A little earlier this month I linked to an article from Neuromarketing. In the article, Neuromarketing speculates on how avatars could be used to improve the call center experience.

It looks like some companies have taken this a step further and are using avatars on their homepage to boost response. In a March 2007 article, the New York Times mentions Goldfish Software, which has an avatar on their homepage. From the article:

"“We called the character ‘Kate,’ but then our customers started calling it by the same name,” said Judy Thornell, the company’s customer-relations executive. “We didn’t realize that they would develop a personal relationship with it.”

"After “Kate” started telling customers about the “hot deals” listed under a tab on the site, sales for that section went up 50 percent."

The most interesting bit is the 50 percent lift from an avatar. Using avatars obviously has potential for companies to boost response, but I have to wonder how customers would respond to avatars if they become widespread on homepages. Would customers develop a "personal relationship" with them, or would they become one more visual and auditory distraction?