Imagine you are a small business owner with a busy online boutique. Keeping up with customer messages 24/7 is a challenge, particularly during the holiday season.

That’s where WhatsApp chatbots come in! By using a chatbot on WhatsApp, you can automate responses, send personalized promotions, and even process orders. 

According to McKinsey, using chatbots can reduce your customer service costs by up to 29% and boost customer satisfaction. This article will explore how you can set up WhatsApp chatbots without coding and the many benefits they bring to your business. 

What Is a WhatsApp Chatbot?

WhatsApp is a free messaging app used by 2.7 billion people globally. Every day, over 100 billion messages are sent on WhatsApp. With an incredible 98% open rate, WhatsApp is the most underrated way to communicate directly with your customers and gain a competitive edge over your competitors. 

What Can You Do with a WhatsApp Chatbot?

A WhatsApp chatbot is a conversational AI assistant—think of it as a super-efficient team member. Here are some example WhatsApp chatbot use cases: 

• Offer multilingual customer support: Communicate with customers in their preferred language. For example, a global e-commerce store can assist customers in English, Spanish, and French, ensuring everyone gets the help they need.
• Answer common questions 24/7: Provide instant, round-the-clock responses. A restaurant can use a chatbot to answer questions about opening hours, menu items, and reservation policies, even during off-hours.
• Send personalized promotions: Tailor special offers to individual customers. For instance, a clothing retailer can send discount codes for items previously viewed by the customer, increasing the chances of a sale.
• Process orders: Assist with placing and tracking orders seamlessly. A beauty salon owner can have the WhatsApp chatbot guide customers through the purchasing process and provide updates on shipping status.
• Schedule appointments: Book and remind customers about appointments. A hair salon can use a chatbot to allow clients to book, reschedule, or cancel appointments, reducing no-shows with timely reminders.
• Collect feedback: Gather customer insights through surveys. After a service or product delivery, a chatbot can prompt customers to rate their experience and provide valuable feedback for improvements.

How to Create a WhatsApp Chatbot By Yourself

If you have coding experience and would like to build a WhatsApp chatbot by yourself, here’s a simple 5-step guide to help you get started: 

1. Download the WhatsApp Business app, register your business phone number, and set up your profile.
2. Apply for the WhatsApp Business API and choose a Business Solution Provider (BSP) to help you with the integration. 
3. Develop your chatbot and set up a webhook to handle messages. This step requires extensive coding skills, create a free Voiceflow account today to skip this! 
4. Use the API documentation from your BSP to connect your chatbot. 
5. Deploy your chatbot on a server using a service like AWS or Google Cloud. 

That’s it! Keep in mind that this process can be time-consuming and requires extensive coding experience. The good news is that Voiceflow allows you to create an AI-powered chatbot for WhatsApp easily and entirely for free. Get started today! 

Top 3 WhatsApp Chatbot Builders 2024

The best WhatsApp chatbot builders include Voiceflow, Wati, and ManyChat. We’ll dive into each option below:

1. Voiceflow

Voiceflow stands out as the best platform for creating WhatsApp chatbots due to its user- and team-friendly interface, powerful AI integrations, and multichannel capabilities. 

The benefits of Voiceflow’s chatbot builder include: 

• Easy drag-and-drop design for all skill levels
• You can train your WhatsApp chatbot on your own data using the Knowledge Base feature
• Trusted by 250,000+ teams, Voiceflow is suitable for both small businesses and large enterprises
• Free tier available and affordable pricing plans for businesses of all sizes
• Access step-by-step tutorials, templates, documentation, and a supportive community

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2. WATI.io

Wati.io is a chatbot builder specifically for WhatsApp, making it a great option for businesses focused on WhatsApp only. It offers features like: 

• Shared inbox: multiple team members can manage and respond to customer messages.
• Bulk messaging: you can use this feature for marketing campaigns and announcements.
• Integration with CRM: this integration allows you to track customer interactions effectively.

While WATI excels in automating customer engagement, it does not offer a specific ticketing system for managing and tracking customer support requests. Businesses needing support ticketing may need to look for additional solutions. 

3. ManyChat

ManyChat is a strong option for building WhatsApp chatbots due to its:

• Multichannel support: ManyChat is renowned for its multichannel capabilities, allowing businesses to create chatbots for various platforms.
• User-friendly interface: ManyChat offers an intuitive drag-and-drop interface, making it easy for users with little to no coding experience to design and deploy chatbots.

However, it has limitations, including a constrained free plan for WhatsApp, a learning curve for advanced features, a focus on marketing automation over customer support, and a lengthy compliance and approval process. Businesses should weigh these pros and cons to determine if ManyChat is the right fit for their WhatsApp chatbot needs.

WhatsApp Business API: Features and Functionalities

The WhatsApp Business API is a tool for businesses to communicate with their customers at scale. WhatsApp Business messaging has the following features:

How Much Does WhatsApp Business API Cost?

The WhatsApp Business API uses a conversation-based pricing model, providing 1,000 free conversations per month. Equally, conversations initiated from ads or Facebook Page CTA buttons are free for 72 hours. 

Pricing varies by market currency and conversation category (marketing, utility, service, and authentication). For example, North American companies in the marketing category pay $0.025 per conversation.

The Bottom Line

In conclusion, WhatsApp chatbots can revolutionize your customer interactions, offering 24/7 support and boosting engagement. 

Setting one up is simple with the right tools. Voiceflow stands out as the best choice for creating your WhatsApp chatbot, thanks to its easy-to-use interface, powerful AI, and excellent support. 

Start today with Voiceflow to streamline your customer service and stay ahead in the game!

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Frequently Asked Questions

How can a WhatsApp chatbot improve customer support? 

A WhatsApp chatbot can provide instant, 24/7 responses to customer inquiries, reducing wait times and improving satisfaction.

How can I create a WhatsApp chatbot without coding? 

You can use Voiceflow, a free no-code platform with an easy drag-and-drop interface, to design and deploy your WhatsApp chatbot effortlessly.

What are the benefits of using a WhatsApp chatbot for my business? 

Using a WhatsApp chatbot can automate responses, handle repetitive tasks, send personalized promotions, and provide round-the-clock support, enhancing customer engagement and reducing operational costs.

What are some examples of WhatsApp chatbot applications?

Examples include offering multilingual support, answering common questions, sending personalized promotions, processing orders, scheduling appointments, and collecting customer feedback.