Eight common mistakes with click to chat links

1. Writing the number with + and brackets. The official format has digits only.
2. Leaving the leading zero. Remove it when you add the country code.
3. Typing the country code twice. This opens the wrong number.
4. Not testing. Always tap the link on a phone before you print or post it.
5. Using a long message. A long text makes a long link and a dense QR code.
6. Printing a personal number. Once on a thousand cards, you cannot take it back.
7. No words next to the QR code. People do not scan what they do not understand.
8. Promising an instant reply. If you cannot reply within minutes, say your reply hours on the card.

The best way to avoid all of these is to use the link maker, which strips symbols, removes a doubled 91 for India and encodes the message. Then test the link, and read privacy and safety before publishing.

Why these mistakes are so common

A link looks like a small thing, so people copy a number from a visiting card and paste it without thinking. The result is a link that works on the maker's phone, because their own number is saved, and fails on a customer's. Testing on a different phone, from a different number, is the surest check.

A short checklist

Before publishing any link: number correct, country code once, message short, tested on a phone, QR scanned from paper, and a business number if you have one. A minute of checking saves a lot of missed customers.

Questions people ask

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