What if I don't have my own server?
No server? No problem! We offer a free 14-day ChatBeacon trial that's hosted on our secure servers. We'll give you a simple chat code to add your website footer, and you'll be up and running within minutes.
If I purchase ChatBeacon during the trial period, do I have to reinstall or set up ChatBeacon again?
With ChatBeacon for Your Server, you can simply register ChatBeacon with a license key provided to you after purchasing. With ChatBeacon for The Cloud, you may continue with the account you set up during the trial after placing an order.
Are there any feature limitations in the free trial?
Nope! The trial version is fully functional so that you can explore and test all the features.
What if I don't have my own server to install ChatBeacon? Can I still download a trial?
You sure can! We offer a free 14-day trial of ChatBeacon hosted on our secure cloud server. No credit cards needed!
Is there a demo of ChatBeacon I can download and test on my server?
Of course! We offer a risk-free 14-day trial you can try on your server.
Is ChatBeacon easy to setup and use?
Absolutely! The Administrator and Agent apps were both designed for the non-technical to advanced computer users. To add the chat feature, you just need to add a small snippet of javascript code into the HTML of your web pages. If at any time you need assistance, support is free and we're more than happy to help!
After purchasing ChatBeacon, do I get free support and upgrades?
ChatBeacon for Your Server: Yes, you will get 30 days of free support which includes free minor and major upgrades. You can also purchase the Annual Coverage so you will be able to receive technical support and software upgrades.
ChatBeacon for The Cloud: We provide unlimited technical support via chat, phone, and email.
Is there a ChatBeacon reseller program?
Yes, after your first purchase (at the full price) you will get 20% off of each additional purchase.
What browsers are compatible with ChatBeacon?
ChatBeacon works with any modern day browser that supports Javascript: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer, and Edge.
Can I use ChatBeacon on multiple websites?
With the Everything+ Custom Installable Plan for Your Server, you can use ChatBeacon on any number of websites on your network with NO additional fees per website. Whether you have one site on your network or 1000, you'll pay one flat rate to use ChatBeacon on some or all of your sites. You have the freedom to allocate your agents to any website and queue that you like.
All other ChatBeacon plans come with one (1) website and one (1) department, but you can add additional websites and departments for additional monthly fees.
How do I know when a visitor wants to chat?
Three notifications are available: (1) You can set up a .wav file to play, (2) a window notification to pop up (similar to Windows Messenger) and the (3) taskbar to flash.You have the option to use any .wav file that you want for any notification.
Can website visitors chat with each other?
No, ChatBeacon is not built as a chat room software package. Only agents can chat with website visitors. ChatBeacon can, however, be used for internal instant messaging, meaning your agents can also use it to chat with one another.
Do website visitors need to download any software to chat?
Visitors do NOT need to install Java or download an Active-X component to chat with a ChatBeacon agent. Our HTML client ensures that ChatBeacon will operate on all computers, making the chat process as easy as possible for your customers.
Can multiple people share one account?
Yes, but only one Agent can be logged in at one time for every Agent License you own.
For example, if you own four Agent Licenses, you can only have four Agents concurrently logged into ChatBeacon at any given time, whether to take chats, monitor the website traffic, run reports, etc.
Is ChatBeacon easy to setup and use?
Absolutely! The Administrator and Agent apps were both designed for the non-technical to advanced computer users. To add the chat feature, you just need to add a small snippet of javascript code into the HTML of your web pages. If at any time you need assistance, support is free and we're more than happy to help!
What is ChatBeacon?
ChatBeacon is a live website chat software program for Windows that provides live help, live support and live real-time website monitoring
How much is ChatBeacon?
How much is ChatBeacon? • ChatBeacon for The Cloud: _ Everything Plan starting at $35 per month, per agent. _ Everything+ Plan starting at $59 per month, per agent. • ChatBeacon for Your Server: _ Everything+ Installable Pay-As-You-Go Plan starting at $51 per month, per agent. _ Everything+ Installable Custom Plan starting at $299. For more information about plans and pricing, see our pricing page.••
Is there a money back guarantee?
Yes, we offer a risk-free 30-Day money back guarantee. Get immediate results, or we'll give you a 100% refund.
Is there a monthly fee?
Well, that depends. We offer three subscriptions with monthly fees: • ChatBeacon for The Cloud: - Everything Plan starting at $35 per month, per agent. - Everything+ Plan starting at $59 per month, per agent. • ChatBeacon for Your Server: - Everything+ Installable Pay-As-You-Go Plan starting at $51 per month, per agent. If you prefer a one-time payment option, our Everything+ Custom Installable Plan starts at $299 per Agent. For more information, visit our pricing page.
Is ChatBeacon installed on our server? Or is it a hosted solution?
With ChatBeacon for Your Server, you'll install it on your own servers.
With ChatBeacon for The Cloud, your information is hosted on our safe and secure server.
What is an Agent?
An Agent is a customer service representative using ChatBeacon for your website. They handle all chats with website visitors. Pay per agent and have concurrent Agents logged into ChatBeacon, engaging with customers, at any given time.
Does ChatBeacon provide Agent representatives to answer my chats?
Unfortunately, human Agents aren't included in the price of your ChatBeacon license or subscription. We're not even sure that's legal. However, if you purchase an Everything+ plan, you have the option to integrate one of four chatbot platforms to create bots that can intelligently serve customers just as a human agent would.
Can one Agent chat with multiple website visitors?
Yes, one agent can handle as many engagements as they're able.
Can the ChatBeacon Server be installed on Windows 2000 Pro or XP?
Unfortunately no, as Windows 2000 Professional and Windows XP are not designed as a commercial web server. The connection limit is set to a maximum number of 10 concurrent connections at one time. Unlimited connections are available with Windows 2000 Server and above.
Can I install the Agent Application on any server in any location I want?
Yes, the Agent Application can be installed on any Windows server where the Agent that is accepting chats is located. This includes the ability to install it on a laptop and chat with website visitors in a remote location.
I have an internal and public website. Do I need to purchase two copies of ChatBeacon?
No. You would just need one copy of ChatBeacon, as long as both websites can access the same central ChatBeacon Server.
Do I need to install ChatBeacon on the same server where my websites are located?
No. After the ChatBeacon server is installed, you will just need to add a small snippet of javascript code into the HTML of your web pages to start using the chat feature.
How much disk space does ChatBeacon use?
NOTE: The following are approximate numbers for the base install. Server Side: ChatBeacon Server – ~1 GB ChatBeacon Database 5 MB Agent Side: Agent GUI – ~150 MB The disk space required will continue to grow with the addition of new chat sessions being archived, canned responses being added, etc.
Can I use my own MS SQL server?
With ChatBeacon for Your Server, you can host your data on your own Microsoft SQL Server. With ChatBeacon for The Cloud, we’ll host the data on our side on a secure, private Microsoft SQL Server.
How do I implement the chat and real-time monitoring features?
Just copy the ChatBeacon javascript code to the bottom of your website footer, right before the closing BODY tag.
Does ChatBeacon work on a Linux server?
The ChatBeacon Server must be installed on a Windows server, but the actual websites you want to provide chat on can be on any server you like. You simply need to add the monitor and chat tags in the web pages. If you are in a Linux environment, you can check out our ChatBeacon for The Cloud hosted solution.
Are chat sessions automatically saved for later retrieval?
Yep! Chat transcripts and past visitor navigation are automatically saved to a SQL database when the session is finished. Agents can share and view saved transcripts within their department as well as perform detailed searches in the transcript.
Can I setup unlimited departments / queues?
With the Everything+ Custom installable Plan, you can set up as many departments/queues as you like, no matter how many Agents you have set up, with NO additional fees. With all other ChatBeacon plans, simply add a website for $10/month or a department for $5/month.
In what programming language is ChatBeacon written?
Server Side: The ChatBeacon Server is written in C# using the .NET Framework 4.0 utilizing windows services as well as ASP.NET to provide a stable and scalable solution. Client Side: Uses open standard dynamic HTML technologies such as CSS, JavaScript, and DOM. This allows your website visitors to utilize the services offered by the ChatBeacon product without the need for any Java, .NET, plug-ins, or Active X.
Can I add the chat button to my email signature?
Yes! You can add the chat icon to all of your outgoing emails to allow customers to chat with you straight from their inbox instantly.
Can I instant message other Agents that are online?
Yes, ChatBeacon works as an internal instant messaging service, as well. Your Agents can instant message any Agent logged into ChatBeacon. You can also view past instant message sessions with that Agent in just one click.
Can I push website visitors to different URLs during a chat session?
Yes, you can push a visitor to any URL, and even YouTube videos, during a chat session. This feature is excellent for retail websites and technical support.
Can I add a chat button and real-time monitoring to my auction pages on Ebay™?
Yes, you can easily add the ChatBeacon chat button to your Ebay™ auction pages! However, you cannot add the monitor tag since Ebay™ does not allow javascript tags to be placed into their web pages.
Can I setup ‘canned’ response to commonly asked questions?
Yes, there are system-wide and personal canned responses that can be set up. An Agent can add as many individual canned responses as they’d like. Implementation is just as easy. Simply create a canned response and choose it from a drop-down or use a hotkey (ex. F1) to trigger it. Administrators can also setup system-wide canned responses that all Agents have access too.
Can I see what URLs and keywords visitors used in a search engine to find my site?
Yes. You can see the referrer URL as well as what search engine and keywords a visitor used to get to your website. The referrer URL, search engine, and keywords are readily visible in the Agent Application. With this detailed information, you can opt to spend more money with Google than Overture if you see that Google is giving you a better ROI (Return-on-investment), and increase your site traffic with customers that you wish to attract.
Can I send an invite to chat with website visitors?
Yes. Create friendly greetings for your website’s visitors and invite them to chat with you. Just right-click on any session in the real-time monitoring window to pop up an invitation graphic on the visitor’s browser. This graphic is fully customizable.
EASY WEBSITE INTEGRATION
Inline Chat Window (bottom right corner) Static Chat Button “Live Chat” text link Customizable Chat Window Graphics per Website Hide Window when Offline
Are the chat buttons and chat windows fully customizable for every department?
Yes. The chat buttons are customizable for every department/queue (ex. sales, support) that you have set up. The chat windows are also fully customizable for every website you are running ChatBeacon on. The chat window is in HTML so you can change the colors, layout, add your company logo and graphics, etc.
Can I have multiple chat buttons for different departments on the same page?
Yes. For example, you could have a chat button for support and one strictly for sales. Each could have their own look and feel. This is great for customer service because it allows for first-time visitors to chat with a qualified sales agent immediately and for current customers to speak directly to a support representative. This ensures your customers that they will be chatting with the qualified agent for their specific needs.
Are the chat buttons and chat windows fully customizable for every department?
Yes. The chat buttons are customizable for every department/queue (ex. sales, support) that you have set up. The chat windows are also fully customizable for every website you are running ChatBeacon on. The chat window is in HTML so you can change the colors, layout, add your company logo and graphics, etc.
What kind of internet connection do I have to have to run ChatBeacon
You need a dedicated high-speed connection such as DSL, cable modem or a commercial class connection.
Are ChatBeacon chat sessions secure?
If you use a “secure” service (ex. Verisign, GoDaddy), then ChatBeacon will be secure as long as the chat is taking place on an https:// page.
Is ChatBeacon firewall friendly?
Yes. ChatBeacon uses port 80 and/or 443 (SSL), which is the standard port for browsing to websites, thus eliminating almost all firewall issues that may occur.
How much memory does ChatBeacon use?
Typically, the memory usage is quite low because, by design, ChatBeacon is dynamically managed by .NET and, therefore, is not a memory intensive application.
Will ChatBeacon slow down my server?
No. Many customers install ChatBeacon on their web server and experience no slowdown with their server. Because ChatBeacon does not use many resources, it is swift and efficient.
Will ChatBeacon slow down my website?
Absolutely not! In most cases, the ChatBeacon code is added to the footer of the website and will be the last thing loading on your site, so it won’t interfere with your website page load.
