Voice technology has changed the way we surf the net and interact with things. With the advancement of voice technology, we are now able to search for coffee shops while driving, interact with TV, communicate with refrigerators, and even order pizza using our home automation devices.
Now, it is for startups and enterprises to sense the change and adapt the voice technology before it begins disruptions.
So, if you are wondering how voice technology will transform small businesses and explore its potentials, then this article is for you. So, let's explore what technology has to offer for your startup business.
Voice Technology Market
With $10.7 billion in 2019, the global voice recognition market size is all set to take a big jump with $27.16 billion in 2025. The sudden spike in voice technology is due to the rise of voice search among users.
According to DBS Interactive, around 41% of adults use voice search at least once a day. However, Google reports that around 27% of the population (those online) use voice search on mobile devices. The year 2020 was the significant year for voice technology as half of the smartphone population uses voice search.
Top 5 Benefits of Voice Technology for Startups
The data given here suggests that the world is bending towards voice technology, and most of their activities will be voice-enabled. So, there's an immense opportunity for startups when they leverage voice search features to their users. Now, let's come to the core points and explore the top five benefits of voice search features for today's startups.
#1: Get Competitive Edge
People's buying patterns have significantly changed, and they like to use voice to search for their desired products rather than typing manually. Most businesses have adopted the change and provided users with voice search enabled websites and apps to meet their needs.
Most importantly, the number of voice assistants devices will reach 8.4 billion units by 2024 —the number is even higher than the world's population.
While 110 million users are using virtual assistant devices in the USA, businesses need to equip their websites and apps with voice technology. It will help businesses reach their customers easily while customers can connect the businesses from the comfort of their homes. As most businesses have already adopted this technology, ignoring the call will give a competitive edge to your competitors.
#2: Stay Connected with Users 24/7
Smart innovation has made businesses 24/7, and you must have someone representing you beyond time. Voice assistant features in your website and apps will respond to your users' queries at any time. Meanwhile, AI-powered voice tech can help you automate your various repetitive tasks and satisfy your customers. The adoption of voice tech is the most affordable means while it brings a ton of benefits, especially when you think about business expansion.
#3: Voice Search Assistance
Around 70% of users use a Voice Assistant instead of manual typing for internet searches. People use voice search to research the market to explore different offerings.
In short, voice search has become a significant marketing trend. Why not allow users to find your services and products using a simple voice search? If you are developing a new website or building an app, integrating voice search features will cost you a couple of dollars extra but help you gain millions of dollars in the long run.
#4: Voice Technologies Support Personalizations
Offering customers with personalized products, services, and offers will leave an emotional touch. The personalization approach is the trend now, and smart personalization will help you understand your customers' intent and provide the offering according to their interests.
Data gathered by apps powered by smart features (voice tech) will help businesses understand their customers better. When you know what your customers like to buy, you can turn them into buyers in no time.
#5: Reduces Operating Costs, Increases Sales
Businesses, such as hotels and others, have successfully replaced uniform voice-driven devices instead of using multiple devices to provide comfort to their users. With voice-enabled devices, such as Alexa, there is no need for clocks, Bluetooth, music systems, or other devices to provide amenities to guests without investing handsome bucks behind multiple devices.
The same Alexa can help you drive sales as well.
Let's understand this through a scenario. A guest in a hotel room asks, "Alexa, is coffee available at this time?" Alexa can smartly answer, "yes; you can order your coffee." "You can also order the Prime Rib buffet, the special food of the day today."
This will indirectly increase sales by letting guests know about different food.
Final Thoughts
As you have gone through the article, you must have understood how technology, especially voice technology, will transform small businesses. In fact, most companies, including Amazon, Google, YouTube, and many other small businesses, have integrated this technology into their business system. So, the purpose of this blog is to help you understand and take timely action to have a competitive advantage. If you are starting a new business or have already started, integrating voice technology into your website is a must-have element. Ignoring this trend can give your completive an edge.