WhatsApp is an extremely popular messaging solution that is used by more than a billion users across the globe.  And WhatApp Web makes it easy to use the platform while working at your desk.

While the application is primarily used for personal efforts, a number of businesses are using it for marketing, sales, customer service, and support, and having success when done well.

So, before we dive into how we can use it for business, let’s tackle a couple of high-level points.

What makes WhatsApp special?

• WhatsApp is the most popular messaging app in many countries, including Brazil, India, Russia, and Spain.
• It provides end-to-end encrypted messages sent using the platform — not even Whatsapp can read those messages.
• It is available on your phone, tablet, or desktop — easy to use when sitting in the office or when on the road.
• Voice and text are both available, making it an inexpensive solution for both forms of communication.
• You can easily transfer files of any type, making it a great way to share documents, images, and other types of files.

 

How can you use WhatsApp for your business?

Whether you are using the WhatsApp mobile app or the WhatsApp desktop app, you have access to a large global audience.

If you sell globally, the odds are that most of your customers outside of the United States are on the platform.

So how can you best use it?

• Update existing customers about new sales, products, and services.
• Follow-up with customers to confirm they are getting value from your products.
• Use WhatsApp as an additional support/service channel.
• Leverage group chats to grow your brand by sharing value-added information from your company and others.

WhatsApp can be an extremely powerful tool for businesses – there are endless possibilities for how it can be used to support marketing activities.

Additional FAQs

How Do You Set Up the Web App?

You can access WhatsApp Web from any web browser – it does not need to be installed.

Once you have the app open on your phone, simply scan the QR code that appears on your screen and you will be logged in.

If you are using an iPhone, you’ll find the QR code scanner in the “Settings” menu. Look for “WhatsApp Web/Desktop.” And if you’re using Android, tap the three dots in the upper-right corner of the main screen, then choose “WhatsApp Web.”

A few quick tips:

• The web app is a mirror of what is on your phone — all messages that are sent and received will appear on both devices.
• You can have WhatsApp open on your phone and on your desktop at the same time.
• You can use the web app without your phone — as long as you stay logged in, you will continue to receive messages.

How to Download Videos from WhatsApp Web

One of the downsides to WhatsApp is that you can’t download videos from it directly.

You can, however, use a workaround to save videos that have been sent to you on WhatsApp Web.

Here’s how:

• Open WhatsApp.
• Open the conversation containing the video in WhatsApp Web.
• Right-click on the video and select “Inspect”.
• This will open up the code for the page in your browser.
• Look for a line of code that starts with “src=” and ends with “.mpg”.
• Copy this line of code and paste it into a new browser tab.
• The video should start playing automatically. Right-click on the video and select “Save As” to save it to your computer.

How to Export Chat from WhatsApp Web

It’s also possible to export chat from WhatsApp Web, which can be useful if you need to save a conversation for reference or backup purposes.

Here’s how:

• Open the conversation you want to export in WhatsApp Web.
• Click on the three dots in the top-right corner and select “Export Chat”.
• You will be given the option to include media or not. If you choose to include media, keep in mind that this will increase the size of the exported file.
• Once you’ve made your selection, click “Export Chat” and choose where you would like to save it on your computer.

How Long Does WhatsApp Web Stay Logged In?

By default, WhatsApp Web will stay logged in until you log out manually.

You can do this by clicking on the three dots in the top-right corner and selecting “Log out”.

Once you’ve done this, your session will end and you will need to scan the QR code again to log back in.

If you don’t want to be bothered with logging out each time, there is a setting that will automatically log you out after a certain amount of time.

To access this:

• Click on the three dots in the top-right corner and select “Settings”.
• Under “General”, look for “Session Timeout” and select how long you want to stay logged in before being automatically logged out.
• The options are “30 minutes”, “One hour”, and “Two hours”.
• Once you’ve made your selection, click “Done” and you’re all set.

How to Call on WhatsApp Web

WhatsApp Web also allows you to make calls, although this feature is somewhat hidden.

To place a call:

• Click on the three dots in the top-right corner and select “New Chat”.
• In the “To:” field, type in the name or phone number of the person you want to call.
• Once the contact appears, click on their name and then click on the phone icon that appears in the top-right corner.
• The call will begin automatically.

Keep in mind that WhatsApp calls are placed through your internet connection, so if you have a poor connection, the quality of the call may suffer.

How to Video Call on WhatsApp Web

Video calling on WhatsApp Web is just as easy as making a regular call.

To place a video call:

• Click on the three dots in the top-right corner and select “New Chat”.
• In the “To:” field, type in the name or phone number of the person you want to call.
• Once the contact appears, click on their name and then click on the video icon that appears in the top-right corner. The video call will begin automatically.

How to Add Status in WhatsApp Web

WhatsApp Web now allows you to add status updates, just like the mobile app.

To do this:

• Click on the three dots in the top-right corner and select “Status”.
• You will be given the option to choose a photo, video, or GIF from your computer, or to take a new photo or video.
• Once you’ve chosen your status update, click “Set Status” and it will be visible to your contacts.
• You can also add text to your status update by clicking on the pencil icon in the top-right corner.

Keep in mind that your status updates are visible to anyone who has your contact information saved in their address book.

If you want more privacy, you can always turn off the “Allow My Contacts to See My Status” setting in WhatsApp Web.

To do this:

• Click on the three dots in the top-right corner and select “Settings”.
• Under “Privacy”, look for “Status” and toggle the switch to the Off position.

Now only people who have your contact information saved in their address book will be able to see your status updates.

How are you leveraging it for your business?

Let us know.