Types of WhatsApp and Which One Should You Use?

In today's digital era, if you're not leveraging WhatsApp for marketing, you might be missing out on a significant slice of your audience. But here's the catch – effective WhatsApp marketing isn't just about being present; it's about choosing the right type of WhatsApp account that aligns perfectly with your marketing needs. With WhatsApp's diverse offerings, it can be a maze to navigate through the different account types, especially when you're just dipping your toes into the vast ocean of WhatsApp marketing. Fear not, in this guide, we'll unravel the various WhatsApp account types, helping you pinpoint the one that's a perfect match for your business. Stay tuned as we embark on this journey to simplify your WhatsApp marketing strategy!

What are the Types of WhatsApp Accounts?

Understanding the different types of WhatsApp accounts is crucial for leveraging this platform effectively. So without further ado... let's jump right into it!

There are three types of WhatsApp accounts:

1. Personal WhatsApp account​

2. WhatsApp Business Account​

3. Official WhatsApp Business Account​

Let's delve into what each type offers, its features, and its benefits.

Personal WhatsApp account

The Personal WhatsApp Account is the familiar everyday tool that most of us use to communicate with friends and family. Installing and using is even fairly simple, requiring nothing more than a smartphone, the WhatsApp app, and your phone number to get started.

Key Features & Benefits:

• Simple Messaging: Designed for effortless communication, it allows you to stay in touch with friends and family.
• Personal Communication: Ideal for one-on-one interactions, making it perfect for personal use.

Here is a quick guide to WhatsApp business greeting messages with examples & best practices: Click Here to Access

Also, you can download these templates HERE

WhatsApp Business Account

Designed for small businesses, the WhatsApp Business Account helps separate your professional life from your personal one. Available for free, it's the perfect WhatsApp platform for engaging with up to a thousand customers per month. Key features include a customizable Business Profile, away and greeting messages, quick replies for efficient customer interactions, and conversation labels for organizational ease. Additionally, the catalogue feature showcases your products or services, and the ability to send broadcast messages keeps your customers informed. This account strikes the right balance between personal touch and professional management, making it ideal for small businesses looking to enhance their customer communication on WhatsApp.

Features 

• Business Profile 
• Catalogue 
• Quick Replies 
• Greeting Message 
• Away Message 
• Message Labels 
• Short Link

Most of these features can be found in the "Business Tools" section. You can navigate there by tapping⋮ > More options > Business tools in the top right corner of your WhatsApp Business App.

Now let's talk about each of these features in detail.

Business Profile

Craft a comprehensive business profile on WhatsApp to provide your customers with essential information such as your business address, description, email, and website link. This serves as the first point of interaction and helps in building trust.

Catalog Feature

Leverage the catalogue feature to showcase your offerings, allowing you to list up to 500 products or services directly on your profile. This not only makes it convenient for customers to browse and learn about your products but also facilitates easy sharing among their networks, potentially widening your customer reach.

Quick Replies

Enhance your response efficiency with quick replies, which are pre-set messages for common queries. This feature supports not just text, but also GIFs, images, and videos, allowing for a more engaging and faster communication process.

Greeting Messages

Set up WhatsApp greeting message to automatically welcome new customers or re-engage those who haven't interacted with your chat for over 14 days. You have the flexibility to target these messages based on customer segments, such as 

• Everyone: Send the greeting message to anyone who messages you
• Everyone not in your address book: Send the greeting message to contacts that aren't in your contact list
• Everyone except: Send the greeting message to all numbers except a select few.
• Only send to: Send the greeting message to select recipients

Away Messages

Configure away messages to automatically inform your customers when you are unavailable. These messages can be customized to activate during specific hours or in response to select contacts, ensuring continuous communication even when you're not actively managing chats.

Message Labels

Organize your chats and customers effectively with labels. These can be colour-coded for easy identification and applied to entire conversations or specific messages, helping you manage your business communications with greater ease.

Short Link

The short link feature provides you with a unique URL that opens a direct chat with your business when accessed. This link, automatically generated upon setting up your account, can be shared to facilitate easier initiation of conversations by customers, enhancing accessibility to your business. Your short link can be found under the "reach more customers" section in Business Tools. 

​Each of the above features is designed to streamline communication and enhance customer engagement, making the WhatsApp Business app an essential tool for small businesses looking to expand their digital presence.

Note: 

Please note that a single phone number cannot be simultaneously linked to both a personal WhatsApp account and a WhatsApp Business account. Should you choose to open a WhatsApp Business account using a number currently associated with a personal account, you will be prompted to transfer your existing account information, including chat history and media, to the newly created WhatsApp Business account.

Limitations of the WhatsApp Business App

While the WhatsApp Business app serves as a robust platform for small businesses, it does come with its own set of limitations, particularly for medium to large enterprises looking to expand their reach and streamline customer communication. Here are some challenges commonly faced:

Broadcast Limits: Although you can create unlimited broadcast lists, each list is restricted to 256 contacts. This limitation poses a significant hurdle for businesses aiming to communicate with a larger audience or market their products more broadly.

​No WhatsApp Chatbots: The WhatsApp Business app does not provide support for chatbots. This limitation is a significant challenge for businesses aiming to automate customer interactions and provide instant responses to inquiries, thereby affecting the efficiency and scalability of customer service operations.

​No Team Inbox Feature: Additionally, the absence of a unified team inbox feature within the app makes it difficult for businesses to collaboratively manage customer communications. This can lead to fragmented customer service experiences, as there is no centralized platform for multiple team members to view and respond to customer messages cohesively.

Device and Account Restrictions: The app restricts usage to one business account per device. This becomes problematic for businesses with multiple team members responsible for customer communications, as it can lead to disjointed conversations and customer service challenges.

Limited Automation Capabilities: While the app offers basic automation features like quick replies and away messages, it falls short of providing the advanced automation needed for managing comprehensive FAQs and customer interactions. This lack of higher-level automation can impede the ability to offer timely and consistent responses.

​Integration Challenges: For seamless operation, larger businesses often require their communication tools to integrate with existing business systems, such as CRM software. The WhatsApp Business app's limited integration capabilities can hinder the efficiency of business operations and customer data management.

These limitations underscore the need for medium to large businesses to consider more sophisticated solutions, such as the WhatsApp Business API, which offers enhanced capabilities tailored to the demands of large-scale operations.

Schedule a demo to see DoubleTick in action.

WhatsApp Business API

The WhatsApp Business API is different from a regular app because it doesn't come with its own front-end interface. It works as a programming interface that allows you to connect to WhatsApp API’s endpoint. This allows larger businesses to integrate their business systems such as CRM and marketing platforms directly with WhatsApp API. 

Tailored for growing and large businesses, the WhatsApp Business API offers additional advanced features. It lets you set up WhatsApp automation, team inbox, unlimited WhatsApp broadcast, send various notifications like transactional messages, shipping updates, abandoned cart alerts, order statuses, and collect feedback or product reviews. This makes it a powerful tool for businesses that need to communicate with many customers on a large scale.

Wanna know about WhatsApp Business API in detail? Here is your 2024 Ultimate Guide to WhatsApp Business API - Click Here to Read

Key Features

Here are some of the key features of the WhatsApp Business API platform:

• Leverage shared team inbox where multiple team members can manage customer communications at the same time
• ​Send unlimited WhatsApp broadcasts to saved and unsaved contacts​
• Send interactive messages with carousels, quick reply buttons, cards, and more
• Setup WhatsApp chatbots and automate your customer queries 
• Setup high-level WhatsApp automation and respond to customer queries in seconds
• Send alerts and reminders, promote products and services, and all kinds of business notifications
• Track real-time analytics and KPIs of team members and your WhatsApp marketing campaigns 
• Seamlessly integrate with third-party apps, CRM, and marketing platforms
• ​Green tick verified WhatsApp Business profile​

To be able to leverage these features you'd need a WhatsApp API platform like DoubleTick. We are one of the top WhatsApp Business API solution providers that offer all the above pre-build features in a single platform that empowers your sales team to sell more in less time. With DoubleTick you can send bulk WhatsApp broadcasts to unlimited saved and unsaved contacts, set up smart WhatsApp automation, leverage our AI-powered WhatsApp chatbots to automate customer queries, take advantage of our order booking bot to receive orders on WhatsApp, send order status alerts, abandoned cart recovery notifications, collect customer feedback, product review requests, and more.

Here is your one-stop guide to WhatsApp Broadcast: Click To Read

Which WhatsApp Platform is Best for You?

If you're just starting up, perhaps selling a few items each month, using your personal WhatsApp account can be quite easy and handy. But as your business begins to grow and the volume of sales increases, you might find that this setup no longer meets your needs. At this point, upgrading to a WhatsApp Business account becomes crucial. This version is crafted to segregate your personal and professional conversations, providing a more structured and professional way to communicate with an expanding customer base.

As your business continues to scale and aims to reach a wider market, the logical progression is to move to the WhatsApp Business API. This platform is designed with growing businesses in mind, offering sophisticated features that facilitate a more efficient management of customer interactions. The WhatsApp Business API enables the use of automation in marketing, sales, and customer service, helping to maintain high engagement levels with your audience, which in turn, can significantly boost conversions and sales.

In essence, starting with a Personal WhatsApp Account is just the beginning of your digital communication journey. As your business requirements evolve, transitioning to WhatsApp API is the best idea to meet the growing demands of your business.

Key Factors to Consider While Choosing the Right Type of WhatsApp Account for Your Business

​When choosing the right WhatsApp account for your business, it's crucial to understand how it aligns with your business needs. WhatsApp offers varied account types to suit different stages of business growth, from personal use to advanced business features through the WhatsApp Business API. Here’s what to consider when deciding:

1. Business Size: For solo entrepreneurs selling a few items monthly, a personal WhatsApp account is sufficient. However, as your customer interactions increase, upgrade to a WhatsApp Business account for better segregation of personal and professional chats. For businesses serving a larger audience, the WhatsApp Business API is recommended.

2. User Management: A personal account supports single-user access, while the WhatsApp Business account allows for up to four linked devices. For broader team collaboration, the WhatsApp Business API provides a shared team inbox feature for multiple users.

3. Cost Considerations: Both the WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business apps are free. The WhatsApp Business API, however, involves costs per conversation, varying by the chosen template and the platform fee as per the solution provider.

4. Automation Needs: If your business requires automation for customer support, sales, or marketing, the WhatsApp Business API is the best choice, offering extensive automation capabilities beyond the basic quick replies and away messages of the Business account.

5. Order Management: For handling orders directly through WhatsApp, the WhatsApp Business API is ideal. With DoubleTick's order booking commerce bot, you can receive orders on the go and send real-time order status to the customers.

6. Scalability: You can upgrade from a personal to a business account, and then to a WhatsApp Business API account as your business grows. However, downgrading requires account deletion and re-registration, so plan your growth strategy accordingly.

7. ​Technical Resources: Implementing the WhatsApp Business API may require technical resources for setup and maintenance. Consider whether your business has access to such resources or if you need to partner with a WhatsApp API solution provider like DoubleTick.
   

​Choosing the right type of WhatsApp account hinges on understanding these key factors and aligning them with your business objectives and operational capabilities.

From the Editors Desk:
- Benefits of Integrating WhatsApp Marketing Software with CRM

- Everything You Need To Know About WhatsApp CRM
​
- Top 10 WhatsApp CRM Software Compared: 2024 Ultimate Guide​

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Up next let's explore how to get access to WhatsApp Business API?

How to Get WhatsApp API?

There are two ways to get access to WhatsApp API:

1. Directly Through Meta​

2. Through a WhatsApp API Solution Provider Like DoubleTick​

Let's talk about the pros and cons of each in detail.

Directly Through Meta

You can directly apply for the official WhatsApp Business API from Meta but going down this path isn’t particularly efficient. If you're a mid-scale company you'd need a developer to set up the API which is too labour-intensive, technically challenging and time-consuming. However, this allows for more customization and control over your integration.

With this option, you only pay for the service you use and can also scale the product in-house as your business grows.

In terms of support, you'll get limited technical support from the Meta team and you'll have to rely on your own resources or seek help from online communities if you encounter any issues.

Of all the cons, One of the major disadvantages is that Meta doesn't support Indian credit cards making it difficult for Indian businesses to avail the service directly. 

Here are the easy ways to add WhatsApp to your website for FREE: Click HERE to Read

Get It Through a WhatsApp API Solution Provider

Going with a WhatsApp solution partner is one of the best and easiest ways to get access to WhatsApp API. Your WhatsApp solution partner, like DoubleTick, will get quick approval and can swiftly set up the WhatsApp Business API platform for you. For instance, with DoubleTick, the process takes between two to three days. 

At DoubleTick, we’ll handle the entire setup process for you so that you can access pre-build and ready-to-use advanced features like bulk broadcasting, WhatsApp chatbots, order booking bots, campaign and team analytics, differentiated WABA numbers, custom integrations with any third-party business tools you use and much more. With DoubleTick the possibilities to scale your business are endless. 

For Indian businesses, DoubleTick can work as a charm as we can manage billing with Meta on your behalf, and offer much more flexibility in terms of payment options. This way, you can easily manage your budget and have a more efficient billing process. You can pay via a wide range of payment gateways—Stripe, Razorpay, Worldpay, and more—depending on what’s easiest for you.

We also support you with dedicated AM, handholding till you get through the product features and use cases, and 24x7 support via phone call, WhatsApp, or email. We also have direct connections with Meta’s support team that can help resolve any technical issues quickly and efficiently.

How To Get DoubleTick?

​Kindly email us at grow@quicksell.co or Click the Below Banner to get a FREE DEMO to learn about our product offering, features and pricing plans.

Now transform WhatsApp into the ultimate sales engine to delight customers and drive revenue with DoubleTick!

👉 Get Your Free DEMO Now 👈

Or Download the application from the Playstore or Appstore

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Why DoubleTick?

If you're looking for the best MarCom tool that can send unlimited messages to your customers on WhatsApp without getting blocked then DoubleTick is the best business solution for you. Here are a few of the top reasons to sign up with DoubleTick WhatsApp API. 

• Super intuitive, easy to use and mobile-friendly.
• ​Bulk broadcast your messages and catalogue to unlimited saved and unsaved contacts.
• Automate WhatsApp marketing by scheduling your broadcast messages.
• Stay on top of your WhatsApp marketing campaign with real-time analytics and detailed reports to track your metrics and fine-tune your approach.
• Single WhatsApp number for your entire company with a cloud-based team inbox and role-based access.
• End-to-end automated catalogue sharing and order booking via AI-powered commerce BOT.
• WhatsApp automation via AI-powered active WhatsApp chatbot that can answer customers’ queries, send automated anniversaries & birthday wishes, abandoned cart notifications, pending balance reminders, bills and all kinds of alerts to customers.
• Choose your favourite tools such as Shopify, Zapier, Google Sheets, WooCommerce etc. and integrate them with DoubleTick in just a few clicks.
• Differentiated WABA numbers cater to cross-functional teams, ensuring specialized handling of diverse business operations.
• Block unwanted messages and maintain the quality of your business interactions.
• Number masking so that your customer data is saved with you.
• Integrate personalised URLs with your communications and track the click rate in real-time. 
• 24/7 Customer support is available on call, WhatsApp or email.

Read more about DoubleTick here - What is DoubleTick and How This Could Be Your Greatest WhatsApp Marketing and Sales Tool

How to Get DoubleTick for FREE?

Step 1: Download the DoubleTick App

Navigate to the Play Store or Apple Store and download DoubleTick. You can also download the app here:

iPhone Users: Download Here

Android Users: Download Here

Step 2: Sign Up for a Free Demo Account

Before you commit, we want you to experience the power of DoubleTick firsthand. Sign up with DoubleTick and access the platform, where you can explore and test the features of the product.

Looking to get WhatsApp Business API for FREE?
​CLICK HERE to know how to get WhatsApp Business API for Free

Wrapping Up!

In essence, for businesses eager to actively use WhatsApp as a marketing and sales channel, opting for the WhatsApp Business API is highly recommended. Leveraging tools like DoubleTick even simplifies the journey. From registration and creating your business profile to setting up your WhatsApp catalogue and automating communications via WhatsApp chatbots we'll take care of everything. We'll also ensure you've a seamless experience in selling and engaging with your customers on WhatsApp.

Check DoubleTick Pricing HERE

WhatsApp Business API Conversation Cost Explained: Click Here to Access the Guide

Frequently Asked Question

Question: How to create a WhatsApp account?

Answer: Please follow the below steps to create a WhatsApp account:

1. Download the App: Start by downloading the WhatsApp application from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store on your smartphone.
2. Open WhatsApp: Once installed, open the app and agree to the Terms of Service.
3. Verify Your Phone Number: Enter your phone number when prompted. WhatsApp will send a verification code via SMS to this number. Enter the code to verify your account.
4. Set Up Profile: You can now set up your profile by adding your name and a profile picture if you wish.
5. Start Messaging: With your account set up, you're ready to start messaging your contacts who are also on WhatsApp.

Question: ​How to create a WhatsApp Business account?

Answer: Please follow the below steps to create a WhatsApp Business account:

1. Download the App: Download the WhatsApp Business app from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
2. Verify Your Business Phone Number: Open the app and enter your business phone number, then verify it with the code sent via SMS.
3. Set Up Your Business Profile: Fill in your business details, including the business name, category, description, email, and website. Adding a profile picture (logo) is also recommended to make your profile recognizable.
4. Explore Business Tools: Familiarize yourself with the business tools available, such as setting up automated greeting messages, quick replies, and away messages. You can also start organizing your contacts with labels.
5. Create a Catalog: If you have products or services to offer, use the catalogue feature to showcase them to your customers directly on your profile.
6. Begin Engaging: With everything set up, you’re ready to engage with your customers, offering a professional touch to your WhatsApp communications.

Question: How to create a WhatsApp API account?

Answer: You can't create a WhatsApp API account yourself as it's not as simple as downloading the app from the Play Store or App Store. Instead, it involves either developing your interface in-house by getting the WhatsApp API from Meta, which is technically challenging, or getting access through a WhatsApp solution provider like DoubleTick. Choosing a provider like DoubleTick gives you a pre-built, ready-to-use WhatsApp platform, complete with key features for streamlining business and customer communications, including bulk broadcasting, team inbox, WhatsApp chatbots, and analytics, without the need for exhaustive technical development.

50+ High-converting WhatsApp message templates that work like a charm: Click Here to Access

​

Question: How to use two WhatsApp on a single phone?

Answer: Using two WhatsApp accounts on a single phone is possible through a few methods, depending on your device:

1. ​WhatsApp Business: If your aim is to have a personal and a business account, you can use the WhatsApp Business app alongside the standard WhatsApp Messenger on the same phone. Download WhatsApp Business from the app store, and set it up using a different phone number from your personal WhatsApp account.
   
2. ​Dual App/Clone App Feature: Many Android phones (like Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei, and Oppo) offer a built-in feature to clone apps, allowing you to use two instances of WhatsApp on the same device. You can find this option in your phone's settings (often under "Apps," "Dual App," "App Twin," or "Clone app").
   

3. Third-Party App Cloners: For phones that don't have a built-in cloning feature, you can use third-party app cloners like Parallel Space. These apps create a separate environment for running a second instance of WhatsApp. Download the app Cloner from your app store, and follow the instructions to clone WhatsApp.

For each method, you'll need a separate phone number for verification, as WhatsApp requires a unique number for each account. Ensure you have access to both numbers for receiving verification codes during setup.

Question: Is the WhatsApp Business App free?

While WhatsApp mods can offer appealing features, they also come with significant risks. These risks include potential security vulnerabilities, as mods are not subject to the same rigorous security testing as the official app. Users might also face privacy concerns since third-party developers could potentially access or misuse personal data. Furthermore, WhatsApp's terms of service prohibit the use of such modified versions, and using a mod can lead to the temporary or permanent banning of your WhatsApp account.

It's important to weigh these risks against the benefits before deciding to use a WhatsApp mod.

1. Open WhatsApp Business App: Start by launching the app on your smartphone.
2. Tap on 'Settings': Go to the main menu (three dots at the top right corner) and select 'Settings'.
3. Select 'Business Settings': Find and tap on 'Business settings'.
4. Tap on 'Away message': Here, you can activate the away message feature.
5. Turn on Away Message: Switch the toggle to enable the away message.
6. Customize Your Message: Write a message that customers will receive when you are not available.
7. Schedule: Decide when the away message should be sent (Always send, Custom schedule, or Outside of business hours).
8. Save: Once you’ve customized your away message and its schedule, save your settings.

​​

Question: How to set greeting messages in the WhatsApp Business App?

Answer: Follow the below steps to set greeting messages in the WhatsApp Business App:

1. Access Settings: In the WhatsApp Business app, go to 'Settings' through the main menu.
2. Go to 'Business Settings': Select 'Business settings'.
3. Choose 'Greeting message': Tap on it to set up your message.
4. Enable Greeting Message: Activate the greeting message feature by toggling it on.
5. Edit Message: Write a welcoming message that new contacts will receive upon messaging you for the first time or after 14 days of inactivity.
6. Save Your Settings: Confirm your greeting message and its activation criteria.

Question: How to set up and send a quick reply in the WhatsApp Business App?

Answer: ​Follow the below steps to set up and send a quick reply in the WhatsApp Business App:

Setting Up Quick Replies:

1. Navigate to Settings: Within the WhatsApp Business app, open 'Settings'.
2. Select 'Business Settings': Tap on it to find more options.
3. Tap on 'Quick replies': This is where you can manage your quick replies.
4. Add Quick Reply: Click on the "+" icon to create a new quick reply. Provide a keyword for the reply, the message, and optionally, add media.
5. Save: Save your quick reply after editing.

Sending Quick Replies:

1. Open a Chat: While conversing with a customer, quickly access your pre-set replies.
2. Use the Shortcut: Type “/” followed by the keyword associated with your quick reply. This will bring up the quick reply you’ve set.
3. Select and Send: Choose the desired quick reply from the list that appears, and it will automatically fill in the text field. Send it as you would a normal message.