In much of the Gulf, buying starts with a message. A customer sees a product on Instagram, taps through, and wants to ask one question before paying. If the website makes that hard, they go back to Instagram and message someone else.
Here is how to set WhatsApp up on a website so it brings in work instead of noise.
Put it where the question happens
- On every product or service page, not just the contact page.
- On a phone, at the bottom of the screen, where a thumb reaches it.
- After an order, in the confirmation email, so customers can ask about delivery without searching for your number.
Pre-fill the first message
A blank chat makes the customer do the work. A good button opens WhatsApp with a message already written: "Hi, I have a question about [product name]." You see straight away what they were looking at, and they only have to press send.
On Street 55, a Qatar shop we built, every product page has a WhatsApp button that sends the product name and code with the message.
Answer quickly, or say when you will
A WhatsApp button sets an expectation. If you cannot reply within working hours, say so near the button: "We reply between 9am and 6pm, Saturday to Thursday." An honest time beats silence.
Do not lose the chats
WhatsApp is easy to start and easy to lose track of. For a small team:
- Use WhatsApp Business rather than a personal number, so you get a business profile, quick replies and labels.
- Label each chat: new enquiry, quoted, ordered, delivered.
- If several people answer, look at a shared inbox tool that connects to the WhatsApp Business Platform.
Keep a form too
Some customers, especially companies, would rather send an email with details and attachments. Keep a short enquiry form for them. Two routes in is better than one.
Respect privacy
A customer who messages you has chosen to. Adding them to a broadcast list is different: ask first. Our privacy basics guide covers the laws in the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
What we build
Every Gulf site we build has WhatsApp on every page, with a pre-filled message, and a short form for people who prefer email. See web design for Gulf businesses or online shops for Gulf businesses.