How Voice Search will Transform the Future of eCommerce?

Voice search is taking over the world of the internet. Consumers across the globe nowadays start their online search using phrases like "Ok Google" and "Hey Siri". These are the two most popular voice search engines that are usually used for giving a call, checking the weather, turning lights on, etc.

Such applications are expanding with each passing day, and their business implications are huge as well. 

What is Voice Search? 

Voice search refers to using speech to give commands and ask compatible devices, such as smart speakers and smartphones. The user conversates with the device just as we do with other individuals, and the device answers the question or follows the command. 72% of people who own such devices use them daily to perform several chores. 

It was concluded that almost 40% of users surf through the internet these days using audio search. The growth of audio search is now skyrocketed, and it has transformed the opportunities for businesses to connect with the users effectively. Researchers believe that 55% of American households will own a smart speaker by 2022 and that voice shopping is also believed to hit $40 million the same year. 

Let us dive more into how voice search helps businesses and how they can optimize their website or eCommerce solutions to make the most of it. 

How Voice Search Technology Works? 

The technology where devices can chatter like humans have been dreamt of by scientists for several years now. Keep reading to know how the technology works. 

• The users command the voice search device using phrases like - Hey Siri, Ok Google, Alexa, etc., followed by their command or question. 

• The voice assistant present in such devices then transcribes the speech into text. 

• The text is then analyzed to know what the user wants. 

• To find relevant information to the question or command of the user, the device connects to external data sources, like the search engine, to help users with their queries. 

• It then satisfies the user intent by translating the data into a digestible format. 

Importance of Voice Search in eCommerce

Considering the increasing demand for voice search optimization, when you draft a customer experience strategy, ensure to include a voice search app at the heart of their strategy to make the most of it. 

1. Offers Personalized Shopping Experience

Shopping experiences are personalized for individuals with the help of recommendations made depending on a consumer's preferences. For instance, if you order your daily needs through Amazon Fresh, using Alexa voice search, then the assistant will start suggesting items based on your previous purchases or your diet that was communicated to the assistant.

2. Easy to Review

Voice search has made it super easy for businesses to collect reviews more than ever. Providing feedback is now a breeze for the consumers. The convenience and ease users enjoy while providing feedback helps make the reviews more meaningful and genuine. This helps other consumers in making their buying decisions. 

3. Time-Efficient

With a voice search assistant, you will not have to go through the hassle of typing long queries. In a minute, on average, a person can type only 30-35 words per minute, whereas when it comes to speaking, they can speak around 100 words in a minute. That said, voice search is fast and enables consumers to obtain their replies swiftly. 

4. Enables Smart Shopping

The voice search features are limited to using voice, but they also use machine learning and artificial intelligence. Such mechanisms make search engines smart enough to capture the shopping habits and behavior of individuals. For instance, if you buy your monthly groceries, you will be reminded of what you forget but usually buy. 

That said, if you own an eCommerce store, optimizing it for voice search is one of the best things that you can do to obtain maximum benefits. We discuss a few tips for doing that below to help you skyrocket your business and get powerful eCommerce solutions.

How to Optimize an eCommerce Store for Voice Search?

1. Realign your Business with SEO Strategy

SEO is required for your website, even if you don't write a blog. It'll help you get seen in front of your target audience, which ultimately brings you more business. 

Voice SEO will help your website rank high on the search engine, increasing your brand's visibility on the internet. 

2. Prioritize Right Keywords

When optimizing voice search, using the right keywords explicitly meant for voice search is the key. Hire an eCommerce web design company if you have the expertise in developing a website that aligns with SEO needs. Here we list a few hacks to generate keywords meant for voice optimization. 

• Question Keywords: Voice searches are usually in the form of questions instead of phrases. For instance, when you are looking for an ATM, you would say, " Ok Google, where is the ATM near me?" whereas, while typing, you will probably write, "ATM near me." That said, such keywords are the trigger keywords you should pay attention to. 

• Long Tail Keyword: It is easy to rank on long tail keywords since they have less competition. As discussed above, while speaking to the voice assistant, people use phrases longer than what they use while typing. 

• Natural and Conversational: Natural and Conversational content will help your business get more visibility. It refers to the everyday language that people use while speaking with others. 

3. Optimize for Faster Page Speed

Speed is integral when it comes to optimizing your website or eCommerce store. Faster loading websites enhance user experience, and it also improves the engagement of the visitors. When a user performs a voice search, Google needs to provide answers instantly, and if your web page takes time to load, Google will ignore it. 

Fey tips to increase site speed:

• Pick a rapid web host.
• Use caching.
• Remove all broken links. 
• Reduce the size of images on the webpage. 

4. Responsive eCommerce Website

Mobile phones are here to stay, and because of the convenience such devices offer on the go, people are using their mobile devices more than laptops and PCs. Due to the enormous shift in consumer behavior, there is no denying that responsive websites have become significant for businesses more than ever. A responsive website helps create an enjoyable experience for the users, irrespective of their website. 

5. Structure Your Content with a Detailed FAQ Page

It may sound weird that an FAQ page is considered essential in the SEO optimization strategy of an eCommerce store, but to be honest, we rely on the FAQs to clear our doubts that we may have while shopping. FAQ questions will help you save time if you list all the basic questions that a consumer may have in their head while shopping. This will make the required information available to them, and they will get rid of all potential doubts before buying.

Conclusion

In the coming years, more and more ecommerce stores will use voice search as it enhances your customers' shopping experience. Brands like you should focus on modern approaches for a competitive edge. We recommend taking help from a professional eCommerce web design company so that you can redefine shopping experiences for your potential consumers. They will also help you with voice search optimization so that you don't miss out on opportunities to rank better.