Sydney, Australia, May 08, 2008 --(
PR.com)-- It appears as though the days of scrolling through countless pages of answers to the “frequently asked questions” on websites could be gone.
Visitors to the new BizBid.com.au site will notice a friendly new character by the name of Nicole. Nicole will direct visitors to the help page and answer questions. “As an employee, Nicole is very productive” laughs Danny Hile, owner of BizBid.com.au, “She is always friendly, no matter how many questions she answers. She is there 24 hours a day for the customers.”
Nicole, as you may have guessed, is an avatar. An avatar is an animated character with a personality that is somewhat controlled by the user.
These SitePal Avatars are the brainchild of a company called OddCast. Advanced versions of SitePal’s Avatars have built in artificial intelligence features, so they can engage website visitors and hold a two way conversation with them.
BizBid.com.au is currently testing the effects of the avatars on visitor numbers and average time spent on the website. Results of this will determine if the animations stay on the site permanently.
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