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Short answer: Put a WhatsApp button where shoppers have questions, open the chat with the product already named, and set an away message for the hours you are closed. WhatsApp will not bring back a shopper who has left, because you can only message people who agreed to hear from you. It helps the ones still on your site who would rather ask than guess.
A shopper choosing between two sizes has one question, and the answer may be buried in your returns page. A WhatsApp button lets them ask it and keep shopping. The seven steps below set that up on an online store, using the free WhatsApp Business app and a chat button on your site.
1. Put the button where questions come up
A button on every page is a fine start. Two places deserve extra attention:
- Expensive or custom items. Shoppers often want to check warranty, returns or customization before they spend more. Put the button next to the price.
- Sold-out items. When a size or variant runs out, swap the disabled "Add to cart" for a "Message us when it's back" button. When the stock arrives, reply in that chat. The shopper already asked you to.
On the Pro plan, WAButton can show or hide the button by page, country or device. See how this works for online stores.
2. Open the chat with the product already named
An empty chat window makes the shopper explain what they were looking at. A click to chat link can fill in the first message for them:
Hi! I'm looking at the [Product Title] in size [Variant]. Does it ship to [Country] this week?
You see the product straight away and can answer without asking which one they mean. Test your wording in our WhatsApp Message Formatter.
3. Set an away message for the hours you are closed
A shopper in another time zone might ask about sizing at 11 PM and hear nothing until morning. You cannot answer around the clock, but the WhatsApp Business app can reply automatically outside your hours, so they know when you will:
Thanks for messaging [Store name]. We're closed right now and open again at 9 AM.
Leave your question, and your order number if you have one, and we'll reply here in the morning.
Write yours with our free WhatsApp Away Message Generator. WAButton can also show your hours and next opening time on the button itself.
4. Share your catalog inside the chat
Screenshots and long links are hard to browse on a phone. The WhatsApp Business app lets you show products in a catalog and share links to it. Shoppers see the photos and prices, and can ask about an item in the same chat.
Create a link with our WhatsApp Catalog Link Generator.
5. Offer help at checkout, and know what it will not do
Checkout is where shipping costs and delivery dates come up. A short note near the payment step gives people somewhere to ask:
Not sure about delivery or sizing? Ask us on WhatsApp.
Unlike a discount popup, this answers the question behind the hesitation. A WAButton greeting can show it after a delay, as the visitor scrolls or when they move to leave.
It will not recover abandoned carts. The shopper has to choose to message you, and you cannot write to someone who left your site without giving you their number and permission. Automated cart reminders need the WhatsApp API and the shopper's permission, and WAButton does not send them.
6. Send chats to the right person as you grow
When one phone gets more chats than one person can answer, shoppers wait. Three things help:
- Give each team or language its own contact and let shoppers choose. WAButton can list Sales, Support or individual team members, with multiple contacts from the Starter plan.
- Save quick replies for common questions about shipping, returns and payment.
- Check that each number is on WhatsApp before you add it, using our WhatsApp Number Validator.
7. Follow the rules on consent
WhatsApp can restrict a number that sends unwanted messages. The WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy sets the rules for businesses. In practice:
- Let the customer start. They tap a link or scan a QR code and message you first. Do not scrape phone numbers or send cold broadcasts.
- Make it easy to stop. If you send promotions to people who agreed to them, tell them how to opt out, such as "Reply STOP to unsubscribe".
- Explain your data use. Say in your website privacy policy how you handle customer details.
What to track
Compare these against your own numbers from last month, not against someone else's benchmark.
| What to track | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Button taps, by page | Which pages raise questions. WAButton can send taps to your analytics tools |
| Chats that end in an order | Whether the chats are worth your time. Count these by hand at first |
| Time to first reply | Whether shoppers are left waiting |
| The questions you hear most | What to add to your product pages |
Sources
- WhatsApp Business App Features, WhatsApp
- WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy, WhatsApp
- How to use click to chat, WhatsApp Help Center
Let website visitors message you on WhatsApp.
Add a floating button, choose its colors and greeting, then reply in the WhatsApp app you already use.
WAButton is a website button. We do not sell WhatsApp API access or a shared inbox, so nothing here depends on you buying them.
Written by WAButton Team