The Voice Era Is Here, Customers Are Ready to Listen

Early computers were far from user-friendly as they required typed input. The era of graphics interface helped computers to become more visual, more human. The latest advance in language processing brought computers even closer to us. It bought us a voice.

Character mode

1970s

GUI

1980s

Web

1990s

Mobile

2000s

VUI

Present

Source: Amazon

People are starting to listen to it. It is estimated that by the end of the year 2018, there will be 100 million smart speakers installed worldwide (e.g. Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Apple Homepod) with more than 18% penetration among US citizens (18+).

Voice-enabled devices are present not only at homes but also at colleges and in cars. Voice devices make content more accessible. They can provide your daily schedule, e-mail, state of your account and the latest news while brushing your teeth, cooking or driving. It is reflected in the fact that the majority of Amazon Echo owners (81%) has had interaction with the device at least once a day.

Most of us are willing to learn how to navigate clunky website and mobile app layouts because even the best-designed visual interfaces take some getting used to—it’s an expected part of the process. The same is not true for voice-based interactions, which we’re immersed in from the very beginning of our lives.

Source: CodeAcademy

The context of the voice application is also different. The customer interacts with devices at home, hands-free, screen-free with the audio output only. These features make devices ideal for multitasking, and as a study shows, owners of Voice-enabled devices consume more audio content than the rest of the population. With no more than 40 000 Alexa skills, a voice is at the beginning of its era in comparison with 2 million iPhone apps.

Who should think twice about voice

Audio Producers

Anyone producing audio content should think about voice devices as NPR study found: “39% of respondents replacing time spent listening to radio with smart speakers”.

E-commerce companies

Companies that have a high volume of repetitive orders (food delivery, groceries, daily deals).

Customer-Centric Companies

Customer-oriented companies that want to expand on touchpoints with customers, as for example the pharma company Zyrtec publishes news with pollen counts and predominant allergens for a given area.

When should you think about the voice

Clearly, voice is for real, and it’s a thing, and it’s going to be adopted probably at a more rapid rate than other technologies

Seth Farbman, CMO Spotify

According to Activate Forecast, voice devices face the fastest consumer adoption ever. With annual growth over 100% in 2018, and prediction from Gartner that by 2020 75% of US households will have Smart Speakers, the right time to think about the voice is now.

Interested in exploring voice? Let's talk!

How we can help you

Analysis

We will deliver an in-depth analysis of the future of your industry with the perspective of voice interface.

Voice App Prototype

Based on the agreed scenario, we will deliver an Alexa Skill prototype of a voice app that will give you and your board first-hand experience of what is to be part of the voice ecosystem.

Voice App

Fully operational app integrated and build in alignment with your brand and customer needs.

Status Quack

Voice Interface