If you used the internet about 20 years ago, you might remember the huge variety of public chat rooms. However, due to social media and other platforms like Discord or Reddit, the concept of a chat room website has been retired.
But who says they should stay retired. The last two years have been difficult when it comes to meeting new people due to lockdown and social distancing, but an online chat room might just be the perfect solution.
Reading: How to create a chatting website for free
Today I’m going to show you how to build one Chat room website at a conceptual level using WordPress.
What is a chat room website?
Many websites have a live chat component, but that doesn’t make them a full-fledged chat room website. site. Instead, this title is reserved for sites that only contain chat rooms.
The sole purpose of the site is to allow users to communicate with each other.
Typically, the site consists of multiple chat rooms, each focusing on a specific topic.
For example, there may be a chat room dedicated to car repairs. Users can enter and talk to like-minded people who are interested in doing their own bodywork.
It’s very similar to various Reddit forums or Discord servers.
However The biggest difference is that it’s live and you can’t edit what’s being said. This also requires a much higher level of moderation. Eventually, you might find that some not-so-great topics could be discussed on your platform.
Is it worth building one in 2022?
If I’m being honest, probably not.
Platforms like Discord allow users to create their own server and invite other users to join to communicate with each other. Not only does it work with text chat, but you can also use voice and video chat.
And it’s completely free to use.
You can even go one step further Creating Discord bots to help users assign roles and even moderate content.
Similarly, Reddit has become one of the most popular websites in the world because you can find like-minded people to chat with over to speak any topic. This is more limited than Discord, but its popularity is just too big to ignore.
There are also several chat services that companies use to communicate, like Microsoft Teams or Slack. Not to mention the myriad of phone apps.
That said, if you still want to try making your own, let’s get started.
How to make a chat room website created
Step 0: Decide on a focus
All websites need direction and a chat room is no exception. In fact, I would say that focus is more important than ever. Without a focus, a bunch of people with nothing in common would start talking, and that probably won’t end well.
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Or your website might be associated with a specific topic that you’re not familiar with feel comfortable The Internet is not a pleasant place.
Instead, you need to set the focus of the website. For example, do you want to create a free chat site where users can talk about any topic, or create one for a specific niche and have multiple sub-chats for different topics?
Hopefully it’s the second one, because the first option would be a disaster. Of course, not only the topic is important.
You also have to think about the maturity level of the site. Let’s face it, allowing users to chat online anonymously can get awkward, dirty, or both. This is not for all ages.
You need to decide which age group it is for in order to create a moderation system.
Have a clear idea of your topic and values website before proceeding.
Step 1: Choose a platform to build on (WordPress)
Next, you would typically take the time to research the hundreds of CMS available, available to you Create a website with. However, I’ll save you a lot of time by simply recommending WordPress.
WordPress is the most popular CMS out there and over 40% of the web is built on it. This is because it’s easy to use, it’s free, and it can create any type of website.
With WordPress, you don’t have to write a single line of code, but having that knowledge can help.
In fact, this is precisely why the platform is loved by both beginners and experts in the web design industry.
This balance has been achieved by offering users a huge range of plugins and themes. A plugin is a small software package that adds a specific functionality to your website. Without them, you would have to code it manually.
A theme, on the other hand, is a collection of templates and style sheets that give your website its look. Everything about a theme is customizable. Both come in free and premium versions, and there are many great options for an online chat site (see Step 3).
Step 2: Choose a web host and domain name
Next you need to find a web hosting company. This is the company that rents you a web server to store your website on.Every time someone accesses the website, they actually connect to that web server.
Therefore, the web host you choose has a direct impact on its performance. And let’s face it, a live chat needs to be fast and responsive.
The good news is that web hosting is a very competitive industry that has reduced costs and greatly increased the service you receive better. However, not all web hosts are the same, so you need to find a great one.
That’s why we at GreenGeeks have prided ourselves on our award-winning web hosting services. And we’re able to do that without negatively impacting the environment.
Instead, we can have a positive impact.
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For every website we host, we buy triple the energy it uses in clean energy. And we plant a tree for our new customers.
You also need to choose a domain name. This is simply your website’s URL, so make sure it’s short, easy to remember and reflects the theme of the website.
Step 3: Install WordPress and choose a theme and plugins to use off
At this point you are ready to start creating a chat room website. First, install WordPress with Softaculous.
Once you’ve installed WordPress, it’s time to choose a theme and choose the plugins your website needs. You have many options available, so take some time to test each tool to see what’s right for you.
When it comes to picking a theme, my advice is to choose one that fits the style you’re going for, but remember that you can customize it. So if you’re not a fan of colors or fonts, don’t worry…that can be changed in the settings.
Here are a few plugins that might come in handy:
AtomChat
AtomChat is a premium plugin that turns your website into a full online video chat site, and yes, it also supports regular text chat. The plugin allows you to create multiple chat rooms that visitors can access from the WordPress menu.
It even has a chatroulette feature that allows visitors to join a random chat. In terms of usage, the plugin has been optimized to make it easier for web developers to set it up.
Chats can be organized by topic to keep them organized. You can use the free trial to see if it’s right for you.
BuddyPress Group Chat Room
BuddyPress Group Chatroom is an add-on for BuddyPress. It allows users to create their own groups and create a chat room. It offers users more privacy and power, and is a great option if you’re planning on getting a membership.
The good news is that these chats will close themselves if 15 minutes have passed without a new message. This will ensure your site doesn’t use a lot of resources.
It’s a great way to create a live chat site.
Step 4: Create a moderation plan
I already mentioned in Step 0 that you need to come up with an idea for moderating content, and now it’s time to implement it. Unfortunately I can’t give you detailed instructions as the tools available to you depend on the plugin you choose.
What I can tell you is if you want to go mainstream you should really try Block profanity or any kind of racial slurs. Of course, if your site is aimed at an older audience, profanity may be acceptable.
Most of these tools have options to censor specific words or phrases. See the plugin you chose for more information, but do not allow your site to run unmoderated.
At this point, your chat room site is operational; Congratulations.
Create a chat room today
While chat rooms may be a little dated, learning how to create a chat room is easy. WordPress is a great platform to build any type of website, so whatever your skill level, you can create something amazing in no time.
What topics are discussed in your chat room? Have you considered other options like Discord?
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