Unless you're as big as BarnesandNoble.com, don't do it yourself.

Barnes and Noble.com-- CLICK

Barnes and Noble already has the manpower and cachet to promote chats with famous book authors and musicians. Just take a look at its impressive calendar of events. Wouldn't it be great to host all these prominent people on your site? Yeah, and it would also be great to be as big as Barnes and Noble.

But expert chat isn't your only option. General chat buzz can also be great. What if you have an online bookstore? Wouldn't it be great if people who liked to chat about books came to your store to buy books?

Problem is, getting people to chat can be a colossal headache. Even if you can get the chat program for free, managing it can be a logistic and financial nightmare.

The answer: Don't build it yourself. Partner with other sites instead.