Adding a WhatsApp button to your website
For a lot of tradespeople, WhatsApp is where the real conversations happen: customers send photos of the job, you send a rough price, and it goes from there. A WhatsApp button on your website lets people start that conversation in one tap.
Why it works for trades
Customers often want to show you the problem rather than describe it. A message with a photo of a leaking pipe or a cracked wall tells you more than a form, and many people prefer messaging to ringing someone they have never spoken to. It also lets you reply between jobs instead of having to answer the phone.
How it works
A WhatsApp button is a link that opens a chat with your number on the customer's phone, optionally with a message already typed, such as 'Hi, I'd like a quote for…'. It works with the normal WhatsApp app or WhatsApp Business. Nothing needs installing on your website beyond the link.
Set it up properly
Use WhatsApp Business if you can, so you can add your business name, hours and an away message for when you are on a job. Put the button where people look on a phone: near the top and as a floating button or a bar at the bottom. Keep your phone number visible too, because some customers will always prefer to ring.
Pre-fill the message to ask for what you need, such as their postcode and a photo, so the first message is useful.
Keep it manageable
Messages are easy to forget. Set yourself a time each day to reply, and use labels in WhatsApp Business to track quotes. A quick reply wins more work than a perfect one sent two days later.
Quick replies that save time
WhatsApp Business lets you save quick replies for the questions you answer every day: your areas, how you price, what photos you need, when you are next available. Typing a shortcut sends the whole answer, so you can reply properly from a van between jobs.
Keep a short greeting message that thanks people for getting in touch and says when you will reply, and an away message for evenings and weekends. Customers who get an instant acknowledgement are much less likely to message three other trades while they wait.
Finally, keep the conversation record. If a customer comes back next year, scrolling up shows you what you quoted and the photos of their house.
Common questions
- Is a WhatsApp button better than a contact form?
- Have both. Some customers prefer to message, others prefer a form or a call. The button makes it easy for the ones who like WhatsApp.
- Do I need WhatsApp Business?
- It is not required, but it helps: business name, hours, away messages and labels make enquiries easier to manage.
- Will it work on a computer?
- Yes. On a computer the link opens WhatsApp on the web or the desktop app.
If you would rather somebody just did it
I build websites for self-employed tradesmen and small businesses across the UK: £249.99 to build, then £49.99 a month to host, maintain and update it. The sites I have built show on page one of Google for 103 searches between them, in Search Console.