How to get more customers messaging your WhatsApp number: the link, the QR code, Google, and your website

An AI agent only helps with the customers who message you. Most businesses make that harder than it needs to be: the number is on the website as text, the Google profile has no chat button, the shop counter has nothing to scan. Here is every place a customer can start a WhatsApp conversation with you, and how to set each one up in minutes.

By Ritchie, ReplyKit · Published 5 September 2026 · 6 min read

Quick answer

Create a click-to-chat link (wa.me followed by your number in international format, with a pre-filled message), put it on your website as a button, in your Instagram bio and ad links, and on Google Business Profile. Print the same link as a QR code for the counter, the door, receipts and packaging. Pre-fill a first message like "Hi, I'd like to ask about..." so the conversation starts with a question the agent can answer.

The click-to-chat link Every place to put it Which number to promote Measuring which placement works FAQ

The click-to-chat link

The format is https://wa.me/60123456789 with the number in international format and no plus, spaces or dashes. Add a pre-filled message with ?text= and the message URL-encoded: https://wa.me/60123456789?text=Hi%2C%20I%27d%20like%20to%20book. The pre-filled text matters: a customer who opens with "Hi, I'd like to book" gets a useful first reply, while "Hi" gets a greeting and a question. ReplyKit shows the link for each connected number on the Agents page, ready to copy.

Every place to put it

Website. A button in the header and a floating one on mobile. Or skip the redirect and put an AI chat widget on the site so visitors get answered on the page.
Google Business Profile. Add the number and turn on messaging where available, and put the click-to-chat link in the website field or a post. Customers searching your name see a way to message you.
Instagram and Facebook. The bio link, the contact button, and every ad's destination. Use the pre-filled message to name the offer the ad promoted.
The counter, the door, the menu, the receipt. A printed QR code. ReplyKit generates a poster with the code and a short call to action for each number.
Email signature and invoices. "Questions? WhatsApp us" with the link.
Vehicles and signage for trades and delivery businesses.

Which number to promote

Promote the number the agent is on, and make it a dedicated business number rather than a personal one. A WhatsApp Business app number can stay in the app (coexistence), but a personal WhatsApp number cannot be connected, which is the main reason some businesses need a dedicated number; our dedicated-number guide explains the choice, so keep it away from the line your customers have known for years. Once the number is on print, changing it is painful, so choose before the poster goes up.

Measuring which placement works

Use a different pre-filled message per placement: "Hi, I saw your poster" for print, "Hi, from Instagram" for social. The first message tells you where the customer came from, and the leads list shows it on every card. After a month you know whether the counter QR or the Instagram bio brings more enquiries, and whether the agent converts them at different rates.

Frequently asked questions

How do I make a WhatsApp link for my business?

Use https://wa.me/ followed by your number in international format without the plus sign, and add ?text= with a URL-encoded first message.

How do I create a WhatsApp QR code?

Any QR generator can encode the click-to-chat link. ReplyKit generates a printable poster with the code for each connected number.

Can I add WhatsApp to Google Business Profile?

Add your number to the profile and use the click-to-chat link in the website field or a post. Messaging features in the profile vary by region.

Should the website open WhatsApp or chat on the page?

A website AI chat widget answers on the page and keeps visitors who would not switch apps. Offer both if you can.

Which first message should I pre-fill?

Something specific the agent can act on, such as "Hi, I'd like to book" or "Hi, I'm asking about the promo".

Put the number where customers are

Connect a number, copy the link, print the poster. 7-day free trial.

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Written by Ritchie, ReplyKitPart of the small team in Malaysia that builds and runs ReplyKit. Writes about WhatsApp automation, AI customer service and small business lead response.

How we know this. ReplyKit generates a click-to-chat link and a printable QR poster for every connected number, and this guide is the placement advice we give alongside them. Product figures in this article (limits, prices, per-reply costs) are taken from ReplyKit as it runs today and are re-checked when we update the page. Where we cite outside research, the source is linked below. We sell ReplyKit, so read our product claims with that in mind; we say where a different tool or no tool is the better choice. About ReplyKit.

Sources and further reading

Google Business Profile Help, Chat with customers
DataReportal, Digital 2025: Malaysia · WhatsApp is the most used messaging platform in Malaysia
WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy · opt-in, opt-out and prohibited-use rules every business must follow

ReplyKit is an independent product and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Meta or WhatsApp. This article is general guidance for running a small business, not legal, financial or regulatory advice.