If you sell anything in Sierra Leone, from fabric in Kissy to cakes in Wilberforce, most of your orders probably begin with a WhatsApp message. Customers ask for prices, request more photos, haggle a little and then disappear, and by the end of a busy day it is hard to remember who paid, who is still deciding and whose delivery is due tomorrow.
The free WhatsApp Business app was built for exactly this problem, yet many sellers we meet are still running their shop from a personal WhatsApp account. This guide shows you how to set up the business tools that matter most, the catalogue, labels and quick replies, so that your phone starts working like an organised shop counter instead of a crowded inbox.
Why WhatsApp Business, and not your personal WhatsApp
WhatsApp Business is a separate app from Meta that is free to download from the Google Play Store or the App Store. It looks familiar, but it adds tools that a personal account does not have.
- A business profile with your address, opening hours, category, description, email and website, so customers can see you are a real business before they ask a single question.
- A catalogue where customers can browse your products with photos and prices without waiting for you to send pictures one by one.
- Labels to sort chats into new customers, pending payments, paid orders and so on.
- Quick replies that let you send your most common answers in a couple of taps.
- Greeting and away messages that reply automatically when a new customer writes or when you are closed.
You can move your existing number across, and your chat history comes with it. Many owners keep one number for the business and their old personal WhatsApp for family, which also makes it far easier to hand the shop phone to a staff member later.
Step 1: Set up a business profile that builds trust
Your profile is the first thing a cautious customer checks, especially one who has been burned by an online seller before. Open the app, go to Settings, then Business tools, then Business profile, and complete every field.
- Profile photo: use your logo or a clear photo of your shopfront, not a picture of yourself at a party.
- Description: one or two plain sentences on what you sell, where and how you deliver, for example "Fresh cakes and small chops in Wilberforce. Delivery across the West End, orders by 2pm for same day."
- Address and hours: be specific, and use landmarks where your street address is informal.
- Website and social links: add them if you have them, because they reassure buyers that you are established.
Use exactly the same business name and phone number here as on your signboard, Facebook page and Google listing. Consistency is a quiet trust signal, and it helps customers who find you through local search and Google Maps recognise you straight away.
Step 2: Build a catalogue customers can browse
The catalogue is your shop window inside WhatsApp. Instead of sending fifteen photos to every customer who asks "wetin you get?", you send one catalogue link and let them browse.
- Open Business tools and tap Catalogue, then Add new item.
- Add a clear photo, the item name, the price in leones and a short description that answers the obvious questions: size, colour, material or flavour.
- Add an item code if you use one, and a link to your website if the product is listed there.
- Save the item. WhatsApp reviews new items against its commerce policy before they become visible, which is usually quick but can take some hours.
- Group related items into collections, such as "Ankara dresses", "Men's shirts" or "Birthday cakes", so customers find things faster.
The catalogue can hold up to 500 products or services, which is more than enough for most small shops. It does not track your stock, so make a habit of hiding or removing items as soon as they sell out. Nothing frustrates a customer more than choosing a dress and being told it went last week.
Photos are what sell
Shoot products in daylight near a window or outside in the shade, against a plain background, and show more than one angle. Data is expensive for many of your customers, so a few sharp, well-lit photos beat a dozen blurry ones. If you want a professional set made once and reused everywhere, our photography and videography team does exactly this for retailers and food businesses.
Step 3: Use labels to keep every order on track
Labels let you tag each chat with a colour and a name, so you can filter your inbox and see, at a glance, who needs your attention. WhatsApp's own guide allows up to 20 labels, and newer versions of the app are renaming labels as lists, so you may see either word on your phone. The idea is the same: press and hold a chat, then choose the option to label it or add it to a list.
A simple set of labels that works for most sellers in Freetown looks like this:
- New enquiry for anyone who has asked a question but not yet ordered.
- Awaiting payment for customers who have confirmed but not yet sent their Orange Money or Afrimoney transfer.
- Paid, to deliver so nothing paid for is ever forgotten.
- Delivered for completed orders, which also becomes your list of people to thank and ask for a review.
- Wholesale or VIP for the regular buyers who deserve a call when new stock lands.
Take five minutes at the end of each day to move chats between labels. It sounds small, but it is the difference between a seller who chases every unpaid order and one who quietly loses money each week.
Step 4: Answer faster with quick replies
You probably type the same five or six messages every day: your prices, your delivery areas, your mobile money details, your opening hours and a thank-you message. Quick replies save each of these as a shortcut, and you can save up to 50 of them.
- Go to Business tools, then Quick replies, and tap the plus button.
- Write the message and give it a short shortcut, such as /delivery or /pay.
- In any chat, type "/" and choose the reply you need, then check it and send.
Good quick replies to start with include delivery areas and fees, how to pay by Orange Money or Afrimoney, your returns or exchange rule, and a warm closing message after delivery. Keep them friendly and personal enough that customers do not feel they are talking to a machine, and always reread a reply before sending, because a wrong price sent quickly is still a wrong price.
Greeting and away messages
Under Business tools you can also switch on a greeting message, which goes to people messaging you for the first time or after a long break, and an away message for when you are closed. With power cuts and patchy network, an away message that says "We have received your message and will reply by 9am" keeps a buyer from moving on to the next seller.
Taking payment and closing the sale
WhatsApp does not process payments in Sierra Leone, so the sale is closed in the chat and paid through the channels your customers already use. Most sellers share Orange Money or Afrimoney details, or bank details for larger orders, through a saved quick reply. Ask customers to send a screenshot of the transfer, check it against your mobile money balance before you dispatch, and move the chat to your "Paid, to deliver" label straight away.
Once an order is delivered, send a short thank you and ask for a photo or a review. Happy customers forwarding your catalogue link to their family groups is still the most powerful marketing in Salone.
From our work
In our training rooms, WhatsApp is the tool almost every business owner already uses and the one least often set up properly. When we sit with participants and build their catalogue, labels and quick replies together, the change is immediate: they stop scrolling to find who paid, they answer price questions in seconds, and they look more professional to the customer on the other end. The same habits underpin the social media marketing work we do for clients, because a beautiful post is wasted if the chat it leads to is disorganised.
When WhatsApp is not enough on its own
WhatsApp is excellent for conversations, but it is not a full shop. It cannot be found on Google, it does not show your products to people who have never saved your number, and everything depends on one phone. As your orders grow, a simple website alongside your WhatsApp gives you a home that customers can find and trust, as we explain in why your business needs a website in 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Is WhatsApp Business free in Sierra Leone?
Yes. The WhatsApp Business app is free to download and use. You only pay for the mobile data you use, just as with ordinary WhatsApp. Paid options exist for large companies using the WhatsApp Business Platform, but a small shop does not need them.
Can I use the same number as my personal WhatsApp?
You can move your number to WhatsApp Business, but one number can only be on one of the two apps at a time. Many owners get a second SIM for the business so personal and customer chats stay separate.
How many products can I add to my WhatsApp catalogue?
Up to 500 products or services. Each new item is reviewed by WhatsApp before customers can see it, so add items a few hours before you plan to promote them.
Can customers pay me inside WhatsApp?
Not in Sierra Leone at present. Customers browse and order in the chat, then pay through Orange Money, Afrimoney, bank transfer or cash on delivery, and you confirm the payment before dispatch.
Ready to sell with less stress?
If you would like help setting up WhatsApp Business properly, or want your team trained to sell confidently across WhatsApp and social media, talk to Regium Touch or explore our practical training programmes, including our Women-Only Social Media Marketing Masterclass.