How to Use Avatars in Commercial Websites
An avatar is a visual icon used in an online user's profile. Before using avatars in commercial websites, consider how your profile relates to the company or product and what kind of image you want to project to the rest of the world online.
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Instructions
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Create individual avatars for customer service reps or departmental staff. In a company's website, avatars can be a powerful and improved replacement for the old name-lists found on older sites. An avatar helps customers and other site visitors tell staff members apart from one another, which can be important if your staff will be dealing with people online.
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Attract attention to a portion of the company site with a well-placed avatar. An avatar can help readers focus on an article written by a staff member, or a press release, or other official communications. Avatars give communiques a personal sense, attracting more eye traffic.
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Allow staff members to express themselves. Getting individual staff members to explore how they represent themselves online can be a great part of a campaign to encourage personal involvement in corporate activities.
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Introduce avatars to staff as part of a tech-training program. Getting staff involved in creating avatars and other online objects will give your employees skills for the future and can make your company's online presence more competitive.
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Be creative. Combining individual avatars with a company logo can enhance your company's web cachet. Avatars can be a mix of corporate identification (much like a uniform in old bricks-and-mortar stores) and personal expression.
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Tips & Warnings
Think about boundary setting. In some cases, it might be necessary to lay down ground rules to prevent inappropriate avatars. Don't stifle creativity, but make it clear that offensive elements in an avatar could hurt the company's image.
