Why a WhatsApp click is not a lead (yet)
Most WhatsApp tracking stops at the button. Someone taps "Chat with us", Google counts a conversion, and bidding learns to find more people who tap buttons. Half of them never send a message. Some send "hi" and vanish.
I treat the tap as a step, not the goal. Each campaign gets its own pre-filled message, like "Hi, I saw your ad about teeth whitening (ref GS-12)", so your team can see where a chat came from without asking. Then the chats that turn into bookings or viewings go back into Google Ads as the real conversion.
It takes a little discipline from your sales team. In return, Google stops paying for button-tappers and starts finding people who talk to you.
Where it works best
WhatsApp funnels do well for clinics, real estate, car rentals, home services, tutoring and anything where the buyer has two quick questions before they commit. They are a weaker fit for high-ticket B2B deals, where a proper form with a few qualifying questions filters out the window shoppers.
