WhatsApp Business in Geneva: A Practical Guide for Businesses and SMEs
This step-by-step tutorial shows you how to leverage WhatsApp Business to :
- Create a credible local profile (hours, description, catalogue).
- Automate your greetings and quick response messages.
- Send promotions, order confirmations and appointment reminders.
- Segment and distribute to your customers in and around Geneva.
- Measure engagement (open rates, responses, clicks on links).
- Integrate WhatsApp with your website and CRM.
Introduction
In the space of a few years, WhatsApp Business has become a preferred communication channel for small businesses and SMEs looking to engage directly with their customers. In Geneva and neighbouring municipalities, where speed and proximity are essential, this free (and secure) tool makes it possible to send practical information, confirm appointments or launch promotions in the blink of an eye.
In this guide, we'll look at how to set up and optimise your WhatsApp Business account, create automated messages, segment your audience, integrate the service with your site and measure your results. In conclusion, you'll discover how Lumineth can support you every step of the way: configuration, content, automation and training.
1. Create and configure your WhatsApp Business profile
The first step is to install the WhatsApp Business app (Android or iOS) and associate your business number. Then access the profile settings:
- Name and category: enter the exact name of your business and choose the most relevant category (restaurant, shop, service, etc.).
- Description: write a text of no more than 250 characters, specifying your speciality and your area (for example, "Artisan bakery in Carouge").
- Address and geolocation: enter your full address so that your customers can find you easily.
- Opening times: specify your slots, including exceptional public holidays.
- Product catalogue: add up to 500 products/services with photo, price and description.
- Welcome message: personalise it to welcome any initial contact.
A complete profile inspires confidence and improves the visibility of your messages on the app.
2. Automating your responses and facilitating exchange
WhatsApp Business offers easy-to-configure automation features:
- Welcome message: sends automatically on first contact or after 14 days of inactivity.
- Quick reply: create shortcuts (e.g. "/price" → "Our rates start at 5 CHF...").
- Absence message: inform that you are off duty and indicate the times you will reply.
These tools ensure perceived responsiveness, even when you're busy, and limit messages on hold.
3. Deliver targeted promotions and notifications
To engage your customers, use the mailing list or restricted groups functionality :
- Mailing lists: send the same message to up to 256 contacts without them knowing who else receives it.
- Tags: classify your contacts (loyal customers, prospects, suppliers) and segment your mailings.
- Rich media: integrate photos, PDF documents (menus, brochures) and links to your website or appointment booking.
For example, inform subscribers about a flash promotion, a new product or a local event in Geneva. The open rate on WhatsApp often exceeds 80%, much higher than email.
4. Integrate WhatsApp Business with your website
Facilitate direct contact from your website by adding :
- A floating "Contact us on WhatsApp" button with direct link (https://wa.me/
). - A banner in the footer or on your "Contact" page.
- A shortcode or widget on WordPress (official plugin) for non-technical users.
This allows your visitors to start a conversation with one click, reducing abandonment rates and increasing the number of interactions.
5. Measuring engagement and optimising your strategy
Tracking performance is essential for adjusting your campaigns. On WhatsApp Business, you have basic statistics at your disposal:
- Messages sent, delivered, read and received.
- Average response rate and response time.
- Volume of new subscribers and unsubscribes.
To go further, combine this data with your CRM or Google Analytics to analyse the traffic generated and assess the return on investment.
6. Good practices and mistakes to avoid
To get the most out of WhatsApp Business, keep these tips in mind:
- Don't spam: space out your sends to avoid tiring your contacts.
- Take care with personalisation: use the customer's name and messages tailored to their profile.
- Respect confidentiality: ask permission before adding a contact to a mailing list.
- Maintain a professional and friendly tone: stay in the spirit of your brand.
Points to remember
- WhatsApp Business offers a direct channel with an open rate > 80%.
- A comprehensive profile and automated messages build trust.
- Segment your contacts with labels and mailing lists.
- Integrate a WhatsApp button on your site for easy contact.
- Analyse your statistics to optimise the frequency and content of mailings.
- Lumineth can configure, automate and track your campaigns for maximum ROI.
Conclusion
WhatsApp Business is a powerful lever for engaging your Geneva customer base in real time. By configuring your profile correctly, automating your responses, segmenting your sends and measuring your results, you can create a direct and personalised relationship with your customers. To help you do this, Lumineth offers:
- Audit and configuration of your WhatsApp Business account.
- Automated message creation and segmentation with labels.
- Integration of WhatsApp widget on your website.
- Performance monitoring and optimisation recommendations.
- Training your teams for optimal use.
Appendix
Additional Resources
- WhatsApp Business - Official website
- Meta for Developers - WhatsApp API
- HubSpot - WhatsApp Business Guide
- Lumineth - Our services