Almost everyone knows that retaining customers and turning them into loyal buyers is far more profitable for a business than constantly acquiring new clients. If you’ve managed to convert a mere viewer into a paying client, make sure to continue engaging with them. You can do it through various channels, but in this post, we will focus specifically on WhatsApp. We’ll explore why this messenger app is great for building long-lasting relationships with your clients and how to boost your WhatsApp retention rates.
Content:
Is WhatsApp effective for customer retention?
First things first, let’s confirm WhatsApp’s effectiveness with some statistics:
- 83% of users open WhatsApp every day;
- 66% of users purchase after interacting with a company on WhatsApp;
- 69% of users are more likely to buy from a brand that offers communication via WhatsApp.
So, users are active on this messenger app and open to engage with businesses through this channel. But what makes WhatsApp so convenient for brands?
- It helps businesses save time. If you have a high volume of interested users, handling all requests manually can be time-consuming and difficult. So you’d better automate what can be automated. This is exactly what WhatsApp can help you with. You can set up a WhatsApp chatbot with specific auto-reply flows for frequently asked questions, important news, or product-related issues.
- It allows businesses to stay connected 24/7. Since people can visit your website at any time of day, they expect to have the ability to get the information they need at any minute. You can satisfy your visitors with WhatsApp chatbots as they don’t take days off or lunch breaks. Your pre-written messages will reach users exactly when they need them. Moreover, if you equip your chatbot with AI to recognize the user’s initial intent and be aware of conversational context, it will be able to resolve more specific queries.
Tips for increasing customer retention rates with WhatsApp
Brands have two options for managing customer communication on WhatsApp:
- WhatsApp Business. Ideal for small businesses, this free app allows you to create a company profile, set up quick replies, and use basic automation capabilities like greeting or away messages. It’s easy to use and perfect for one-on-one interactions with customers.
- WhatsApp Business API. Designed for medium to large businesses, the API offers advanced features like integration with CRM systems, chatbots, and bulk messaging. Unlike the app, the API doesn’t have a user interface and requires Meta-approved third-party platforms to build and manage communication workflows.
Official WhatsApp API solution providers make it easy for businesses to create automated flows, manage conversations, and leverage WhatsApp effectively to generate leads, engage prospects, and retain customers.
Let’s explore some tactics and strategies brands can use daily to increase their WhatsApp retention rates.
Use chatbots for instant responses
Chatbots can handle the majority of routine inquiries your agents receive from customers. For instance, you can use predefined flows and messages to answer common questions about products or delivery terms. You can also incorporate AI models into your chatbot so that it can pick up on customer sentiments, analyze context, and get better at providing human-like support.
On the Yebo Fresh website, visitors can quickly start a WhatsApp chat directly from the homepage.

Users simply need to send a pre-set “Hi” message to activate the chatbot. Immediately after, they get a message with various options to choose from. Depending on the user’s choice, the flow branches out, guiding them through different pathways to get the needed information or service.

Identifying and integrating typical customer queries into your chatbot so that users can click a button to get the required help will speed up the process for customers and reduce the workload for your team in general.
Create interactive campaigns
Add interactivity and a touch of fun to your communication whenever it’s appropriate for your industry. This approach works in most cases if you select the right format. You can create a quiz where participants receive a discount on one of your new products or services as a reward. Depending on the occasion and theme, the quiz can be lighthearted and playful or a bit more serious.
And let’s not forget about surveys; they’re universally effective for gathering customer feedback and opinions. Every business can benefit from learning what customers think about its products or how happy clients are with its services. For example, Midland Realty uses automated messages on WhatsApp to ask customers to rate their services.

Beyond feedback, surveys can also help you collect valuable customer data, such as their preferences, gender, age, and more. With this information, you can further personalize your communication, improve your offers, and increase WhatsApp retention rates.
It’s important to note that collecting and storing this type of data requires integration with a suitable platform to ensure compliance and security.
Personalize your messages
This point ties closely to the previous one. If you’ve collected valuable customer information, don’t let it sit unused. Also, only ask for details you’ll actually use — people aren’t too eager to share personal data with businesses unless there’s a solid reason behind it.
The data you gather can help you retain customers by offering personalized deals and tailoring your communication based on what you know about them. For example, if you have a WhatsApp chatbot that sends out event invitations, make sure to segment your audience. If someone has previously purchased marketing courses from you, it makes sense to invite them to relevant webinars and classes, while excluding them from invitations to photography events.
In short, don’t send customers everything under the sun. Instead, focus on delivering personalized offers based on the data you’ve collected. This way, you can avoid overwhelming your audience and boost your WhatsApp retention rate.
Offer exclusive deals and promotions
Many businesses run promotions, offer promo codes, and provide discounts — and customers love these initiatives. In fact, 62% of consumers in the United States regularly look for and use promo codes, discounts, or coupons when shopping online.
To ensure that as many users as possible learn about your offers, it’s essential to share this information through direct channels. Why choose direct marketing? If you announce your special offers only on your website, you limit your reach to site visitors. Many of these visitors are likely seeing your business for the first time and haven’t built any trust yet. In contrast, customers who are already connected with you on WhatsApp know your brand; they are either your clients or subscribers who have established a certain level of trust.
Here’s how the 6thStreet brand reminds customers about itself on WhatsApp. To re-engage clients, they announce a new collection and encourage purchases by providing a promo code for a discount.

Offering early-access benefits, exclusive loyalty programs, or other rewards to repeat and loyal customers, you show them your appreciation and give them another reason to stick around.
Simplify purchases
WhatsApp combines the convenience of instant messaging with the power of conversational commerce, so you can show off your products and handle payments while customers can ask questions and make purchases — all within a familiar chat interface.
Here are the processes you can simplify with the WhatsApp Business tools:
- Product catalog browsing. Brands can set up a kind of virtual storefront where customers can check out your offerings. They can browse product images, descriptions, and prices without leaving the chat.
- Product ordering. Once a customer finds a desired product, they can send a message to initiate an order. Your representatives can chat back to provide more details, confirm availability, and arrange payment and delivery options. Alternatively, you can set up a chatbot to do all of these automatically and minimize the steps required to complete a purchase.
- Paying. WhatsApp supports payment features in specific regions, allowing users to complete transactions directly in the app. For example, WhatsApp integrates with the PIX payment system in Brazil for fast and secure in-chat payments.
- Order following-up. After a purchase is completed, you can use WhatsApp to send order confirmations and shipping updates.
Improving the way your prospects and clients feel about buying a product from you can result in a positive, long-term relationship between the customer and your brand.
How to boost WhatsApp retention rates with SendPulse
Retaining customers on WhatsApp and keeping them happy requires consistent and meaningful communication. With WhatsApp Business API Solution Providers, you can connect with your audience in real-time, make interactions effortless, and boost engagement.
SendPulse, as an official WhatsApp API Provider, offers a centralized inbox within its platform, so you can access and manage your WhatsApp chats without switching between accounts or devices.
It lets you create a virtual assistant to support your customers anytime and anywhere, qualify leads, send clients instant order updates, or welcome new shoppers. You can design your chatbot from scratch — select a required event or action trigger and proceed to the user-friendly visual builder.

Alternatively, you can choose a pre-made chatbot flow template, aka conversational path or script, as a starting point and make tweaks to perfect the flow the way you need it. You can also personalize customer conversations using variables and segment recipients to ensure that only those genuinely interested receive your messages.
And you don’t need to stress about complexity or technical issues — SendPulse can assist you around the clock; no matter where you are or what time it is, help is always at hand.
Conclusion
WhatsApp is an excellent channel for businesses to communicate with and retain customers. You can use chatbots with pre-set FAQs, product catalogs with purchase options, and interactive chats like surveys and quizzes. Personalize your auto-flows, segment your audience, and, most importantly, choose a reliable solution for handling your WhatsApp communication.
SendPulse offers all the necessary tools, from a visual editor with a library of templates to user-friendly analytics, to help you effectively engage your customers.
Create your account today and start exploring our toolkit!