Interesting Results
Avatar-Assisted Online Shopping
Recently published research suggests that use of avatars (animated characters who assist customers) by online retailers can improve:
- Customer satisfaction with retailers.
- Attitudes toward products.
- The proportion of people who say they intend to purchase products.
The research showed that more attractive avatars tend to be more effective at producing these improvements than less attractive avatars, and that the expertise of the avatar was also important but only when the shopper was highly involved in the product category. The authors postulate that the positive influence of the avatars results from them adding an interpersonal element to online shopping.