
|---|---|
| Link depends on your phone number | Link is customizable and easy to remember |
| Web page includes your business name and personal photo | Web page is indexable and includes your business name, personal photo, business hours, address, website, catalog, etc. |
| Enables easy creation and management of professional web pages |
How to Transfer WhatsApp Personal Account Information to a Business Account
If you want to transfer chat information from a WhatsApp personal account to a business account, you first need to back up in the personal account. For a detailed tutorial, refer to this article: How to Backup and Restore WhatsApp Chat Information (salesmartly.com)
After completing the backup, you can proceed to download the WhatsApp Business application from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. During the registration process, the WhatsApp Business app can automatically identify the phone number bound to the personal version of WhatsApp on the phone.
If you need to use both accounts, you can register them separately and then integrate them through SaleSmartly. SaleSmartly seamlessly connects both accounts, allowing businesses to manage all customer interactions from a unified interface.
With SaleSmartly, businesses can not only monitor daily conversations in personal accounts but also effectively manage customer service, marketing activities, and automation processes in business accounts. This integration speeds up response times, optimizes customer experience, and ensures consistency and professionalism of information.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can customers tell if I am using a business account or a personal account?
Yes, business accounts can set more detailed business information and may obtain an official verification mark, making it clear for customers to distinguish between business and personal accounts.
Can business accounts send advertising or marketing messages?
Yes, but they must adhere to WhatsApp's rules and policies to ensure that they do not send spam or misuse the broadcasting function.
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