Voice-enabled search is growing exponentially and one of the major ways consumers use voice search is with voice-enabled smart speakers. Smart speakers are stand-alone hardware that provides voice-enabled assistance –powered by digital assistants that respond to voice commands. We’re all familiar with the brand names –Alexa (Amazon), Assistant (Google), Siri (Apple), and Cortana (Microsoft).
Amazon Echo and Google Home dominate the Market
There are many smart speakers available but the two major players –the Amazon Echo and the Google Home –dominate the market. The number of people using smart speakers is rapidly increasing. In 2018 more than 45 million people used a smart speaker in the United States and it’s projected that in 2020 21.4 million US households will have a smart speaker.
Shopping lists-add tomatoes!
Consumers use smart speakers to conduct daily tasks and routines, such as making shopping lists, locking the door, switching off the TV, and controlling a variety of other smart home devices.
It’s like talking with a friend!
According to surveys, consumers interact more naturally with smart speakers than any other devices, with 53 percent of people who own a voice-activated speaker claiming they feel like they’re talking with a friend. Many even add ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ when engaging with their devices.
Entertainment –Alexa play Good Vibrations!
Consumers also use their voice-enabled speakers for entertainment purposes, with three-fifths of smart speaker owners using it to play music and two-thirds to entertain visiting friends and family. Digital audio has also become more popular among smart speaker owners.
Information –what’s the Capital of Brazil?
Consumers are also using their smart speakers to find information quickly. The draw of not having to pull out a phone or tablet is a huge selling point. According to Adobe Analytics, 53 percent of users utilize their voice-enabled speakers for general research. Using their voice to search feels more natural to consumers than traditional search methods, according to research from Google. While some of the questions asked are routine like what’s the weather today? Many do turn to smart speakers to make purchasing decisions. This means brands that want to compete in the voice-search arena need to refine their SEO strategies accordingly.
Purchasing products and services
And finally, consumers are now fast becoming comfortable with using their smart speakers to buy products and services. Google claims 62 percent of regular smart speaker users say they’re likely to buy something through their device. In addition, 44 percent of smart speaker owners say they order products and goods they need on their device once a week. These include purchases like groceries and household items.
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