In the past few years, more and more people introduced themselves to the convenience of Voice User Interfaces (VUI) such as Siri, Alexa, Bixby, and Google Assistant. This technology brings a new hand-free experience, which many find handy for everyday tasks. This led to Voice Commerce, also known as V-commerce, a new way to shop online where you can talk to search and buy things. In this blog post, we'll cover what voice commerce is, how it works, its benefits, and why retailers should pay attention.

What is voice commerce?

Voice commerce is the process of purchasing goods or services using voice commands through virtual assistants or smart speakers. You can use it to search for products, compare prices, and even complete a purchase – all without lifting a finger. With voice commerce, customers can interact with products and services hands-free and even without needing to glance at a screen. This opens up exciting possibilities for exploring a whole new way of shopping.

How voice commerce works?

Voice commerce operates through a straightforward process that simplifies the shopping experience. Initially, users initiate a voice search to find desired items, using virtual assistants like Siri, Google, or Alexa. Once identified, they can issue voice commands to add items to their cart, compare prices, or even make payments. This seamless interaction eliminates the need for manual browsing and clicking, enhancing convenience.

It's important to differentiate between voice search and voice commands. Voice search involves asking a virtual assistant to find specific products or information, while voice commands involve giving instructions to complete tasks, such as adding items to the shopping cart or confirming a purchase.

For a user-friendly voice commerce Natural Language Processing (NLP) used. NLP algorithms analyze and interpret user input, allowing virtual assistants to understand commands, queries, and preferences accurately. This understanding enables the systems to offer helpful responses and carry out tasks precisely. As a result, user satisfaction improves, leading to increased participation in voice commerce interactions.

What are the benefits of voice commerce?

Convenience

Once you get past the weird feeling of talking to your mobile device or speaker, many people find it very convenient to simply talk to get what they want. Currently, it’s very commonly used with simple commands like” Hey Google call mom” or “Set my alarm to 7 am” but these can also be used for shopping tasks.

Imagine you’re having a busy day and you’re driving to an important meeting. You’re on your way, keeping your hands on the wheel and eyes on the road, and ask your mobile phone to repurchase your dog’s food so that you can save yourself the ride. You can easily handle these tiny tasks conveniently without lifting a finger.

Time-saving

Using Voice commerce is simply faster than typing the keywords you search for. Instead of typing every single item and looking for the right one, you can simply say what exactly you’re looking for and get it instantly.

For example, “Siri, show me again that blue shirt I saw on Zara’s website yesterday and put in on my cart selecting the size medium”. This is a huge time saving compared to trying to search for the shirt again using filters and looking for it manually.

Personalization and customer loyalty

Voice commerce enhances personalization and customer loyalty by providing tailored shopping experiences. Through analyzing past interactions and preferences, virtual assistants can recommend products that align with individual tastes, creating a personalized journey for each customer. This level of customization fosters a deeper connection with the brand and encourages repeat purchases, ultimately building long-term loyalty among customers.

Enhanced customer experience

In addition to the convenience and personalization, voice commerce it’s cool. It’s new, it’s different, and it’s fun. Many find VUI enjoyable because it gives them a sense of power, they can just say what they want and it will immediately happen.

Increased customer insights

Looking at it from the retailer's perspective, voice commerce offers deeper insights into customer preferences, which can drive performance improvements. For instance, if a shopper searches for a purple skirt and it's not available, retailers can recognize the demand for such items. This is unlike traditional browsing, where unsuccessful searches may not provide useful feedback. Moreover, voice search allows customers to express detailed preferences naturally. This means they can specify characteristics like color, length, and style, leading to an improved understanding of the customer’s desires.

Why should retailers care about voice commerce?

Voice commerce will probably become an increasingly popular trend in e-commerce in the coming years. With more people adopting voice assistants for everyday tasks, voice commerce offers retailers an opportunity to tap into a growing market segment. By embracing this technology, retailers can enhance customer experiences, increase engagement, and ultimately drive sales. Ignoring voice commerce could mean missing out on a significant competitive advantage in the evolving digital landscape.

However, voice commerce is still in the early stages of development, so you may not want to get in right now, but you should definitely keep it on your radar for future growth.

In conclusion, voice commerce is not just a passing trend; it's reshaping the way we shop online. With the rise of Voice User Interfaces like Siri and Alexa, voice commerce offers a hands-free and convenient way to browse, search, and purchase products. Voice commerce enhances convenience, saves time, and fosters customer loyalty through tailored recommendations and seamless interactions.

As this technology continues to evolve, retailers who embrace voice commerce stand to gain a competitive edge in the ever-changing digital landscape. So, while it may still be in its early stages, keeping a watchful eye on voice commerce is essential for staying ahead in the future of retail.