3 steps to integrate WhatsApp with your website

WhatsApp is so used nowadays (at least in the Western world) and we have become so familiar with it that we do not even remember what SMS means. 

(In case you have looked it up, SMS= Short Message Service).

Since Whatsapp is so accepted and used by everybody, even your customer, we cannot leave aside the integration with WhatsApp or not include this channel in your commercial plan. Even though WhatsApp Business is still being developed, in this article you will learn how to create a customized link for your website so that customers can write to you directly on this app. 

Even though you need to have basic knowledge of HTML (a programming language), it is not that important. You can consult us and we will gladly help you. 

Step 1. WhatsApp Link 

First of all, we will prepare the non-customized link that will lead us directly to WhatsApp with a message. This link is formed as follows: 

https://api.whatsapp.com/send?phone=number&text=message

Now, you will introduce your company's phone number (with WhatsApp) and the message you want each customer to send you. In the field "number", you write your phone number such as follows: 

Country code + Area code + Phone number

For instance: 5493516342592  (If you don't know your country code, you can check it here).

In the field "message" you have to write whatever you want it to say, taking into account that you have to replace spaces by "%20".

For example: If we want the message to say: "Hi! I want to increase my sales!", we need to write the link as follows: Hi!%20I%20want%20to%20increase%20my%20sales!

This would result in the final non-customized WhatsApp link:

https://api.whatsapp.com/send?phone=5493516342592&text=Hi!%20I%20want%20to%20increase%20my%20sales!

(You can see it working here).

Step 2. Customize the link according to your website

For this, you will need to have access to your website hosting (the place where it is stored) or you can send this article to your webmaster. Then, you have to go to the "Subdomain" section and you'll be able to create something like: 

 whatsapp.yourwebsite.com or questions.tusitio.com

In these subdomains such as "whatsapp" or "questions", you can write whatever you want with no spaces.

Step 3. Redirect the subdomain to the
WhatsApp link

Now, in the same section, you have created the subdomain in your hosting, you have to create a redirection to the link we created in step 1, which is what allows you to "mask" the long link that is difficult to understand into a most understandable link such as  whatsapp.yourwebsite.com. 

Then, every time your customers enter this last link, they will be redirected to the link we created in step 1 and won't notice it. So, this is how you create a customized WhatsApp link for your company. 

Example: whatsapp.wearedrew.co

If you enter that link, you will go straight to WhatsApp to send us a message :)

Quick alternative

You can create a short link too. Some of the best URL shorteners we recommend are: 

• Owly
• Bitly
• Tiny URL

Important information 

If your customers enter this link from their cellphones, the WhatsApp app will open whereas if they access it from a PC or laptop, they will be redirected to WhatsApp web.

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