Not new, it exists already

Voice recognition is not something new since it has existed since the 60s, created for mathematical purposes. It was in 2011 that it really developed with the appearance of the Apple SIRI assistance available on the iPhone and it is in 2012 that the competitor of IOS created in their turn their voice assistant Android Google. 

With the boom in e-commerce in recent years, companies have taken advantage of “voice commerce” as a new marketing and sales strategy via voice assistance. 

2. Definition

Voice commerce is a trend in the e-commerce industry in which consumers use voice recognition software to make purchases. This new trend is beginning to position itself as a key element in the future of online retailing as 30% of all searches are now conducted using a screenless device in addition to the fact that by 2022 voice purchases will reach 40 billion euros.  

To facilitate understanding, voice commerce uses technologies that allow users to program or execute tasks on their electronic devices through voice commands. These technologies are used for a variety of purposes, such as listening to music, checking the weather, searching for information online, and performing everyday activities like ordering food and shopping online. This concept refers to the use of voice devices such as Google Home or Amazon Echo, among others, that serve as guides or assistants without the need for a screen. 

3. How to use it

The watchwords are simplicity and execution. 

•  First of all, all you need is your voice and devices with voice assistance such as a smartphone or a voice-activated device like Amazon Echo and Google Home. 
• You will then have to activate it with a command phrase like the well-known “Say Siri from Apple. 
• It is required to use the verb or action in the imperative tense for the execution as a trigger. Like for example “Say Siri, order me a cab”, the trigger here would be “order”.  

Note: The device is faithful to your voice, so you must pay attention to your tone and inflections because if the voice is foreign to it the command will not be performed.  

4. Figures

– 57% of shoppers are interested in paying by voice

– 29% of brands offer shopping by voice

– Voice search is 3.7 times faster than typing

– 20% of UK households own a smart speaker.

5. Example 

Amazon’s Alexa was the first to take the voice commerce turn. Building on its success, Alexa is today:  

• The first voice assistant and the pioneer of ambient computing.
• Hundreds of millions of Alexa-enabled devices worldwide.
• More than 15 countries in which Alexa is available with a local language experience, and in more than 70 countries in English 

6. The benefits and limits of voice commerce

Benefits

• Convenience: Ease of use: need your voice and a voice-assisted device. Allows you to multitask as there is a hands-free option.  
• 24/7 availability: Use voice assistance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Easier and faster, without a long navigation and purchase process. 
• Quicker to purchase: Customers don’t need to log in or fill in their personal data: a valuable time-saver and a maximum convenience. 
• Personalization of the shopping experience: Maximum interaction between device and owner: data collection to personalize the customer experience.  

Limits

• Restructure the product catalog to fit a voice search through word semantic reclassification work. 
•  Arbitrate and list the product characteristics. 
• Automate the product catalog and integrate new products by taking into consideration the customer’s history. 
• Announce the product price in a clear manner and communicate on promotional ads. 

7. COVID-19: accelerated growth of voice commerce

Voice commerce has grown rapidly during and after the health crisis as millions of people have been forced to isolate themselves and do all their shopping online. The pandemic via e-commerce has both boosted voice commerce. Voice-assisted sales is not yet at its peak, but it will flourish:    

– The total value of global voice commerce transactions is expected to grow from $4.6 billion in 2021 to $19.4 billion in 2023, a massive 317% increase. 

– 43% of people who own voice-enabled devices use them to shop online.

– 40% of people use voice to order or buy something each month.

8. What does voice commerce hold in the future?

Once the solutions to the many drawbacks are found, voice commerce will turn the tables on e-commerce, both for businesses and for customers. According to Google, 20% of all searches are already done by voice command. And that about 45.2 million Americans in 2021 have experienced voice commerce shopping, and this number is growing. In the future, it is expected that this option will be an integral part of the online shopping process. 

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