Your Business Conversations Will Change Forever! Follow this Step-by-Step Guide to Building Your Own WhatsApp Chatbot

Are you looking to change the way you interact with your prospects and customers? Then, you should consider using a WhatsApp Business chatbot! With over two billion active users (1/4th of the world’s population), WhatsApp is there on almost every smartphone. Thus, no business can afford to ignore WhatsApp.

While a WhatsApp chatbot offers several advantages, another good thing about it is that you can create a WhatsApp chatbot tailored to your business. Yes! You heard it right. You can have a chatbot that works only for you. However, how do you build one? If you are eager to know that, here’s a step-by-step guide.

What is a WhatsApp Chatbot?

As the name suggests, a WhatsApp chatbot is a messaging platform that automates customer communication while fostering personalized interactions. With nearly 78-80 percent of customers preferring personalized messages to make purchases, adding a WhatsApp chatbot that does it can make a significant difference to your business. It offers a range of features that simplify, expedite, and enhance marketing and routine communication. Let’s look at some of them.

Key Features of a WhatsApp Chatbot

It is the features of a WhatsApp chatbot that define its capabilities and determine its value. So, here’s what you can leverage.

  •   QR Code Interactions

A WhatsApp chat bot API allows you to generate a QR code through the menu’s settings section. You can use the code while promoting your brand on a broader scale. The QR code can be displayed via banners, pamphlets, or digital signage. However, you should maintain the QR code while issuing it to the audience.

  •   Analytics

The messaging platform also allows you to measure your campaign’s performance based on different metrics. No matter your campaign’s objectives, you can evaluate the effectiveness of your campaign or conversations based on clicks, open rates, blocks, etc. With a comprehensive report, you can analyze the campaign data and make improvements to it.

 

 

  •   Click on to Chat Link

WhatsApp chatbot also allows a user to interact with a business entity without saving the number. It is a unique feature that provides you with a link you can share with your users if you want to interact with them. These links are free. Besides, you can generate countless and have as many users interact with you as you want.

  •   Interactive Attributes

The instant messaging platform also allows you to make customer interaction livelier via the web with a concise description and price. In addition, you can use a graphic to communicate more effectively.

  •   Multilingual Support

Nothing beats the impact of interacting with a customer in their language. With a WhatsApp chatbot, you can personalize your interactions further with multilingual support. When trained appropriately, based on the training data, the chatbot can generate quick and accurate responses in the language for which it is trained.

  •   Automated Responses

One of the most striking features of a WhatsApp chatbot is that it automates responses to frequently asked questions or predefined inquiries. It helps reduce the need for human intervention and improves the response time considerably.

  •   Third-Party Integration

You can integrate your chatbot with third-party services like payment gateways, CRM systems, etc., to streamline customer and marketing data and operations.

  •   Feedback Collection

WhatsApp chatbots allow you to gather feedback via polls, surveys, or direct inquiries. The insights you receive through these mechanisms can help you show the way to improvements and informed decision-making.

Benefits of Using a WhatsApp Chatbot

Deploying a WhatsApp chatbot transforms marketing and customer communication like never before. So, here’s how it benefits you.

  •   Global Outreach

With a user base that exceeds two billion and is available in 20+ languages and 180+ countries, WhatsApp chatbot offers global accessibility. In other words, with such a chatbot, you can broaden your prospect base and leverage market expansion opportunities.

  •   Automated Response and Query Handling

A WhatsApp chatbot can handle customer queries efficiently and provide automated and accurate responses to frequently asked questions. It can free your human resources and have them handle the more complicated tasks.

  •   24/7 Availability

With a WhatsApp chatbot working at the backend while automating responses, you can also stay available for your prospects and customers 24/7. So, no matter if it is 2.30 AM or a public holiday, your marketing communication running on auto-pilot will stay available to respond. This isn’t possible with human contact agents who have various limitations and need rest beyond a certain extent.

  •   Premium Media Sharing

These chatbots allow you to share images, videos, PDF guides, etc., to enhance the communication process and drive more meaningful interactions. Thus, WhatsApp chatbots aren’t limited to text but extend to other media forms as well.

  •   Personalized Messaging

AI-driven chatbots learn with every interaction and deliver highly personalized responses in the customer’s language (if trained in a particular language other than English). Personalized responses lead to better and more useful interactions.

How to Create a WhatsApp Chatbot – Step-by-Step Guide

Let’s now answer the basic question – how to create a WhatsApp chatbot? You won’t believe but you can build a WhatsApp chatbot in a few minutes. How? Let’s look at the process through Python coding.

  •   Establish Your Development Environment

If you haven’t already, install Python on your machine from its official website. It is advisable to create a virtual environment to manage dependencies.

  •   Install the Required Libraries

The next step is to install the required libraries and frameworks. Use a WhatsApp chat bot API (with a particular provider) and Flask.

 

 

  •   Create a Provider Account

Sign up for a provider account and get your Account SID and Auth Token. You will also get a WhatsApp-enabled phone number from the provider.

  •   Set up the Flask Application

Create a new Python file (example – app.py) and set up a basic Flask application.

  •   Implement the Chatbot Logic

Implement the logic for your chatbot within the sms_reply function. It is here that you will manage incoming messages and generate responses.

  •   Conduct Chatbot Testing

Run the Flask application and use the provider’s WhatsApp sandbox to test the chatbot. Ensure the chatbot provides expected responses to different inputs.

  •   Deploy the Chatbot

Once you test the chatbot thoroughly and ensure it is working as expected, deploy the Flask application to a server.

  •   Configure the Provider Webhook

Configure the webhook for your WhatsApp number in your provider console to point to the URL of your deployed chatbot.

How to Apply for WhatsApp Chat Bot API?

A chatbot API serves as a backend mechanism allowing businesses to manage and automate their WhatsApp conversations. Follow the below process to apply for WhatsApp chat bot API and set up your exclusive WhatsApp Business number.

  •       Sign up for a WhatsApp Business API.
  •       After signing up, you get an email with the next steps concerning application approval.
  •       Provide Facebook Business Manager ID, name, and phone number
  •       Get your request approved by the business service provider, if you choose one.
  •       Provide details like profile icon and WhatsApp business account name.
  •       You will receive an SMS or voice call to authenticate the WhatsApp number.
  •       After doing this, you are prepared to use the WhatsApp integration in the service suite of your business service provider.

 

Final Words

In an age wherein factors like speed, accuracy, and personalization have become paramount, you cannot stick to conventional communication methods. Opportunities and business belong to those who think differently and walk the extra mile to enhance business communication.

WhatsApp chatbots continue to emerge as a powerful medium of communication, enabling businesses to leverage the capabilities of conversational marketing. Apart from that, the several benefits you’ve already seen further speak for the value and significance of WhatsApp chatbots in the contemporary context.

Partner with FABTARY, a trustworthy WhatsApp chatbot builder in Durban. We will help you build a highly responsive and efficient WhatsApp chatbot tailored to your business. Email us at info@fabtary.com to discover how we can help you make the most from your chatbot investment.

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