WhatsApp Business App rolls out in select markets

WhatsApp has officially launched the new WhatsApp Business App and the company has chosen the US, UK, Indonesia, Italy, and Mexico for a controlled rollout.

The WhatsApp Business App is aimed at helping businesses communicate with customers easily and is an affordable tool for small businesses to use and grow, without employing expensive communicative resources.

Available on the Google PlayStore, the WhatsApp Business App according to Sarah Perez from TechCrunch is, "Essentially, it’s the WhatsApp version of a Facebook Page."

It is a cost effective and practical means of communication for small business, which is also the company's intended target audience for the new WhatsApp Business App.

Back in September 2017, the company had begun to verify and assign Green check marks to business contacts but a separate app altogether wasn't foreseen. Instead, WhatsApp had intended to differentiate the regular chats from the business ones by putting the latter in yellow bubbles instead of the white ones we are accustomed to.

Also Read: WhatsApp for Business : Finally inching towards monetization

Starting today, small companies can start to fill the business information for WhatsApp Business Profile through the WhatsApp Business App.

"Some businesses already use WhatsApp, with 1.3 billion users, to answer inquires from customers. Business accounts will allow them to set up automatic greetings, see statistics about their messaging and set up a profile page with hours of operation and other information." as reported by Reuters.

This could finally present a source of income for WhatsApp, which had earlier scrapped their $1 yearly subscription plans after the big money Facebook acquisition.

TechCrunch reports, "According to data it cited from Morning Consult’s research, over 80 percent of small businesses in India and Brazil said that WhatsApp helps them communicate with customers and grow their businesses."

After establishing a network, the business will be provided with some tools such as smart messaging tools.

The company also made it clear that the WhatsApp Business App will only connect with those who will share their phone numbers with the company and agree to receive messages from them.