In many ways, eCommerce has changed consumer’s lives for the better. This is especially true during the COVID-19 pandemic. Online stores allow people to avoid going out to purchase goods since they can get almost everything they need and have it delivered to their doorstep. Some stores, such as Amazon, even offer next-day delivery, which is very convenient for consumers.
The field of eCommerce is very competitive. And it’s become even more difficult to rise above others during the pandemic as many “pandemic entrepreneurs” emerged.
To stay on top, small business owners need to keep up with current trends, not just in the marketing field but also in technology. One of the most popular eCommerce trends these past few years is voice search.
The 411 on Voice Search
Voice search is exactly as its name suggests. It allows users to search the web or a specific website through voice command, instead of the more traditional method of typing keywords.
Adding a voice search to a website does come with a hefty price tag. The price range is usually around $300 to $900. Not all small businesses may have the dispensable money for it.
However, voice search can be a good investment in the long run if you look at the numbers. A 2019 survey found that 111.8 million users in the U.S. use voice assistants to search the web. A different survey found that 74 percent of consumers with voice technology use mobile voice assistants.
The Importance of Voice Search
Voice technology has a wide user base. And it will definitely increase in the long run. Below are only a few of the many reasons to consider adding it to their websites.
Improve SEO
If small business owners use voice search in their website, they need to optimize it so that visitors can navigate the site easily through voice commands. For instance, product descriptions are written more simply. And they will include keywords that visitors are likely to use when searching the web.
Also, users often ask questions to voice assistants. So the content of a website must be able to answer them. For example, someone who needs a new door lock may ask, “What door locks are compatible with smartphones out of the box?” eCommerce hardware stores such as Banner Solutions will have to write product descriptions for door locks to answer that question. This way, users can easily navigate the site through voice search.
This optimization for voice search can improve the SEO of the entire website. And this has several benefits of its own. For example, effective SEO can improve the organic visibility and search rankings of a website. Thus, it will likely get more visits from new or existing leads. SEO also improves a website’s credibility and trust. Consumers are more likely to trust and interact with websites that appear on the first page of search results.
Improve User Experience
User experience matters in any website. This is why businesses invest in improving their websites’ aesthetics, ease of navigation, and many more. When visitors find websites easy to use, they’re more likely to stay there and come back.
Small businesses can further improve the user experience of consumers by using voice search. For instance, using a voice command is much quicker than typing, especially for longtail keywords. Also, consumers can multitask through voice search. For instance, say someone’s cooking and suddenly needs information about a recipe. They can use their voice assistant and search the web while they cook.
Achieve Customer Satisfaction
Voice search allows users to get accurate information in a convenient and faster manner. And as previously mentioned, they’ll get a better experience in navigating websites through this feature.
Thus, in the long run, small business owners can make customers more satisfied by integrating voice search into their websites. And when customers are happy, they will interact with businesses more often and become returning customers.
Make Leaving Reviews Easier
In eCommerce sites, reviews are very important. Many customers rely on other people’s feedback to make a purchase decision. So even if a product is popular, customers will still hesitate to buy something if it has no reviews.
Including a voice recognition feature in a website will encourage customers to leave reviews since the process will become much easier. Instead of typing, they can speak to their phone to “write down” their thoughts about a product.
Voice search is starting to play a larger role in the eCommerce space. And for small businesses to keep up with their competitors, they need to seriously consider including this feature in their websites.
