Skype has become a go-to communication tool in many small businesses. At WPBeginner, we use Skype to communicate with team members as well as clients. Larger companies show their toll-free phone number that their users can use to call them. Others show live chat options for support. What if you are just starting out and want to provide your users with an ability to call or chat with you directly from your website? Well, Skype can be a perfect tool for that. In this article, we will show you how to show your Skype contact and Skype status in WordPress, so your users can contact you directly via Skype.

First thing you need to do is install and activate the Neat Skype Status plugin. Upon activation, go to the settings page (Settings » Neat Skype Status) where you will need to provide your Skype ID and save settings.

Now open the Skype application in your computer and sign in with your ID. In the Skype menu bar, click on Tools » Options. In the options dialog box click on the Privacy tab and check the box next to the line “Allow my online status to be shown on the web“. You may also want to check Allow IMs from anyone if you don’t want to approve each user you want to talk with (personal preference).

Once you are done updating the privacy settings, come back to your website’s admin area and go to Appearance » Widgets. Drag and drop Neat Skype Status v1 widget to your sidebar and save it. You will also notice that there is another Neat Skype Status v2 widget, but that is actually a demo of the plugin’s premium version, so don’t use that. Once you have saved the widget, you can now preview it on your website.

There are a number of options that you can configure for the plugin. For example you can choose from a number of button styles and icons. You can increase or decrease the refresh interval. Lastly, instead of a widget you can add a floating Skype button that scrolls down when your users scroll down the page.