Using WhatsApp for Business: Marketing, Sales & Customer Support Guide

WhatsApp isn’t just for personal messaging anymore.

With over two billion users worldwide, WhatsApp has become one of the most powerful communication tools available to modern businesses — especially startups, e-commerce brands, agencies, and service providers. As the world's most popular messaging app, WhatsApp Messenger offers businesses a direct line to a massive audience and is widely recognised for its role in business communication.

WhatsApp Messenger is also the most popular social media platform globally, with over two billion active users.

If your customers are already spending hours a day inside WhatsApp, the opportunity is obvious:

Meet them where they already are.

In this guide, we’ll break down exactly how businesses can use WhatsApp professionally for:

• Marketing and promotions
• Sales conversations and lead generation
• Faster customer support
• Stronger customer relationships

And most importantly — how to set up a dedicated WhatsApp Business Number properly.

Why WhatsApp is now essential for modern businesses

Traditional customer communication is breaking down.

Email inboxes are crowded. Support tickets are slow. Phone calls are disruptive.

WhatsApp changes that completely.

It enables businesses to communicate in a way that feels:

• Instant
• Personal
• Conversational
• Trusted

That’s why WhatsApp is quickly becoming one of the highest-performing business channels available. The business benefits of WhatsApp include greater efficiency, building customer trust, and increasing sales through automation and credibility. WhatsApp is also an efficient tool for marketing, sales, and customer support throughout the entire customer journey.

Key benefits of WhatsApp for business

Businesses using WhatsApp professionally benefit from:

✅ Direct communication

Messages go straight to the customer — no spam filters, no delays.

✅ Higher engagement

WhatsApp users show exceptional engagement, with message open rates around 98% and click-through rates of up to 35%, far higher than email newsletters.

✅ Faster customer support

Customers get answers in minutes, not days.

✅ Better conversions

Promotions, reminders, and follow-ups often outperform traditional marketing channels.

Using WhatsApp can result in higher engagement and conversion rates compared to traditional email channels.

WhatsApp Business: the professional way to get started

If you want to use WhatsApp properly as a business, the best place to start is the WhatsApp Business App. WhatsApp Business is a free-to-download app available on both Android and iOS devices, offering a range of business features and additional features designed to help you work smarter, build trust, and grow your business.

The app is designed for small businesses, typically with one to five employees, and is best suited for basic use cases and low message volumes.

WhatsApp Business includes the following features free of charge:

• A professional business profile
• Automated greeting and away messages
• Quick replies for FAQs
• Labels to organise customer chats
• A product and service catalogue
• Broadcast messaging for updates and offers

Some additional features, such as integrations or advanced messaging capabilities, may be paid features. While the app is free to download and many features are free, the WhatsApp Business App lacks many business-grade features and is not suitable for businesses needing to scale their communication beyond basic functionalities.

Businesses that outgrow the WhatsApp Business App can migrate to the WhatsApp Business Platform for more advanced features.

The most important step: setting up a WhatsApp Business Number

To look professional and stay organised, most businesses choose a dedicated WhatsApp number separate from personal use. You can maintain personal accounts and your personal WhatsApp alongside your business WhatsApp account on a single device, as long as each account uses a different phone number. When setting up the WhatsApp Business app, you can restore a backup from your personal WhatsApp account if needed. Note that you can only use one phone number for either the WhatsApp Business app or the WhatsApp Business Platform at a time.

A proper WhatsApp Business Number allows you to:

• Keep business and personal messages separate
• Build trust with customers
• Respond faster as your business grows
• Create a clear customer communication channel

Get a WhatsApp Business Number

How to set up WhatsApp Business in minutes

Getting started is simple:

1. Get a dedicated WhatsApp Business Number
2. Download the WhatsApp Business app (iOS or Android)
3. Register using a dedicated business phone number
4. Create your business profile (name, website, address, category)
5. Set up greeting + away messages
6. Save quick replies for common customer questions

After setup, you can use WhatsApp Business on both mobile phones and web-based devices. However, keep in mind the limit on how many devices you can connect: each WhatsApp account is restricted to a maximum of five devices, and there is no central agent management system.

Within an hour, you can have a fully professional WhatsApp presence.

Best ways businesses use WhatsApp (real-world use cases)

WhatsApp isn’t just “support chat”.

With over 175 million people messaging a business on WhatsApp every day, business chats and WhatsApp chats have become highly effective tools for direct, secure, and interactive customer communication.

It can drive growth across your entire business.

1. WhatsApp Marketing Campaigns

Businesses use WhatsApp to send:

• New product launches
• Limited-time discounts
• Event reminders
• Re-engagement messages
• Customer feedback requests

You can also use your product catalog to showcase offerings and facilitate in-app orders, making it easy for customers to browse and purchase directly. Create a status to share an offer or news, and even take orders and payments in-app to create a great customer experience. "Click-to-WhatsApp" ads can drive customer initiation by placing buttons in Facebook and Instagram ads that open WhatsApp threads.

Because WhatsApp is conversational, marketing feels personal — not spammy.

2. Sales & Lead Generation

WhatsApp is perfect for turning enquiries into customers.

You can handle:

• Lead qualification
• Quoting and pricing conversations
• Appointment booking
• Personal follow-ups

With the WhatsApp Business App, you can organise and sort conversations to easily identify new customers and manage your workflow more efficiently. Personalising interactions by using the customer’s name and referencing past conversations helps to build stronger relationships and increase conversion rates.

Sales happens faster when customers can reply instantly.

3. Customer Support & Service

WhatsApp is now one of the most customer-friendly support channels available.

Use it for:

• Order updates
• Returns and refunds
• FAQs and troubleshooting
• Booking confirmations
• Escalating complex support issues
• Managing and prioritising important conversations to ensure timely responses

With the WhatsApp Business API, you can receive messages directly into your support platform, enabling seamless communication and real-time notifications.

A human-bot hybrid approach lets you handle routine inquiries with chatbots, while complex issues are transferred to live agents for personalised support.

Businesses that use WhatsApp report that their interactions are friendlier compared to other communication channels.

Customers increasingly expect support via messaging, not ticket queues.

Built-in tools that make WhatsApp Business powerful

WhatsApp Business includes features designed to save time: you can quickly organize customer conversations, labels, and messages, and configure business tools in the app to improve customer interactions.

Automated Messages

Instant greetings, away replies, and response expectations.

Quick Replies

Reusable answers for FAQs like opening hours or pricing.

Labels

Organise chats like:

• New enquiry
• Paid customer
• Support issue
• Follow-up needed

Labels in the WhatsApp Business App help you quickly organize chats and easily identify new customers, making it simpler to manage your workflow. You can create labels for your contacts and sort conversations, allowing you to streamline operations and improve customer support.

Business Profile

A complete profile builds credibility instantly by showcasing your business information, contact details, and branding. It also provides a secure platform for customer interactions, ensuring privacy and professionalism. Business verification on WhatsApp adds a green checkmark to your profile, further enhancing trust and legitimacy with your customers.

Using WhatsApp Business for International Audiences

Expanding your business beyond borders has never been easier, thanks to the WhatsApp Business app. With its free international messaging feature, you can connect with customers around the world without worrying about extra costs or complicated setups. The WhatsApp Business app is available in multiple languages, making it simple to engage with diverse audiences and provide more valuable customer connections, no matter where your customers are located.

By leveraging the WhatsApp Business Platform, businesses can manage communication across multiple users and devices, ensuring more responsive customer support for international clients. This business platform allows you to optimize performance and streamline conversations, so your team can deliver consistent, high-quality service globally. Whether you’re a startup looking to reach new markets or an established business aiming to strengthen your international presence, WhatsApp Business is the ideal app to help you build valuable customer connections and deliver responsive customer support—anywhere in the world.

WhatsApp Business and Customer Loyalty

Building long-term loyalty is essential for any business, and the WhatsApp Business app offers powerful tools to help you achieve just that. With a professional business profile and business category, you can establish credibility and make it easy for customers to find and trust your business. The app’s automated messages and quick replies ensure that every customer receives timely, personalized responses, fostering a sense of reliability and care.

WhatsApp Business also enables you to send targeted offers and create ads directly within the app, helping you engage customers with relevant promotions and updates. By consistently delivering value and maintaining open, friendly communication, you can create memorable experiences that keep customers coming back. Use WhatsApp Business to build long-term loyalty, strengthen relationships, and turn every message into an opportunity to delight your customers.

Best Practices for Using WhatsApp Business

To unlock the full potential of your WhatsApp Business account, it’s important to follow best practices that enhance customer communication and drive results. Start by creating a professional business profile that clearly showcases your brand, business address, and contact details. Use automated messages and quick replies to respond promptly to customer inquiries, and send targeted offers or marketing messages to keep your audience engaged.

Stay up to date with WhatsApp’s policies and guidelines, especially when it comes to marketing messages and customer communication. Regularly monitor your performance using WhatsApp Manager to identify trends, optimise your approach, and boost sales. By leveraging features like creating ads, sending targeted offers, and building long-term loyalty, you can turn every WhatsApp message into a valuable business opportunity. Work smarter, not harder—use your WhatsApp Business account to create meaningful connections, drive sales, and build long-term loyalty with your customers.

Common mistakes businesses make with WhatsApp

To get the most out of WhatsApp, avoid these common issues:

❌ Using a personal number instead of a business number

❌ No clear structure for responding to enquiries

❌ Sending generic broadcasts with no targeting

❌ Losing track of chats without labels or organisation

❌ Treating WhatsApp like email instead of conversation

WhatsApp works best when communication is fast, relevant, and human.

Final takeaway: WhatsApp is the future of customer communication

WhatsApp has become one of the most effective tools for modern business growth.

It helps businesses deliver:

• Faster service
• Higher engagement
• Stronger relationships
• More conversions
• Better customer experience

The foundation is simple:

Set up a dedicated WhatsApp Business Number and start communicating professionally.

Ready to use WhatsApp professionally?

If you want to set up WhatsApp properly for your business — with a dedicated number, professional presence, and the right structure from day one:

https://www.hoxtonmix.com/whatsapp-business-number/

FAQ

Is WhatsApp Business free?

Yes — the WhatsApp Business app is free to download and use.

Do I need a separate phone number?

Yes. Each WhatsApp Business account requires its own unique number.

Can WhatsApp replace email support?

For many businesses, yes — WhatsApp is faster, more personal, and preferred by customers.

What’s the best way to start?

Set up your business profile, automate basic replies, and create a dedicated business number.