WhatsApp bot is a useful tool to maximize the potential of WhatsApp as a means of business communication and customer support.
WhatsApp is one of the most widely used messaging applications globally, with an estimated 2.2 million active users each month. From an application for chatting with family and friends, WhatsApp has become a reference point for communication between companies and customers.
As described in our guide WhatsApp, WhatsApp Business and WhatsApp Business API, WhatsApp offers various versions of this application. The traditional version has been developed for private customers, while the business version and APIs have been developed primarily for companies.
In this guide we will explore together what WhatsApp bots are and the reasons why companies should use them. We will examine the main functionalities of WhatsApp bots, which version of the messaging application is necessary to use them and how to integrate this tool into e-commerce.
WhatsApp Chatbot: what is this tool?
The first step is to understand what a WhatsApp chatbot is. It is a program developed for WhatsApp capable of automatically responding to customer inquiries and engaging in conversation with them.
This tool falls into the category of chatbots and can be leveraged by companies to stay connected with customers 24/7. The WhatsApp chatbot responds instantly at any time of the day, addressing customer queries and offering automated paths for resolving most issues.
The chatbot can be customized so that the conversational tone, information provided and paths shown to customers align with the values of the company and the products sold online.
Unfortunately at the moment chatbots are not yet active for WhatsApp groups. The potential introduction of this functionality could make these tools even more advantageous for companies, enabling them to communicate information to a wide audience with just a few messages.
Why companies should use a WhatsApp Chatbot
The use of a WhatsApp chatbot can provide companies with various advantages. Understanding these benefits helps explain why an increasing number of companies choose to leverage WhatsApp for their communication and integrate its APIs and tools into their virtual stores.
24/7 support and reduced response times
Firstly, giving customers the option to communicate through WhatsApp reduces assistance times compared to traditional email support. Choosing to integrate a chatbot on the WhatsApp business account makes communication even faster, ensuring instant responses 24/7. We have talked about this topic in our article about the relevance of offering 24/7 shopping assistance.
Cost reduction
The extension of the time frame during which customers can receive support is not accompanied by an increase in costs for the company. The WhatsApp bot has a low usage cost, making it useful for companies of all sizes and much more convenient than a team of human shopping assistants.
Customization of conversations
The WhatsApp chatbot can be configured considering the customer base and the type of products sold. Furthermore, companies can choose the tone of voice of the chatbot and the way it should greet and respond to customers. This way, conversations are personalized and the chatbot can greatly assist in boosting sales.
Features of a WhatsApp Chatbot
Let's describe the main functionalities of WhatsApp bot. It is thanks to these functions that chatbots are becoming an essential tool for staying in touch with customers and enhancing their shopping experience.
WhatsApp Auto Reply
WhatsApp Auto Reply is one of the most used functions of WhatsApp chatbots. This functionality enables companies to define automatic responses to incoming messages of clients. Companies and professionals can use it for streamlining communication and optimizing the communication with clients.
The Auto Reply function is useful especially when companies have to manage a medium volume of messages or when they want to instantly reply to clients also during non-working hours.
There are different opportunities to use this functionality. For instance, companies can set up a predefined message to thank customers and encourage them to get in touch during specific time slots if the communication occurs outside of working hours. Another example of usage is creating predefined messages to respond to frequently asked questions, including those about payment methods and the procedures and timelines for product shipments.
Product recommendations
The WhatsApp bot can also be used to recommend products to customers. Customers reaching out via WhatsApp can express their needs and explain the product category they are looking for. The WhatsApp bot, with access to information about the catalog of products for sale, can identify optimal solutions and propose them to customers directly in the chat.
Companies can also create predefined messages to offer limited-time deals, special promotions, products with exclusive discounts, or newly arrived items in the catalog. Combining product recommendations with personalized message styles can increase the conversion rate.
Upselling and cross-selling
Upselling and cross-selling are two sales strategies that can be applied to increase the final value of transactions and aim for profit maximization. WhatsApp bots can be leveraged in this context via specific instructions.
Upselling is a marketing strategy that involves offering a customer interested in purchasing a specific product or service a higher-level product. In this context, the WhatsApp bot can provide the customers with information about the product they are viewing but also suggest a similar, higher-level product with a higher cost.
Let's consider an example in the hypothetical sale of photo editing software. The customer asks through chat about the basic version with a subscription of four euros per month. The chatbot provides all the information to the customer but at the end of the conversation explains that there is also a premium version with additional features available at the cost of eight euros per month.
Cross-selling is a strategy based on suggesting to the customer products or services that complement what they have already shown interest in. The goal of this strategy is to increase the final value of the customer's cart, thereby boosting the company's revenue and profits.
In this context, the WhatsApp bot can show to the customer other products and services available in the catalog that might be of interest, as they are related to the questions posed by the customer in the chat.
Let's consider an example in the hypothetical sale of a laptop. The customers inquires about information through chat and receive from the chatbot all the details about the specific laptop they are interested in. At the end of the conversation, the WhatsApp bot also suggests accessories that could be useful, such as a specific case for the chosen laptop model and a wireless mouse.
What Whatsapp version do you need to have a chatbot?
As it is a tool designed for companies and professionals, it is necessary to have an account on WhatsApp Business to be able to use the WhatsApp chatbot. This tool is not available for the classic version of the messaging application.
There are currently no plans to introduce chatbots in the personal use version of WhatsApp. The WhatsApp team is working on artificial intelligence projects that could revolutionize user experience, but nothing has been officially presented at the moment.
How to integrate a WhatsApp chatbot in your ecommerce store
Integrating a WhatsApp chatbot into an e-commerce store is a straightforward process that can be completed with a few steps. Below, we will see what needs to be done to carry out the integration seamlessly.
Choosing the WhatsApp bot
The first step is to choose the chatbot to use for your virtual store. Several bots have been developed, each with specific functionalities. It's important to note that for bot integration, you need to have the business version of the messaging application.
Among the available solutions we can mention TextYess. It is an AI Chatbot on WhatsApp that leverages artificial intelligence to optimize conversation personalization and data management.
This shopping assistant is ideal to reach the next level in customer care, providing customers with the opportunity to receive immediate 24/7 assistance via WhatsApp and make in-chat purchases.
Customizing the WhatsApp chatbot
The second step is customizing the chatbot. Taking into account the product and service catalog, the target customer base and company values, you can establish predefined responses to use.
Choosing to integrate an AI-powered chatbot makes customization even faster. The bot undergoes an initial training phase to understand the conversational style to follow and learns details about the products being sold.
Choosing the optimal placement
After choosing which chatbot to use and completing customization, it's time to identify the optimal placement for the shopping assistant. There are several CTAs - Call to Actions available depending on your intent and objective. The tool can be displayed immediately on the homepage as a chat bubble to guide customers among products or inserted in product details pages of the e-commerce website to facilitate information gathering before purchasing.
Conclusion
These are the main information about WhatsApp chatbots and how to make the most of these tools if you are an eCommerce brand. Now is the time to put what you've learned into practice and start automating WhatsApp conversations to optimize customer support and boost sales, with the assistance of artificial intelligence.