WhatsApp Chatbot For Business: Build A WhatsApp Bot In 5 Minutes

Are you searching for ways to enhance your business or provide better customer support through Chatbots? You’re in good company. In fact, 82% of businesses utilizing AI-powered conversational marketing solutions report it as an effective asset for sales and marketing.

Considering WhatsApp’s dominance in messaging channels, the potential for seamless communication through Chatbots is boundless. So now that you understand what you’re after, let’s delve into how to create a Chatbot.

What is a WhatsApp chatbot?

A WhatsApp Chatbot streamlines your sales and customer service by providing continuous engagement, even outside business hours, without the need for human intervention.

Although it feels like a human interaction, the audience is communicating with a machine that responds with automated messages. An eCommerce company can leverage a WhatsApp Chatbot to answer product inquiries, provide delivery and refund updates, and distribute marketing materials to boost sales.

But why does your business require a WhatsApp Chatbot? Let’s investigate.

Why does your business need a WhatsApp chatbot?

It’s easier to manage queries when you have a small base of customers. But as your business grows with more customers, you must have a chatbot that can engage with leads and customers 24/7.

Without a chatbot, it can be challenging to reply faster to any business or customer enquiries, and it’s not something your audience will like.

On the brighter side, here’s what you can expect by setting a WhatsApp chatbot in place.

1. Improve the sales efforts.
2. Offer better support and experience in clearing customer queries.
3. Setup automated replies outside business hours
4. Save money and time
5. Gather lead details
6. Integrate your chatbots with your existing CRMs like Hubspot, Shopify or Zoho.
7. Recommend new products and services
8. Unlike humans, your chatbot can handle many queries at the same time.

In essence, to expand your business on WhatsApp, you must replicate your website or store experience on the platform, which requires a WhatsApp chatbot. Now that you understand the importance of a WhatsApp chatbot, let’s examine some essential factors to consider before creating one.

Stay Compliant: Best Practices for WhatsApp Chatbot Operations

As businesses increasingly rely on WhatsApp Chatbots to engage with customers, compliance with regulations becomes paramount. Failing to meet regulatory requirements can lead to legal issues, penalties, and reputational damage. Thus, it is crucial for businesses to adopt best practices for WhatsApp Chatbot operations to stay compliant.

One of the best practices for WhatsApp Chatbot operations is to provide clear opt-in and opt-out mechanisms for users. This ensures that users are aware of their consent to communicate with the Chatbot and can easily unsubscribe if they wish. Additionally, businesses should avoid sending unsolicited messages to users, which can lead to complaints and potential violations of privacy regulations.

Another best practice is to provide adequate security measures to protect user data. Chatbots should use encryption technology to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of messages and other user information. Furthermore, businesses should have clear policies in place regarding the collection, storage, and use of user data, and ensure that the Chatbot adheres to these policies.

In conclusion, businesses should prioritize compliance when operating WhatsApp Chatbots. Adhering to best practices such as providing clear opt-in and opt-out mechanisms, avoiding unsolicited messages, and implementing adequate security measures can help businesses stay compliant with regulations and build trust with their customers.

But what if you are using a regular WhatsApp service and not WhatsApp Business? Well, you will need WhatsApp Business to set up a chatbot. Here’s how it works.

What is WhatsApp Business?

WhatsApp Business is a messaging platform designed for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to communicate with their customers. It is a separate application from the regular WhatsApp messenger and provides a range of features tailored to business needs. These features include automated messaging, quick replies, catalog management, and label organization.

With WhatsApp Business, SMBs can create a professional business profile with their company information, address, and business hours. They can also send automated messages to customers, such as greetings and absence messages, and set up quick replies to answer common questions efficiently. The catalog management feature allows businesses to showcase their products and services in an organized manner and even enable customers to purchase products directly through the app.

Additionally, WhatsApp Business provides a labeling system to help businesses categorize and prioritize conversations with customers. This feature makes it easier to identify and respond to high-priority messages quickly. Overall, WhatsApp Business helps SMBs streamline customer communication and improve customer experience, leading to higher customer satisfaction and potentially increased sales.

Being the best alternative to old SMS services, WhatsApp for businesses enables businesses to interact with their customers with chats, reminders, and confirmation texts on WhatsApp Itself.

There are two WhatsApp Business Solutions:

1. WhatsApp Business App
2. WhatsApp Business API

WhatsApp Business includes capabilities that can help a small business meet its needs. On the flip side, it has limitations for a medium or large enterprise.

This is where the WhatsApp Business API may help you scale your marketing and sales operations.

What is an API?

Application programming interface (API) allows your product or service to exchange information with other products or services. This can help firms save time and money by avoiding the need to develop complex, expensive software.

Here’s an example. Let’s imagine you’re planning a vacation and need to book a hotel room. You’re looking for hotel rooms on a well-known hotel room aggregator website, such as Trivago. You’ve decided where you want to look for rooms.

The room aggregator programme uses an API to check the database of all the hotels in the chosen location and present all of the rooms that are available. The API acts as a middleman, assisting the room aggregator website in locating rooms from various databases.

Similar to the example, your business can use WhatsApp Business API to create chatbots, send broadcast messages, offer access to numerous agents, and use a few other functions not available in the WhatsApp Business app.

Now if you think a WhatsApp Business API is the ideal fit for your business (which we also think it is) since it will help you set up a chatbot. Let’s look into how to get a WhatsApp Business API to set up your chatbot.

Getting WhatsApp chatbot with WhatsApp Business API

To get a WhatsApp Chatbot with the WhatsApp Business API, you need to follow these steps:

1. Apply for the WhatsApp Business API: First, apply for the WhatsApp Business API through one of the official WhatsApp Business solution providers. You will need to provide your business information, including your website and Facebook page, and wait for approval.

2. Set up a WhatsApp Business account: Once approved, set up a WhatsApp Business account for your business by downloading the WhatsApp Business app or using the WhatsApp Business web interface.

3. Choose a WhatsApp Chatbot provider: Next, choose a WhatsApp Chatbot provider that offers integration with the WhatsApp Business API. There are various providers available, so compare their features, pricing, and reviews before making a decision.

4. Configure and customize your WhatsApp Chatbot: Once you have chosen a provider, like Wati, configure and customize your WhatsApp Chatbot according to your business needs. This includes creating conversation flows, setting up automated responses, and integrating with your CRM system.

5. Test and launch your WhatsApp Chatbot: Before launching your WhatsApp Chatbot, test it thoroughly to ensure it works as expected. Once you’re satisfied with its performance, launch your WhatsApp Chatbot and start engaging with your customers on WhatsApp.

It’s important to note that the WhatsApp Business API is not free and comes with various costs, including setup fees, monthly fees, and messaging fees. However, a well-designed WhatsApp Chatbot can help you automate customer service, increase engagement, and ultimately, grow your business.

How To Create A WhatsApp Chatbot?

Creating a WhatsApp Chatbot involves several steps, including:

1. Registering for a WhatsApp Business Account: You need a WhatsApp Business Account to create a WhatsApp Chatbot. You can register for one via the WhatsApp Business App or the WhatsApp Business API.

2. Choosing a Chatbot Builder Platform: You can either hire a developer or use a chatbot builder platform like Landbot, Tars, or Chatfuel to create your Chatbot. The platforms provide templates, visual interfaces, and automation tools to simplify the process.

3. Designing the Chatbot Flow: Using the builder platform, you design the conversation flow that the Chatbot will use to interact with customers. You determine the chatbot’s response to specific questions or queries.

4. Integrating with a WhatsApp Business API Provider: To enable the Chatbot to communicate with customers on WhatsApp, you need to integrate the chatbot builder platform with a WhatsApp Business API provider. The API provider offers access to WhatsApp’s messaging infrastructure, enabling the Chatbot to send and receive messages.

5. Testing the Chatbot: Once the Chatbot is up and running, you need to test it to ensure it works as expected. You can test the Chatbot using the builder platform’s testing tools or integrate it with a test WhatsApp account to simulate real conversations.

6. Launching the Chatbot: After testing, launch the Chatbot and start communicating with customers. You can monitor the Chatbot’s performance using analytics tools to optimize its responses and improve customer engagement.

Creating a WhatsApp Chatbot requires technical expertise and resources, but it offers significant benefits, including improved customer service, increased engagement, and automation of routine tasks.

Sector-Specific WhatsApp Chatbot Implementation Using Wati: A Deep Dive

Whether it’s to book a doctor’s appointment, track an online purchase, or reserve a hotel room, chatbots have become our friendly digital assistants.

These handy tools are revolutionizing businesses across various sectors, including Healthcare, E-commerce, and Hospitality. With the help of Wati, a powerful WhatsApp Business API provider, these industries can deliver personalized and efficient services straight to customers’ phones via WhatsApp.

In this discussion, we’ll dive into some engaging chatbot examples, showing you how they can make everyday tasks easier and more intuitive. So, grab a cup of coffee and get ready for an educational adventure into the world of chatbots!

1. Healthcare: Doctor Appointment Booking Bot

In the healthcare sector, a WhatsApp chatbot can streamline the process of booking doctor appointments. Here’s a possible interaction:

User: Hi
Bot: Hello! How can I assist you today?
User: I need to book an appointment.
Bot: Sure, please provide your patient ID.
User: PID123456
Bot: Thank you. Please select a doctor specialty:

1. General Medicine
2. Pediatrics
3. Cardiology
   User: 2
   Bot: Great! Here are the available pediatricians and their timings. Please select one to proceed:
4. Dr. XYZ (10:00 AM – 12:00 PM)
5. Dr. ABC (01:00 PM – 03:00 PM)
   User: 1
   Bot: You’ve selected Dr. XYZ. Choose a date for your appointment:
   User: Tomorrow
   Bot: Your appointment with Dr. XYZ is scheduled for tomorrow from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Please confirm.
   User: Confirmed
   Bot: Perfect! Your appointment is booked. You will receive a reminder tomorrow.

Implementing a WhatsApp chatbot in healthcare, such as the one in the above example, brings several significant benefits:

1. 24/7 Availability: Unlike human counterparts, chatbots are available round the clock. They can schedule appointments, provide information, and guide patients anytime, irrespective of office hours or holidays.

2. Instant Response: A chatbot provides instant responses, reducing the waiting time. This is especially useful when dealing with numerous patient requests at once.

3. Efficient Scheduling: Chatbots streamline the process of scheduling appointments. They can provide real-time availability of doctors and instantly book appointments, simplifying administrative tasks.

4. Reminder System: Chatbots can send automated reminders about upcoming appointments, reducing the possibility of no-shows.

5. Increased Engagement: Chatbots can handle routine queries, freeing healthcare professionals to focus on more critical tasks. This enhances the overall patient experience.

6. Data Handling: Chatbots can process and store large amounts of data, ensuring easy access and retrieval of patient records when necessary.

With the ongoing digital transformation in the healthcare industry, using a tool like a WhatsApp chatbot developed with Wati can bring about operational efficiency, improve patient satisfaction, and eventually, deliver better healthcare outcomes.

2. E-commerce: Order Tracking Bot

In the E-commerce sector, a WhatsApp bot can help customers track their orders. Here’s how an interaction may look:

User: Hi
Bot: Hello! How may I assist you today?
User: Track my order
Bot: Of course, could you please provide your order number?
User: 3456789
Bot: Thank you. Let me check the status of your order.
(Pause for a few seconds as the bot fetches the data)
Bot: Your order #3456789 is out for delivery and is expected to reach you by end of the day. You can also track your order using this link: www.example.com/track?order=3456789

Integrating a WhatsApp chatbot for order tracking in your e-commerce business, like in the scenario presented above, comes with several compelling benefits:

1. 24/7 Support: Customers can inquire about their orders anytime, and the chatbot is always available to provide real-time updates.

2. Speed and Efficiency: The chatbot instantly processes requests and provides prompt responses, enhancing customer experience and satisfaction.

3. Cost Reduction: Chatbots can significantly reduce the resources required for customer service by automating routine tasks such as order tracking.

4. Improved Customer Engagement: Customers appreciate quick and easy access to their order information. Providing this through a platform they already use (WhatsApp) improves their overall shopping experience.

5. Scalability: As your business grows, the chatbot can handle increasing customer inquiries without the need for additional staff.

6. Reducing Load on Customer Service: By automating order tracking, the customer service team can focus on solving more complex customer issues.

Using Wati to build a WhatsApp chatbot for your e-commerce business can not only enhance your customer service but also improve operational efficiency, reduce costs, and help you scale your business effectively.

3. Hospitality: Hotel Booking Bot

In the hospitality industry, a WhatsApp bot can simplify the process of booking rooms. Here’s an example interaction:

User: Hi
Bot: Hello! How can I assist you today?
User: I need to book a room.
Bot: Sure, can you please provide the check-in and check-out dates?
User: Check-in on August 10 and check-out on August 15.
Bot: Thank you. Here are the room types available for your dates:

1. Deluxe Room
2. Suite
3. King Room
   User: I’ll go with the Deluxe Room.
   Bot: Great choice! The Deluxe Room for your dates costs $250 per night. Shall I proceed with the booking?
   User: Yes, please.
   Bot: Your room has been booked. You will receive a confirmation email shortly. Enjoy your stay!

In order to implement these chatbot scenarios, you would use the Wati platform to build these workflows. Wati offers an API that integrates with your internal systems. This allows the bot to fetch data (like patient IDs, order statuses, room availability) and perform actions (like booking appointments or rooms). The exact implementation would depend on your system architecture and requirements.

Advantages of building a WhatsApp chatbot with WATI

There are several advantages of building a WhatsApp Chatbot with WATI, including:

1. Free Plan: WATI offers a free plan that enables businesses to create a WhatsApp Chatbot with basic features without any charges.

2. Easy-to-use Chatbot Builder: WATI’s chatbot builder is user-friendly, providing a visual interface and pre-built templates that make it easy to create a Chatbot without any coding experience.

3. WhatsApp Business API Integration: WATI integrates with WhatsApp Business API, enabling businesses to communicate with customers on the WhatsApp platform.

4. Advanced Features: WATI offers advanced features such as analytics, multiple agents, scheduling, and broadcast messages, among others.

5. Customizable Chatbot Flows: WATI allows businesses to create custom Chatbot flows that fit their specific business needs, such as responding to inquiries, automating customer support, and marketing.

6. Multilingual Support: WATI supports multiple languages, enabling businesses to create Chatbots that communicate with customers in their preferred language.

In summary, building a WhatsApp Chatbot with WATI offers businesses an affordable and straightforward way to automate customer communication on the WhatsApp platform. Its easy-to-use chatbot builder, WhatsApp Business API integration, advanced features, customizable chatbot flows, multilingual support, and free plan make it an excellent option for businesses looking to improve customer service and engagement on WhatsApp.

Now that you learnt how to create a WhatsApp Chatbot for your business (new achievement unlocked), here’s something you should keep in mind to keep the conversation going seamless and smooth between your chatbot and audience.

Designing your WhatsApp Chatbot’s Conversation

When you build a WhatsApp bot for your WhatsApp Business account, it works as the first interactive face of your business. So, it is crucial to consider the most critical aspect, i.e. conversation design.

• Conversation Design is vital in WhatsApp automation: It builds all possible customer conversations to identify needs and questions, improving user experience and the percentage of successful responses. Neglecting conversational design can lead to user frustration when the Chatbot fails to provide accurate answers.
• Build Multiple Chatbot Flows: You’ve to consider that there will be multiple conversational flows to get the users to your end goals which would be to complete a purchase or fill the sign-up details page. With multiple chatbot flows, you can make your Conversational Design highly efficient to meet your end goal.
• Be The Support, Not A Salesperson: While designing the conversation, ensure that the chatbot is polite and sounds like an assistant. Please don’t over-market or brag too much about your products. Instead, show only helpful things to your customers when asked.
• Avoid Long texts: How often would you read a long text on WhatsApp? The same things happen with your users. So keep your chatbot’s responses short and effective. If you wish to explain something in detail, attach a document or a media along with your short message.
• Add Call To Action In The Closing Messages: We’ve been building a WhatsApp Chatbot for what? To get more business, to be precise. It is important to note that at the end of a conversation, the chatbot must ask the user to take action, such as ‘purchase now!’ or ‘Fill the details’.

Conversation design aims to improve the UX of your WhatsApp Chatbot. A good UX will also help you build your brand value on WhatsApp.

FAQs

How can I get a green tick next to my business name on WhatsApp?

Companies that have access to WhatsApp Business APIs are only eligible for a green tick verification.

• Apply for WhatsApp Business API access through Whatsapp’s official partner like WATI.
• Once your request for API access is approved, WhatsApp business service providers like WATI can help you get the green ticket verification.

You can read more about it here.

So what all would I need to set up a WhatsApp chatbot?

• A verified business page on FaceBook
• WhatsApp business phone number
• Access to WhatsApp Business API (which WATI can help you get)

WhatsApp Chatbot in 2023: The conclusion

Your competition is in the race against you to be on WhatsApp to interact and acquire more and more customers. Every one of them will be using a WhatsApp Business solution.

A good WhatsApp Chatbot on your Business number will be a massive advantage for you. Your customers need not wait hours to get their questions answered. You’ll be more efficient, friendly, and interactive on WhatsApp and build your brand value.

When it comes to the WhatsApp Chatbot, User experience matters the most. With the right conversation design, you can build the complete experience that your customers want.

WATI is the platform committed to providing all the features combined to build a perfect no-code chatbot. So What are you waiting for?