Voice Commerce: Definition, Benefits, and Future of This Trend

Voice commerce is the smashing together of voice recognition technology with online shopping on your website. It allows users to browse, search, and make purchases using voice commands through their devices like smartphones, smart speakers, and other voice-enabled gadgets. In other words, it’s like having a personal shopping assistant that’s always ready to cater to your whims at the sound of your voice.

How cool is that?

Voice commerce works by integrating ecommerce platforms with voice assistants like Amazon’s Alexa, Google Assistant, or Apple’s Siri. They use natural language processing (NLP) and artificial intelligence (AI) to understand and respond to voice commands.

(What we’re saying is the robots are coming. RUN!!)  

But before you run, use your local voice assistant to search for a place to go, products you need for your escape, the product descriptions to make sure you’ve got the right ones to survive, order, and voilà – shopping (or surviving the robot revolution) has never been easier or more hands-free!

Voice commerce is not just a flashy trend. It’ll bring amazing benefits to the table, and given how much competition there is for online businesses, any advantage you can have is fantastic:

• Convenience: With voice shopping, you can order your favorite products while multitasking – whether you’re cooking, driving, or even exercising.

• Speed: Voice commands are often faster than typing, making the shopping experience more efficient. Voice search results also tend to load 52% faster than text searches.

• Valuable data: Businesses get insightful data, which means you can understand your customers more and tailor your offerings.

• Accessibility: Voice commerce makes online shopping finally accessible to a broader audience, including people with disabilities or limited digital literacy. People with disabilities make up just over 20% of our population, but are often overlooked by most businesses when it comes to accessibility.

Despite its undeniable appeal, voice commerce is not without challenges:

• New technology: While voice search is on the rise, with 27% of people using it on mobile globally, it may take time for some consumers to fully get into voice shopping, especially those who are not tech-savvy. This is something to consider if you market to an older demographic, who tend to use voice assistants less regularly than younger generations.

• Privacy concerns: Some users may be hesitant to use voice assistants for shopping due to concerns about data privacy and security. One survey found that 45% of respondents said: “I don’t feel comfortable sending payment through my voice assistant” – so make sure you have robust ecommerce security measures in place to give customers peace of mind.

• Limited product discovery: Browsing products by voice can be limiting compared to visually scanning a website, potentially affecting sales.

The future of voice commerce looks dazzling – 50% of the US population uses voice search features daily and 71% of customers prefer to ask questions by voice instead of typing. As time goes on, voice assistants will be more intuitive which will make personalized recommendations a breeze. 

It’s easy to say voice commerce will give your online business a competitive edge. And when you look at what the actual potential is…wow…let’s just say, hang on while you read on….

• Personalization: Voice recognition will get better at understanding users’ individual likes and shopping habits. This means your voice commerce strategy can be tailored to each customer, creating a personalized shopping experience via personalized product suggestions and promotions. Your customers could feel like they have their very own personal shopper who is just a voice command away. Now that’s game-changing!

• Seamless integration. As the lines between online and offline shopping blur, small ecommerce businesses can use voice commerce to bridge the gap. You can use it in your apps, brick-and-mortar stores, consignment, and pop-ups. By embracing this omnichannel selling approach, you’ll create an enchanting shopping experience that customers simply can’t resist – especially if you promote your store across a good mix of ecommerce marketing channels too.

• New features. There’s so much coming down the AI pipeline. From voice-activated loyalty programs to virtual shopping events, the sky’s the limit. Put on your visionary goggles and really think about the potential voice commerce can bring you.

We’ve got some sizzling hot top tips that’ll help you make the most of voice shopping and stay ahead of the game. The good news is, you don’t need any fancy tech to optimize your store for voice commerce – you can do it on any good ecommerce website builder that you may already be using.

So strap in, and let’s turn up the volume on your voice commerce strategy:

• Voice SEO is your BFF. Regular SEO is essential, but voice SEO is the key to smashing your voice commerce success. Optimize your content with long-tail keywords and conversational phrases that mimic how users would naturally ask questions. We go into this in more detail in our full guide on Conversational Commerce if you need a hand getting started!

• Embrace the power of storytelling: When it comes to voice shopping, think beyond product descriptions. Create immersive stories that engage and captivate your customers. Paint a vivid picture of your products through storytelling. Because your customers will crave more and enjoy a memorable experience.

• Chatbots, unite! Did you know that chatbots and voice assistants can join forces to create a seamless voice commerce experience? By integrating chatbots into your voice commerce strategy, you can provide customers with instant, interactive support, and a great online customer service – making their shopping journey smoother than a hot knife through butter.

Voice commerce can skyrocket your online business to new heights. You just need to know how voice commands work, the irresistible perks, and the challenges you might encounter while riding this trend.

Voice commerce is already revolutionizing the shopping experience and is bound to unveil endless opportunities.

While we joke about running away from the robot revolution, there’s so much about AI and voice recognition that can make your online store increasingly accessible and enjoyable.

So you may as well cash in before the machines rise up and we have to be rescued by Keanu Reeves…

In the meantime, remember our top tips – invest a little time into your online business, harness the power of voice shopping, and stay on top of your game. So go on, embrace the voice commerce extravaganza and let us know how you get on in the comments below.