"Do I really need a website? I already have a WhatsApp catalogue." It's a fair question. The WhatsApp Business catalogue is free, it's built into the app you already use, and your customers already know how to use it. Here's an honest look at what it does well and where a web page adds something it can't.
What the WhatsApp Business catalogue does well
According to WhatsApp, the catalogue is a mobile storefront inside your business profile. You can:
- Upload up to 500 items, each with a title and at least one image.
- Add up to 10 photos or videos per item, plus a description, price, product code and link.
- Sort items into collections (for example "New in", "Bestsellers", "Sale").
- Hide items that are out of stock.
- Share an item, a collection or the whole catalogue in chat, on your Status, or as a link.
For repeat customers who already chat with you, that's excellent. It cuts down "send pictures and price" messages and keeps everything in one app.
Where the catalogue falls short
Google doesn't show it
People find new businesses by searching Google and Google Maps. Your catalogue lives inside WhatsApp, so it doesn't rank for searches like "perfume store Ikeja" or "cakes in Gbagada". Someone has to already know about you to see it.
It depends on one account
If your WhatsApp number is lost, banned or hacked, your catalogue goes with it. Many vendors on X have had to restart on a "backup account" after a suspension. A page on your own link is a second home that doesn't vanish with one account.
It's hard to judge you before chatting
New buyers are cautious, especially with fake vendors around. A page with your location, delivery areas, payment options, reviews and real photos answers their questions before they message you, so the chats you get are warmer.
Sharing beyond WhatsApp is clumsy
Catalogue links work, but they're built for WhatsApp. On Instagram, X, flyers or a Google profile, a short, readable web link is easier to share and trust.
Side by side
| WhatsApp Business catalogue | Simple web page | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Free to a small fee, depending on how you build it |
| Shows up on Google | No | Yes, if it's written in plain text and linked from your profiles |
| Works without the WhatsApp app | No | Yes, opens in any browser |
| Survives if your WhatsApp account has problems | No | Yes |
| Order flow | In chat | "Order on WhatsApp" button opens a chat with the item pre-filled |
| Best for | Repeat customers, quick sharing in chat | New customers, Google search, trust |
So which do you need?
Both, and they work together. Keep the catalogue for the people already in your chats. Add a simple page so strangers can find and trust you, with a button on every product that opens WhatsApp with the order already typed. Customers still end up in your chat, which is how you like to sell anyway.
You don't need a big e-commerce site with carts and logins. For most Nigerian vendors, one fast page with products, prices, location and WhatsApp buttons does the job.
Try it free
- Make a WhatsApp order link and QR code for any product with our free WhatsApp Order Link & QR Generator.
- Turn your prices into a neat image for Status with the Price List Maker.
- See what a full page looks like in our demo shop, or let PlugPage build yours in 24 hours.
Sources
- WhatsApp for Business, "Using your WhatsApp Business catalog to make sales" (500 items, 10 photos/videos per item, hiding items).
- WhatsApp Help Center, "About catalog" (required fields, optional price, link and product code; prices only in certain countries).
- WhatsApp Help Center, "How to use click to chat" (wa.me links with pre-filled messages).
This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. Platform rules and fees change; check the linked official sources for the latest. PlugPage is not affiliated with Google, WhatsApp, Meta, Paystack or the other companies mentioned.