Two Ways to Sell Online — One Decision That Shapes Your Business

If you sell products in India — whether you run a clothing boutique in T. Nagar, a home decor shop in Coimbatore, or a handmade product business from your home — you are facing one of the most common dilemmas for Indian sellers in 2026: Should you set up a WhatsApp Catalogue or build a proper website store?

The question matters more than it seems. Choose wrong and you either overspend on a website when a WhatsApp Catalogue would have served you perfectly, or you limit your growth by staying only on WhatsApp when a website would have multiplied your reach.

This guide gives you the complete picture — what each option actually does, where each one wins, and exactly which one fits your business right now.

💡 72% of product discovery in India now happens through chat and social media, according to a 2026 Meta and RAI whitepaper. WhatsApp is no longer just a messaging app — for millions of Indian sellers, it is their primary storefront.

What Is a WhatsApp Catalogue? How It Works in India

A WhatsApp Catalogue is a built-in feature of the WhatsApp Business App and API that lets you create a digital product listing inside WhatsApp.

Up to 500 products with 10 images per product — free
Collections for categories
Shareable product links
Cart feature
WhatsApp Pay (UPI)
Short video support
API integration
Broadcast sharing

How Businesses Use It

Businesses across India use WhatsApp Catalogues for daily sales, customer engagement, and fast order processing.

What Is a Website Store?

A website store is a dedicated online platform where customers can browse, add to cart, and checkout without conversation.

Unlimited products
Payment gateway integration
Google discoverability
Reviews and ratings
Discount systems
Inventory management
Analytics
Shipping integration
SEO benefits

WhatsApp Catalogue vs Website Store

Factor	WhatsApp Catalogue	Website Store
Setup Cost	Free	₹25K–₹1.5L+
Setup Time	1–3 hours	2–8 weeks
Products	500 limit	Unlimited
Google Visibility	No	Yes
Payments	UPI / links	Full checkout
Inventory	Manual	Automatic
Analytics	Limited	Full

Where WhatsApp Catalogue Wins

Quick start
Existing customers
Conversational selling
Small product range
B2B and wholesale

Where Website Store Wins

New customer discovery
Scaling business
High-value products
GST invoicing
Brand building

The Best Strategy: Use Both

Website for discovery and SEO
WhatsApp for engagement and retention
Ads for traffic
WhatsApp for repeat sales

🚀 Start with WhatsApp Catalogue, then scale with a website store.

Decision Guide

Situation	Start With
New business, low budget	WhatsApp Catalogue
Under 200 products	WhatsApp Catalogue
B2B seller	WhatsApp Catalogue
Need Google traffic	Website Store
Large product range	Website Store
Long-term brand	Website Store
Established business	Both

Frequently Asked Questions

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