Voice technology burst onto the scene in February 2010 with the launch of Siri, an amazing new platform that was quickly acquired by Apple for the iPhone 4S. The ability to use our voices to ask questions and functions was revolutionary. And the combination of basic AI and Siri’s conversational responses quickly put even the most tech-wary among us at ease.
Over a decade on, Google Now, Cortana and Alexa are all in common use too. And voice search is everywhere – on smartphones and smartwatches, laptops, smart home devices and appliances. The ease of voice search has touched all aspects of people’s lives. So, ensuring you have a voice marketing strategy in place is essential, especially when you consider that purchasing products with your voice is the third most popular use of smart speakers, after playing music and searching for answers to queries.
What does this mean for ecommerce?
Voice shopping enables brands to cross-sell products in a softer, more natural way that puts customers at ease and makes them feel comfortable. This could be when a consumer is completing their weekly grocery shop and their smart assistant asks, “Would you like to try our new apple scented fabric softener – it’s just £2 with this purchase.” The casual, conversational manner feels more like a recommendation than upsell.
Voice shopping also gives brands the opportunity to personalise the shopping experience for their customers. By analysing voice search queries, they can determine characteristics such as gender, age etc – data that can then be used to create a far more tailored shopping experience.
Having a voice marketing strategy must form part of your marketing plan. It’s important to optimise your website content for voice SEO to maintain or gain those top-ranking spots.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is voice marketing?
A: Voice marketing refers to using voice-enabled devices and technology, such as smart speakers, to influence how consumers search for and purchase products online.
Q: How can voice marketing impact online sales?
A: Voice marketing can make it easier for consumers to discover and purchase products, creating new opportunities for brands to increase sales through voice-driven search and shopping.
Q: Why is voice search important for ecommerce?
A: Voice search is important because it changes how consumers find products, often using more conversational queries that brands need to optimise for.
Q: How should brands prepare for voice-driven shopping behaviour?
A: Brands should optimise product content for natural language search, focus on clear product information, and adapt their SEO strategies for voice queries.
Q: What opportunities does voice marketing create for brands?
A: It creates opportunities to reach customers earlier in the buying journey and engage them through new, emerging shopping channels.
If you’d like to find out more, get in touch with our Amazon agency now
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