How to Create & Customize a Chat Room

Add a chat room to your website at no cost.

A chat room provides a place where people can gather and engage in frank conversation with a sense of anonymity. Chat rooms that create a positive environment lead to frequent use and reuse by online users. Adding a chat room to your website can drive repeat traffic to your site, thereby increasing your exposure and name recognition. You can modify and moderate a chat room to ensure content is appropriate before it is posted. Fortunately, setting up a chat room is easy because of the wide range of free chat services that are available.

Instructions

Using WebStart

1. Go to Xat.com and choose the option labeled "make a chat box."

2. Customize the appearance of your chat room by using any of the thumbnail images shown at the top of the screen. You can also use your own design by clicking "Click for more or use your own."

3. Click the copy button to copy your chat room code to the clipboard.

4. Open your HTML editor and the desired page where you want the chat box. Paste the code in the desired location.

Using Chatzy

1. Go to chatzy.com and choose "Create a virtual room."

2. Choose "Title/Subject," and the "Welcome message" that you want people entering the chat room to see.

3. Set your options for "Room type," "Allow to enter," the "Room password," "Allow user to," "Room administration settings" and select "Create my virtual room."

4. Choose your name and name color, and set the password. Your chat room is now ready and you can start inviting participants by using the "Invite People" option. This can be linked to your website and accessed through your website, but not inserted into your page code.

Using Meebo

1. Go to meebo.com/rooms and choose the option "Create a room."

2. Fill out the options for "Name" and "Size" as well as the "Room icon" and "Theme."

3. Make a wider customization by selecting "More options." Here, you can set your personal options for items such as "Background Image," and "Background Color." Once you are finished, choose "Next."

4. Register on the website by filling out the form provided.

5. Sign into your new account and choose "My Chat Rooms." Enter your password and choose "Create." To send out invitations, just copy and paste the URL. This will create a remote chat room that you can link to your website.

Tips & Warnings

• Chat rooms that can be embedded in your website are more likely to be effective at driving repeat traffic.

• Be careful to choose a service that keeps the chat room open even when no one is there.

References

• Web Upon: How to Make an Online Private Chat Room
• Make Use Of: The Six Ways to Add a Chat Room to Your Website
• All Profit All Free: Free Chat Rooms and Discussion Forums