Sending WhatsApp notifications for new WooCommerce orders can be very useful to keep customers informed about their order status. With WhatsApp being one of the most popular messaging apps worldwide, integrating it with WooCommerce allows businesses to provide updates directly to customers via a communication channel they already use and trust.
Why Send WhatsApp Notifications for WooCommerce Orders?
Here are some of the key benefits of sending WhatsApp notifications for WooCommerce orders:
- Improve customer experience – Keeping customers updated on order status via WhatsApp helps improve CX and increase satisfaction.
- Personalized communication – WhatsApp provides a more personalized way to communicate with customers than email.
- Faster notifications – Messages reach customers quicker compared to email.
- Higher open & response rates – Customers are more likely to open and respond to WhatsApp messages.
- Encourage customer loyalty – Better communication leads to more loyal, returning customers.
- Stand out from competitors – Providing WhatsApp notifications can set you apart from other businesses.
- Automated process – Once set up, notifications are sent automatically without manual work.
- Mobile optimization – WhatsApp is ideal for reaching customers on mobile devices.
By leveraging WhatsApp for order updates, ecommerce businesses can provide a smoother, more satisfying buying experience for customers.
How to Set Up WhatsApp Order Notifications in WooCommerce
There are a few different methods you can use to set up and send WhatsApp notifications when new orders come in through your WooCommerce store. Here are the main options:
1. Using a Plugin
The easiest way to add WhatsApp notifications to WooCommerce is by using a plugin. There are various plugins available that integrate with the WooCommerce API and your WhatsApp business account to enable sending automated messages.
Some popular options include:
- YITH WooCommerce WhatsApp Chat
- WhatsApp Chat for WooCommerce
- WhatsApp for WooCommerce
- WhatsApp Order Notification for WooCommerce
The plugins provide customizable settings to configure order notifications, along with other features like adding WhatsApp click-to-chat buttons on your store. They handle the API integrations in the background so you can simply install, configure and start using WhatsApp messaging quickly.
2. Using Zapier
Zapier is an automation and integration platform that can also connect WooCommerce and WhatsApp to send order notifications. To set it up:
- Create a Zapier account and connect your WooCommerce store.
- Connect your WhatsApp business account.
- Set up a Zap with a WooCommerce trigger (new order) and WhatsApp action (send message).
- Configure the message template and customer phone number lookup.
This will generate a live Zap that sends a WhatsApp message automatically whenever a new WooCommerce order comes in. The benefit of Zapier is flexibility to customize the automation as needed.
3. Using Twilio API
Twilio provides a programmable messaging API that can be used to integrate WhatsApp notifications into a WooCommerce site. Developers can use Twilio code to:
- Detect new WooCommerce orders via webhooks.
- Look up the customer’s phone number.
- Send a WhatsApp notification using the Twilio API.
This is a more complex and technical option, but allows the most customization and control over the integration. You can tweak the code to your requirements.
Overall, plugins provide the fastest way to add WhatsApp notifications to WooCommerce with minimal hassle. But Zapier and Twilio are alternatives that give you more flexibility.
WhatsApp Order Notification Message Templates
When sending order updates via WhatsApp, it’s important to use personalized messages with relevant order details so customers know exactly what the notification is for.
Here are some WhatsApp notification message templates you can customize for WooCommerce orders:
New Order Placed
Hi {customer_name},
Thank you for your order #{order_number} on {site_name}! We're working hard to process and fulfill your items as soon as possible.
We'll send you another update when your order ships. In the meantime, please reach out if you have any other questions!
Regards,
{site_name}
Order Confirmation
Hello {customer_name},
This is to confirm we've received your order #{order_number} placed on {order_date}.
We'll send a notification once your items have shipped. Let us know if you need any assistance in the meantime.
Thank you for shopping with {site_name}!
{site_name} Team
Order Shipped
Hi {customer_name},
Your order #{order_number} has been shipped!
Track your shipment with this tracking number: {tracking_number}
Please let us know once you've received your order. Thanks again for your business.
Regards,
{site_name}
Use dynamic text tokens in curly brackets so the message pulls in the specific order and customer details dynamically. This personalizes the notifications for each order.
You can customize and modify these templates based on your business needs and messaging preferences. The key is providing the essential order information upfront.
How to Get Customer Phone Numbers
To send WhatsApp notifications, you need your customers’ phone numbers. There are a couple ways to get them:
- Collect during checkout – The ideal method is to collect phone numbers as an optional field in your WooCommerce checkout process. You can then store numbers in customer accounts.
- User profile/account – If you don’t collect at checkout, allow customers to add a phone number to their account profile or order history pages later.
- Order notes – Customers can manually add their phone number in the order notes field at checkout.
- Plugins – Some WhatsApp plugins can extract phone numbers from customer emails or profiles.
Make sure to clearly communicate how the phone number will be used for order notifications. Also provide options to opt out if customers don’t want WhatsApp messages.
Storing phone numbers securely is also important for privacy. Only send WhatsApp notifications to customers who have explicitly provided their number and consent.
Top WhatsApp Business Apps for WooCommerce Stores
In addition to order notifications, there are other ways businesses can leverage WhatsApp Business accounts for customer communication and marketing.
Here are some of the top WhatsApp apps to consider:
| App | Key Features |
|---|---|
| WhatsApp Business API |
|
| WhatsApp Click to Chat |
|
| WhatsApp Cloud API |
|
| WhatsApp Templates |
|
| WhatsApp Product Catalog |
|
Tools like these help businesses make the most of WhatsApp to market their WooCommerce store, advertise products, provide customer support, and more.
Top WhatsApp Business Tips for WooCommerce Stores
Here are some top tips for using WhatsApp Business effectively for your WooCommerce store:
- Add a WhatsApp button to your product pages and checkouts to encourage conversations.
- Personalize notifications with customer names and order details pulled dynamically.
- Send a friendly greeting and introduce yourself when starting a conversation.
- Provide quick replies to common questions to streamline customer support.
- Utilize media like images/videos to engage customers and showcase products.
- Set up automatic away messages so customers know when to expect a response.
- Be responsive – reply promptly just as you would to an SMS or phone call.
- Gather feedback from customers – ask for reviews, suggestions, etc.
- Share helpful tips, exclusive deals and store announcements to create engagement.
- Limit notifications and messages to be useful rather than annoying customers.
Optimizing your messaging and notifications for the WhatsApp medium can help provide a smoother experience for customers.
WhatsApp Alternatives for Order Notifications
While WhatsApp is popular, it isn’t used everywhere globally. Some alternatives for sending order updates include:
SMS Notifications
SMS is ubiquitous globally, though less feature-rich. You can send basic SMS updates using services like Twilio.
Messenger Apps
Facebook Messenger, Telegram, Line and others can be used depending on your region. They provide more capabilities than SMS.
Push Notifications
WooCommerce apps can send native mobile push notifications to customers when new orders come in.
You can customize WooCommerce to send detailed order status emails to customers at key stages.
Multichannel options are best – use WhatsApp where popular, supplemented with other options based on your customers and locations.
Troubleshooting WhatsApp Order Notifications
Here are some common troubleshooting tips for WhatsApp order notifications:
- Use a plugin like YITH to enable notifications if manual setup not working.
- Ensure your WhatsApp Business account and API are set up properly.
- Check for errors in your integration or webhook configuration.
- Make sure your message templates use valid dynamic data tags.
- Confirm your customers’ phone numbers are properly stored and formatted.
- Check WhatsApp business account settings for opt-ins and notifications.
- Review API call limits – you may be exceeding rate limits.
- Try an alternate phone number to verify WhatsApp connectivity.
- Look for restrictions from recipient phone carriers blocking messages.
Start by validating all components including your accounts, integrations, phone numbers, and message templates. Test sends using your own number first to isolate issues.
Conclusion
Adding WhatsApp notifications for WooCommerce orders provides a great way to keep customers updated on their purchase status and experience. The options like plugins make it easy to set up, while message templates help provide relevant order details to customers.
Keep in mind best practices like personalization, quick response times, and leveraging other WhatsApp business features for optimal results. With some strategic setup and optimization, WhatsApp messaging can become an invaluable channel for customer communications.