Should I put my chatbot on WhatsApp or on my website?

Start with where your enquiries come from today. If a clinic in G-9 or a furniture showroom in Rawalpindi gets most enquiries as WhatsApp messages from ads, Google Business Profile and word of mouth, a bot on the website would sit mostly unused while the WhatsApp phone keeps buzzing. If a school or a software house gets serious traffic to its website, where parents and buyers read about fees, admissions or services before contacting anyone, a website assistant can answer them at the point of reading.

The setup differs a lot. A website chatbot is a script added to your site, and you control everything: no approval, no per-message charge from Meta, and you can change it the same day. A WhatsApp chatbot needs the WhatsApp Business Platform through a provider, a verified Meta Business account, approved templates for any message the business sends first, and it follows WhatsApp's rules on what can be automated and how.

The customer experience differs too. WhatsApp conversations persist on the customer's phone, so they can come back to the chat a day later and staff can pick it up. Website chats are often lost the moment the visitor closes the tab unless the bot collects a phone number or email. On the other hand, a website bot cannot get your WhatsApp number restricted, which matters while you are still testing.

A common middle path: put a simple click-to-WhatsApp button on the website with a prefilled message, organise WhatsApp with quick replies and labels, and add a chatbot only on the channel where volume justifies it. Building both at once doubles the upkeep without doubling the benefit.