WhatsApp Chatbots: Build Yours in Five Easy Steps!

ince you’re reading this, you must be interested in building a WhatsApp chatbot.

So, you must be planning to connect with customers and engage them through their favorite platform.

Well, we think that’s a good idea and you should start working on it!

But before that, you must know;

why you should get a WhatsApp chatbot;
whether or not the WhatsApp bot will be able to engage your customers; and
how can you build a smart WhatsApp chatbot?

Perhaps we can help you find the answers to these questions.

Get ready and we’ll begin the informative roller coaster ride!

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Why Build WhatsApp Chatbots?

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Let’s start with the reasons to create a WhatsApp chatbot for your brand.

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1. Statistics

Numbers mean a lot. When you have number-backed facts in hand, you are bound to believe.

WhatsApp is one of the favorite messaging channels that exist. It has over 2 billion monthly active users and 100 billion messages are sent daily on WhatsApp.

The use of WhatsApp got boosted by more than 40% in March 2020. So, we can consider that in recent times, we and our contacts use WhatsApp more than ever.

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2. Information Request

Be it shipping information, payment notification, or order confirmation – everything can be sent on WhatsApp. Once your customers register their contact numbers with your business and opt-in for notifications, you can keep them updated.

Read more about WhatsApp business opt-ins here.

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3. Easy Conversations

“You should message a business just the way you would message a friend.”

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These lines from Mark Zuckerberg point toward easy access and convenience. Your customers can message you ‘like a friend’ only when you make it easy for them to reach out.

Click to chat WhatsApp buttons on your website, Facebook page or posts can make it convenient for customers to contact you over WhatsApp.

Here, you can easily implement a WhatsApp chatbot that can initiate conversations as soon as customers try to contact you.

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4. Offer Quick Support

As we have mentioned, WhatsApp is the go-to messaging channel for customers. So, if you offer customer support on WhatsApp, customers will quickly contact you over the channel.

With WhatsApp chatbots, you can offer customers real-time support – answer their queries, solve product-related issues, and be readily available for any other services demanded.

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5. ‘Hello’ Message Setup

WhatsApp chatbots initiate conversations with a greeting message. And this message can make or break a conversation.

Make sure that the greeting message that you set up is warm. It must intend towards making the visitor comfortable. So, create a welcoming message. Such automated messages on WhatsApp help you boost conversions.

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6. Setting ‘Away’ Message

Like a greeting message, an away message is important too. If a customer sends a message on WhatsApp beyond your business hours, all you need is an away message to inform customers that you will get back to them.

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7. Use Contact Labels

WhatsApp makes it easy for you to find conversations. With contact labels, you can group and organize contacts to make the search process easier.

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8. Send Quick Replies

Quick replies save time. Using quick replies, you can save and re-send messages faster to respond to FAQs. You can also set up WhatsApp chatbots for doing the same. So, create quick responses for a thank you message, payment information, discount offers, and ordering instructions for faster replies to customers.

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9. End-to-end Encryption

The business messages on WhatsApp for business have end-to-end encryption. It prevents cluttering and also it lets you block any business in a few taps.

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10. Set up the Best Business profiles

Businesses can now set up their detailed profiles on WhatsApp. And it is one of the coolest features of the channel. You can add;

Company email templates
Addresses
Detailed descriptions of business
Company website URL
Business working hours

While entering addresses, it is also possible to link the address with Google Maps. Thus, users can directly get your store directions with a click leading to better communication and increased chances of conversion.

Besides, do you know about WhatsApp Business API’s Catalog feature?

Well, it is one of the most popular WhatsApp for Business feature that brands are using to showcase new products, offer recommendations, and helps customers buy products through WhatsApp. You can read more about this awesome WhatsApp Catalog feature right here!

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A Step-by-Step Guide to Building WhatsApp Chatbot

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If you are planning to build a WhatsApp chatbot, all you need is an awesome no-code bot builder, like Konverse AI!

No-code bot-building platforms make it super easy to build WhatsApp chatbots. People without any coding knowledge can build the bots. Plus, you can customize your WhatsApp bot as per your requirement.

Before you start your bot-building process, you must apply for WhatsApp Business API. While most businesses are eligible, there are a few restrictions. If you do not fall under the restricted process, you can easily get access to WhatsApp for Business.

The good news is that Konverse AI helps you from the very start of the application process. The team does the needful on your behalf. To know more, click here.

Here are the steps to building your WhatsApp chatbot using a no-code bot-building platform like Konverse AI.

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Step 1: Sign-up

Before anything else, you need to sign up with the platform you choose. With Konverse AI, you simply need to enter a few basic details and you’re good to go!

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Step 2: Start building your story

To create a story, first, click on bot builder on the Konverse Dashboard. Then, select Story builder. Thus, you begin the bot-building process.

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Step 3: Create the conversation flow

Now, as you create your bot conversation, it is up to you how you customize it. Check out our blog on chatbot script writing to create engaging conversations.

To build your flow, click on ‘Add’ and choose options as required from the drop-down menu - text, image, cards, video, etc. There are different nodes and plugins available to create stories that interest your customers.

Type in your texts, and add a menu instead of quick replies or buttons. This way, you can design the conversation flow by choosing the ‘+’ sign to add texts when needed.

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Note: Konverse AI bot builder automatically takes in the text sequence when building a WhatsApp Chatbot. So, you do not have to spend much time thinking about the difference between building a website chatbot and a WhatsApp chatbot.

After the flow is complete, don’t forget to save it.

Check out this bot-building tutorial to ensure a better understanding.

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Step 4: Test the Bot

Before you let your WhatsApp chatbot take up responsibilities, make sure to test and check if you have built your flow well. Make necessary changes, if needed.

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