Introduction
Customer support is not only important for retaining customers, but it’s also an effective way to boost sales. It’s a way to connect with both existing customers and prospective ones too. It’s been found that over 50% of customers will abandon online purchases if they cannot find the information they’re looking for.
Having WhatsApp Chat as a tool for communicating with customers is helpful in making the process of providing information to customers a seamless one.
Summary of how to add WhatsApp Chat widget to your site:
- Signup to Elfsight (it’s free)
- Create a new WhatsApp widget in your dashboard
- Customize the look and feel
- Install the widget using HTML, or the WordPress plugin as mentioned below
- Start chatting to your visitors on WhatsApp
The Solution
WhatsApp Chat widget for websites
Normally, to integrate a WhatsApp Chat to your website with an official API, you need to understand the key details of the API as well as needing to design the chat box with CSS and JavaScript. While it means it is customized to your website, it is technical and can be a lengthy process.
We have tested over 30 different WhatsApp integrations and so far the one we keep coming back to is Elfsight, so to make it easier for you we’ve detailed how to use Eflsight on your WordPress site below.
Adding a WhatsApp Chat plugin to WordPress
Install the WhatsApp Chat to your WordPress website is a matter of a few steps. On the WordPress admin panel:
- Go to the ‘Appearance’ section,
- Select ‘Customize’,
- Select ‘Widgets’, and ‘Add a widget’.
- Choose ‘Custom HTML’,
- Paste the installation code,
- Click ‘Done’, and publish the changes.
From there, the widget will come out and WhatsApp Chat will be installed on your website.
Adding WhatsApp Chat to website with Google Tags Manager
Most website builders offer a place for you to add a custom HTML to your website template. If not, Google Tags Manager (GTM) is a solution to add a custom HTML without needing to code. The tool offers you a way to create a tag, a trigger, and a widget to add to your site.
To add a WhatsApp Chat to your website:
- Sign up to Google Tag Manager (or log in if you have an account),
- Create a new tag,
- Select ‘Custom HTML’,
- Put the first line of the Elfsight installation code to the tag you have created,
- Create a trigger,
- Add the tag the web page,
- Save the tag and “Publish”.
From here, your chat box should appear directly on your website and be fully functioning as a chat tool for your customers.
Integrating WhatsApp Chat with HTML code
The best, easiest way to create content – including the WhatsApp Chat tool – is to use a widget. With a widget, you can design and create a chat button using a visual configurator and get a simple two-line HTML code to paste into the web page code.
If you want to integrate the chat to all pages, make sure you paste the lines of code into the <head> or <footer> section of your web page.
Why use the Elfsight WhatsApp chat widget?
The Elfsight WhatsApp Chat widget helps you add the communication tool to your platform without needing to code anything. There are also several other features”
- You can customize the chat box, with an editable name and account picture.
- Choose from four open chat triggers: Scroll position, exit intention, time on site, and time on page.
- Choose from three different chat locations on your web page: Embed the chat window, embed as a bubble, or have the chat as a floating bubble.
- You can choose whether you want your reply time option to be switched on or off.
- The option to show the chat on all pages or select pages.
As one of the most popular messengers across the world with over 2 billion active users, For a business, it’s a great tool to communicate directly with customers.
Why use theWhatsApp chat over Facebook or other chat options?
There are two main reasons you should consider adding WhatsApp Chat to your website:
Stay in touch after the visitor leaves
If a customer gets in touch via a live chat on your website, you don’t have the option of contacting them again once they leave. With WhatsApp Chat as a communication tool, your customer is given the same experience of a live chat but they don’t need to stay on your website to wait for a reply. This gives you more time to connect with them and means you can stay in contact with them without relying on them staying on your website.
It feels more personal
Because of the nature of WhatsApp as a communication tool between family and friends, the tool automatically offers a more personal, less clinical channel than live chat. This can ease the process of building a relationship with your customer.
Adding the WhatsApp Chat widget to your website doesn’t need to be a complicated process. With the Elfsight WhatsApp Chat, you can add the tool to your website without the need for coding or complex nuances of backend development.
