Voice technology and smart assistants are revolutionizing businesses and how consumers access information. From searching products to booking appointments or signing up for gym memberships, voice assistants make daily tasks simpler than ever.
By 2023, experts predict there will be 8 billion digital voice assistant devices worldwide in use. With more people using voice technology, brands must prepare accordingly.
1. The rise of voice search
Voice search technology enables users to conduct online searches using speech recognition systems such as those available in smart speakers, smartphones and personal digital assistants such as Google Assistant, Siri or Amazon Alexa.
TechRepublic reported in 2021 that voice search is becoming more and more prevalent among smart device users, providing quick solutions or answers to problems or questions quickly using this innovative method of searching. Voice searches provide an efficient alternative to traditional text-based searches.
Optimizing for voice searches is crucial for businesses in order to connect with an expanding consumer base. By making sure all business listings on Google My Business are accurate and up-to-date, companies can increase their presence in local searches made via voice. More customers may find and reach out; additionally creating a helpful FAQ page may answer commonly asked questions while providing helpful information to their target market.
2. The rise of voice shopping
Voice technology continues to advance and more consumers are turning to voice shopping to make digital and physical purchases. This new form of ecommerce has quickly gained in popularity as it provides for a faster, easier method of purchasing products while making them accessible for those who lack digital literacy due to disability or limited digital literacy.
Many brands are taking steps towards offering voice shopping capabilities by expanding the selection of product options that can be purchased with just voice commands, as well as integrating this system with existing online and ecommerce systems to ensure that the experience for their consumers remains seamless.
Even while some consumers remain wary of the security risks associated with voice-activated shopping, more consumers have grown comfortable using smart speakers that combine voice and screen experiences like Google Home Hub or Amazon Echo Show to make voice shopping mainstream for all consumers. Multimodal experiences like these provide key leverage in making voice shopping mainstream among all demographics.
3. The rise of voice commerce
Voice technology is revolutionizing shopping and purchasing experiences and providing businesses with an effective channel to reach customers, but it comes with some challenges as well.
One of the key concerns with voice commerce is privacy, particularly following high-profile data breaches such as that suffered by Amazon Echo devices recently. Such breaches may deter consumers from making high-stake purchases via voice commerce; but these anxieties can be managed by creating clear data policies and tightening voice system security measures.
Voice technology poses another concern; however, companies can leverage AI and machine learning to enhance its personalized service provision. An AI-powered virtual assistant could learn about customers’ purchasing history and preferences to recommend specific products or services.
Though voice-enabled ecommerce transactions in the US remain a small percentage of overall ecommerce sales, their numbers are growing quickly and businesses should consider how voice-enabled purchasing can help drive revenue generation for themselves based on their specific business needs.
4. The rise of voice assistants
Voice assistants have quickly become a household phenomenon, with Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa and Microsoft Cortana dominating the market according to SEO and digital marketing agency Stone Temple. Voice assistants offer generalized answers as well as assistance when using devices or services.
Additionally, they can also be integrated with smart home devices to allow hands-free control over lights, thermostats, music players, appliances and even some voice payments.
Businesses are taking notice, too, as voice assistants become an increasing part of business use, often to transcribe documents and set reminders. Some companies are even creating their own voice assistants like Samsung’s Bixby or the open source Mycroft AI platform; other incorporating it into products and services to offer more tailored experiences for users. Implementation of voice technology into business operations must be carefully considered so as to avoid potential privacy risks and comply with data protection regulations; for example identifying users by their voices for accurate response when responding to user requests.