WhatsApp Business in Practice: Set Up Your Profile, Handle Enquiries and Follow Up

Configure your business profile, catalogue, quick replies and labels to turn social enquiries into a clear, transferable sales process.

Attracting people with social videos is only the first step. If visitors cannot understand your business on WhatsApp, get no answer about specifications or have to repeat their needs, the acquisition process breaks down.

I use a drawer organiser business to connect the business profile, catalogue, quick replies, labels and follow-up records. The outcome is an account new customers can understand and a reception process from first greeting to a complete handover to sales. The English wording is adaptable example copy, not a confirmed supply or response-time commitment.

01 · Confirm that you are using the Business App

This tutorial covers the WhatsApp Business App on a phone. Its business profile, catalogue, quick replies and message management are not the API automation capabilities of WhatsApp Business Platform. Get manual enquiry handling working before building a chatbot.

Install through official channels and use a number you or your company control long term and can verify. When migrating an existing WhatsApp account, follow the current backup and chat-history instructions first. Do not uninstall or delete the old account prematurely.

Prepare your company or brand name, genuine business avatar, support owner, actual opening hours, website and business email. Enable available account protection, document number ownership and plan staff handovers. Use official linked devices on computers; never give verification codes to an outside operator.

Menus may be called Tools, Business tools or similar depending on the system, version and language. Find the following four functions in your tools area. If something is missing, check the version and account availability instead of assuming another person's screenshot applies.

02 · Answer the three questions customers care about

Customers need to know what you offer, whom you serve and how to continue the conversation. Avoid unsupported words such as leading or best. State the category and information you can actually provide.

Example business description:
Drawer organisers and practical sizing information for kitchen storage.
Message us with your drawer measurements and the item you are considering.
We will check the details before confirming suitability.

For B2B, focus on specifications, packaging and purchasing requirements rather than retail fit. Publish only a genuine business address suitable for public use. Set opening hours to actual availability and clarify the time zone.

Link to a page relevant to this business. A visitor from a storage video should not have to decipher an unrelated general homepage. Have a colleague open your profile from another account to check the avatar, description, link and hours.

03 · Start with a few representative catalogue items

Open Catalog in business tools, add a product, upload clear original photos and enter its name, description, link and available identification fields. Complete required fields, save, then check approval status and visibility from another account.

Use a name such as Drawer organiser — Model A and explain actual dimensions, usage and limitations. Avoid vague names such as bestselling storage box. Distinguish sizes by name or model so a customer's screenshot identifies the correct item.

Catalogue description structure:
What it is: product and model
Size: actual external dimensions and units
Before choosing: measure the drawer's internal width, depth and usable height
Included: actual number of pieces
Next step: send the model and measurements for confirmation
Limitations: not guaranteed to fit every drawer; confirmed specifications apply

Start with one product photo, one dimension image and one placement photo. Dimension labels must match the description. Do not treat proportions in AI scene images as measured dimensions or use competitors' photos without permission.

Ordering, payment and other catalogue functions depend on region and account eligibility. Here the catalogue supports display and enquiries, with no assumption that it can collect payment. While approval is pending, use checked specification images instead of repeatedly creating duplicate items.

04 · Prepare three quick replies and read the context before sending

Find Quick replies in business tools and create short commands. They are saved text you call up manually, not necessarily automatic responses to customer messages. Try a test chat to see how Chinese or English shortcuts work in your version.

Start with these three situations:

/size
To check the fit, please send the inside width, usable depth and available height of your drawer, along with the organiser model. Please include the measurement unit.

/retail
Is this for your own home or for a retail project? That will help us send the right information.

/wholesale
For a wholesale enquiry, please share your company website, the organiser models, estimated quantity and delivery country. We will review the details before confirming the available options.

The /size reply turns “Will this fit?” into information you can assess. If width and depth are already provided, ask only for height. Edit the saved reply so customers can see you read their message.

Do not add unconfirmed promises such as dispatch within 24 hours or worldwide free shipping. Confirm actual staffing capacity before promising a response time.

05 · Greeting and away messages should make realistic commitments

A greeting tells new contacts what to provide next; an away message explains when you are unavailable and when messages are handled. Save the relevant recipients, schedule and switches, then test with an account that meets the trigger conditions. A single non-triggering message does not prove the feature is broken.

Example greeting:
Thanks for contacting us. Please send the product model and tell us what you would like to check: sizing, availability or wholesale information.

Example away message:
Thanks for your message. We are currently away. Our team will review your enquiry during our stated business hours. You can leave the product model and your question here.

An automatic greeting does not replace a person. Someone still needs to review needs, request missing information and move the conversation forward. A system reply is not a completed customer interaction.

06 · Label the enquiry's status, not your impression of the customer

Group chats by the next action, such as Quantity needed or Send specifications. After receiving the missing information, remove the old category and add the next one. Filter the chat list to confirm the conversation appears there.

WhatsApp is gradually moving labels to Lists. In a version that shows Lists, long-press the conversation, look for Add to list and choose the appropriate status. Check the path on a test conversation before organizing business chats.

Image source: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.whatsapp.w4b
Official guide: https://faq.whatsapp.com/3398508707096369/

Find Labels or the equivalent organisation feature. Start with New enquiry, Awaiting dimensions, Awaiting purchasing details, Awaiting internal confirmation, Replied—follow-up pending and Not currently suitable. Check the tools actually available to your account.

A label should show what is blocking progress. A request for 500 pieces without specifications belongs under Awaiting purchasing details; packaging being checked by the factory belongs under Awaiting internal confirmation. Avoid conflicting labels.

Also record an owner and next action in your internal sheet. Labels are not timed reminders and do not prevent duplicate replies by multiple staff. Set a handover rule requiring the last reply time and unresolved questions to be updated.

Lead ID | Source content | Product model | Customer type | Confirmed needs
Missing information | Current status | Owner | Last contact time | Next action and date
Stop-contact request

07 · Turn “How much?” into an actionable enquiry

Confirm the model and quantity before providing relevant information. Avoid asking seven or eight questions at once. Retail fit usually starts with model and dimensions; wholesale enquiries start with model, quantity units and destination, with packaging details later.

Use this sequence: acknowledge the question → request one or two essentials → provide relevant information → confirm the next step. A drawer photo helps with context but cannot reliably replace measurements. Ask the customer to measure rather than having AI guess millimetres.

Remove identifying information before asking AI to organise a conversation:

Turn the following WhatsApp conversation into an internal enquiry card. Do not send a reply.
Extract only: customer question, model, dimensions and units, quantity, destination, commitments already made and missing information.
Draft a next reply of no more than 60 English words, asking only the 1–2 most necessary questions.
Separate customer statements, confirmations by our team and pending confirmations.
Do not promise prices, lead times, refunds or fit without explicit evidence.
Conversation: [paste anonymised text]
Product facts: [paste]

08 · Test the actual contact entry point used on social media

Prefer the short link or QR code provided by the Business App. Place it where the platform currently permits and explain the purpose, such as “Send your drawer measurements”. Do not assume every account has the same profile-link permissions.

Click through from the actual TikTok, Instagram or website entry point and confirm the correct business account opens. Check that prefilled text remains editable and contains no unnecessary personal information. Use a short source code such as sizing-video, not a customer's name or email in a public URL.

Scan a QR code with another phone before printing it. Whole-screen screenshots often become unscannable after cropping or compression.

09 · Common problems and what to check first

Quick replies do not appear: confirm you are using the Business App, have saved them and are using a supported shortcut method. Do not confuse API templates with quick replies.

Catalogue items are missing: check review status, hidden-item settings and compliance with platform requirements, then view from another account.

Phone and computer replies conflict: check linked devices and ownership, then establish one status sheet instead of letting whoever sees a message reply.

The customer does not respond: check whether the previous message asked too much or failed to provide relevant information. Make a useful follow-up if appropriate, but stop after a clear rejection.

Enquiry volume increases: evaluate the official Platform, team collaboration and compliant integrations. Do not turn an account into a bot using unknown bulk-messaging software.

10 · Completion check

Another account can understand the profile, view the catalogue and open the website; quick replies have been used; greeting and away messages have been tested under the relevant conditions; every enquiry has an owner, missing-information record and next step; stop requests are recorded; phone-to-computer handovers retain all information.

A reliable enquiry process matters more than installing many automation tools. Accurate answers and clear next steps usually do more to keep a conversation going than an impressive greeting.

11 · Ask only for information still missing

Use a concrete editorial conversation, not a real customer or fit test. The customer says: “My drawer is 38 cm wide and 45 cm deep inside. Will yours fit?” Internal width, depth and units are already supplied. Do not resend the entire /size reply. The model, usable height and verified product dimensions remain missing.

Ask: “Thanks for the measurements. Which organiser model are you considering, and what is the usable height inside the drawer?” If the customer replies “Model A. About 6 cm high”, record 6 cm as an estimate, not a confirmed measurement.

If Model A’s dimensions are unverified, say: “Thank you. I have noted Model A and an estimated 6 cm clearance. We need to confirm the product dimensions before checking the fit.” This neither guarantees fit nor invents a response deadline. The internal action is for the product owner to check external dimensions and necessary operating space, not ask the customer the same questions again.

A photo can clarify obstructions and drawer movement but does not replace measurement. Explain where to measure, such as from the placement surface to a potential obstruction, rather than asking vaguely to measure again. Give a conditional recommendation only after product facts and the actual drawer are checked.

Organize this illustrative WhatsApp conversation into an intake record and the next English reply. Draft only; do not send or operate the account.
Customer: My drawer is 38 cm wide and 45 cm deep inside. Will yours fit?
Our reply: Which organiser model are you considering, and what is the usable height inside the drawer?
Customer: Model A. About 6 cm high.
Product: Model A exists, but external dimensions and required operating space have not been provided; no fit test was performed.
Output a record of internal width 38 cm, depth 45 cm, Model A and approximate clearance 6 cm, identifying sources and estimates. List missing product dimensions and space requirements, and note that precise clearance may need confirmation. Write a reply under 45 English words acknowledging the inputs and the need to check product dimensions, without repeating width/depth questions or promising fit or a deadline. Produce an internal handoff for the product owner and support, with status pending internal confirmation, not buyer-confirmed fit. Identify three items a replacement colleague must read before replying.
Separate customer copy from internal notes. Request no irrelevant personal information and infer no millimeters from photos.

12 · Hand over a conversation without starting again

An illustrative handoff row is:
WA-001 | measurement video | Model A | customer supplied internal width 38 cm, depth 45 cm, approximate clearance 6 cm | product dimensions unverified | pending internal confirmation | product owner unassigned | last reply explained the dimension check | reply after obtaining the current specifications | no stop request received.

In real use, add the actual owner and last communication time. Do not mark unfinished actions complete. Labels locate conversations; an internal record identifies ownership and missing inputs. They serve different purposes.

A replacement colleague should first read what the customer supplied, what was promised and what is blocking progress. Do not ask the product again when the customer is waiting for internal specifications. An assigned role is not proof that a person received the task.

If the conversation becomes wholesale, such as “I need 500 for our stores”, clarify pieces versus sets and destination. Do not re-ask a known model. Retain the same lead ID and the transition from fit guidance to purchasing requirements rather than creating a disconnected record.

Write a concrete action such as reply after checking Model A’s external dimensions, not merely follow up tomorrow. Without an agreed response date, coordinate internally before communicating a real schedule.

Stop the current follow-up when the customer says it is no longer needed. If they will remeasure, keep the record waiting for customer input instead of repeating the same quick reply. When specifications change, check what was previously shared and explain the exact update.

A functioning intake process avoids repeated explanations, enables colleagues to continue and keeps unconfirmed conditions visible. A delivered greeting is only a small part of that process.

Official resources

WhatsApp Business App features

WhatsApp: business profiles, messaging tools and catalogues

WhatsApp: catalogue information