WhatsApp for business has been in the highlights for a long time. Now, more details about WhatsApp Business have surfaced online. It will give us the first look at the features WhatsApp is going to provide to various businesses.
WhatsApp had officially announced about its Business app feature which will allow users and businesses to communicate with each other using the messaging platform. While the feature is in the testing phase, it has been found by an Android Police reader that the service will be introduced as a separate app instead of a feature within the existing app.
It is said that the service will be launched as an app dubbed as WhatsApp Business. WhatsApp users need to register for WhatsApp Business with a mobile number. The WhatsApp Business will have the same layout as the messaging platform with a search bar and Settings icon on top.
Further, there will be similar tabs for Calls, Chats and Status. Next, under the Settings option, you will find some additions such as Business Settings and Statistics. The Business Settings let you edit your profile. With the Statistics option, you can see the numbers of sent, delivered, read and received messages.
You can set the business name, location, verified or unverified badge, email address, website, and business description in the business settings. Also, there is an option to choose a category of your business. Some of the options include clothing & apparel, entertainment, finance & banking, public & government service etc.
With the Business Settings feature users will also be able to send the automated messages to the customers. The option allows users to set an ‘away’ status and save a custom message with both text and emojis. So, when the clients try to reach them, they will get an automated response. Businesses can also set a start and end time and date.
Currently, BookMyShow and Goibibo are a few businesses among others in India that have been testing WhatsApp Business account for some time now. They are utilizing the WhatsApp Business account to share tickets with their customers.
For now, it looks like WhatsApp Business will also have basic features like its existing app. However, we can expect more to come as the app is in the beta testing phase now. Still, if you run a business and wish to sign up for WhatsApp Business immediately, you have to fill up this survey, and then download the app from APK Mirror.