If you run a local shop, there is a good chance customers already ask you:

“Can you WhatsApp me the photo?”

“Send me the price on WhatsApp.”

“Please tell me when new stock comes.”

This happens every day in local retail.

A clothing shop in Delhi, an electronics store in Bengaluru, a footwear shop in Jaipur or a beauty store in Pune can all use WhatsApp Business to communicate with customers.

Setting it up is quite easy. But there is something I have noticed while talking to local businesses: setting up WhatsApp Business is easy, but using WhatsApp as your complete customer marketing system is a different matter.

I am Abhinav Jain, one of the founders of Vizbe.com, a Noida-based platform built for local shops and shoppers.

So, first I'll show you how to set up WhatsApp Business properly. Then we'll talk about where it works well, where local retailers can face problems, and how Vizbe – Check Online. Buy Offline. fits into this.

What Is WhatsApp Business?

WhatsApp Business is a separate business-focused version of WhatsApp.

The app is free to download and includes business tools such as a business profile, quick replies, away messages, labels and a product catalogue. Some additional features are paid.

You can use WhatsApp Messenger and WhatsApp Business on the same phone, but WhatsApp says you need two different phone numbers for the two accounts.

For a local shop, I prefer keeping a separate business number if possible.

It keeps your personal and shop conversations more organised.

Step 1: Download WhatsApp Business

Start by installing the official WhatsApp Business app.

WhatsApp Business on Google Play

Open the app and start the registration process.

You need to use a phone number you own and can access. WhatsApp may verify it using an SMS or phone call with a six-digit registration code.

Never share this verification code with anybody.

Step 2: Create Your Business Profile

Don't leave your profile half empty.

Your WhatsApp Business profile is like a small digital card for your shop.

Add your real business name, profile image or logo, business category, description, opening hours, address and other relevant details.

Keep your description simple.

For example, if you own a footwear store, don't write five paragraphs.

Something like this is enough:

“Men's, women's and kids' footwear. Visit our store for sports shoes, casual footwear and new arrivals.”

A customer should quickly understand what your business sells.

Step 3: Add Your Products to the Catalogue

WhatsApp Business also supports product catalogues.

Customers can open a business profile and view the products or services added to its catalogue. The catalogue can also be shared through a link.

For a local retailer, this can be useful.

Suppose you own a saree shop in Surat.

Instead of sending the same ten product photos separately to every customer, you can add selected products to your catalogue.

Start with your popular products rather than trying to upload your entire shop on day one.

Add a clear image, product name and useful information.

Keep it simple.

Step 4: Set Up Quick Replies and Away Messages

Customers often ask the same things.

“Where is your shop?”

“What time do you close?”

“Is this product available?”

Typing the same answer again and again wastes time.

WhatsApp Business provides quick replies and away messages that can help shops respond faster. It also provides labels for organising conversations.

These small tools can be quite useful when your shop gets many enquiries.

Step 5: Start Connecting With Customers

Once your profile is ready, you can start using your WhatsApp Business number for customer communication.

You might place the number on your shop board, visiting card, bill or other marketing material.

But this is where I tell shop owners to think beyond just chatting.

Chat is useful.

But your business needs more than chat.

You need customers to discover your products.

You need to promote deals.

You need to bring old customers back.

And you need new nearby buyers to discover your store.

The Problem With Depending Only on WhatsApp

WhatsApp Business is very useful for communicating with somebody who already has your number or has started a conversation with you.

But discovery is different.

For example, WhatsApp's Business Directory feature, which is designed to help people discover businesses, is currently listed by WhatsApp as available only in supported areas of Brazil—not generally in India.

Think about what this means for a shop in Noida.

There may be someone living 2 km away looking for exactly what you sell.

But how will that person discover your business on WhatsApp if they don't already know your shop?

This is one of the gaps I feel local retailers need to address.

Business Messages Can Also Become Personal-Chat Clutter

Another issue is how people use WhatsApp.

Your customer may have family chats, school groups, friends, office messages and business conversations all in one place.

Now your shop sends another offer.

Then another business sends one.

Then another.

The customer may simply ignore them.

This doesn't make WhatsApp bad. It means WhatsApp started as a general communication platform, while a retailer may need tools built specifically around shopping and customer retention.

That is where our thinking with Vizbe is different.

Vizbe for Sellers – Built Around the Local Shop

With the Vizbe for Sellers App, the shop gets tools focused on local retail.

The goal isn't just:

Shop → sends message → Customer

We want the journey to be:

Buyer discovers shop → Checks products → Finds deals → Connects with shop → Visits → Buys → Comes back again

That's much closer to how I think a digital tool should work for a physical retailer.

Show Products to Nearby Buyers

A product sitting on your shelf can only be seen by somebody who enters your shop.

Put that product online and things change.

With Vizbe for Sellers, businesses can list products so shoppers can check what a local store offers.

This is at the heart of our idea:

Check Online. Buy Offline.

The buyer gets the convenience of checking products online.

Your physical store gets the sale.

Create Deals to Bring Customers Into Your Store

Local shops regularly run offers.

The problem is telling enough people about them.

Vizbe allows sellers to create deals that buyers can discover through the platform.

Imagine a clothing shop in Chandigarh starting a weekend offer.

The goal isn't simply getting people to see the offer on their phone.

The goal is getting them to visit the shop.

Online discovery should lead to offline footfall.

Use Cashback to Bring Existing Customers Back

I often say that getting a customer once is only the beginning.

If somebody bought from your shop last month, you want them to remember you this month.

Vizbe lets local shops create cashback offers designed around repeat visits.

This gives customers another reason to return to the same store.

For local retailers, that repeat relationship can be very valuable.

Bulk Messages Without Building Your Own Technical System

A local retailer may also want to tell many connected buyers about new stock, a sale or an upcoming offer.

Basic business communication is easy on WhatsApp, but larger or more advanced business messaging can involve different business tools and paid features. WhatsApp itself describes the Business app as having a mix of free and paid features.

Vizbe for Sellers is built with business communication in mind, including bulk messaging to connected buyers.

The shop owner should be able to focus on the message, not technical setup.

Vizbe for Shopping App – The Buyer Side

Then comes the other half: the Vizbe for Shopping App.

It is designed for shoppers.

Instead of mixing everything into their personal conversations, buyers can use Vizbe to discover local shops, browse products, check deals and cashback, and connect with stores.

Someone in Mumbai may want a nearby fashion shop.

Someone in Lucknow may be checking local electronics stores.

Someone in Hyderabad may want to know which nearby business has an offer.

Vizbe aims to make local shops easier to discover from a phone.

Then the customer goes to the shop.

Check Online. Buy Offline.