May 15, 2021
By Cedric Jackson (Guest Author)
Nothing in the world continues without evolving. The internet is the perfect example as it continues to evolve into theVoice First Web. With the rise of the Voice First Web, it is becoming crucial for businesses to optimize for voice searches and take advantage of voice marketing. Failing to do so can lead to missing a vast segment of the population.
Understanding the Extent of The Voice First Web
The term “Voice First Web” essentially refers to the fact that methods of interacting with the internet primarily via voice are expanding. Think of smartphone assistants, like Siri, or smart speakers, like Google Home and Amazon Echo. Think of assistants such as Alexa, Google Assistant, and Samsung Bixby. The segment of the population using voice first interactions via these and other similar methods is growing quickly and is expected to continue to do so.
Consider that by 2022, about 55 percent of households will likely own a smart speaker device, whether they rely on Google Assistant, Alexa, or another smart assistant. By the same year, voice will be a $40 billion channel, compared to the about $2 billion it is worth today. Furthermore, by 2020, around half of the online searches will likely be in the form of voice searches.
Voice Search Lets You Expand Your Marketing
With such a large proportion of online activity revolving around voice, failing to use voice search and marketing leaves your business behind. By contrast, if you combine the power of voice search and voice marketing with your other strategies, you can reach all audiences. In other words, using voice marketing ensures that your business’s market reach is as wide as possible.
Consumers Want Voice Marketing
There is also evidence that consumers are amenable to voice marketing, indicating that companies should not hold back from pursuing this avenue. Data from Google indicate that 52 percent of owners of smart speakers have an interest in receiving information from brands about deals, promotions, and sales. Since customers are already interested in this avenue of marketing, they are primed to listen to your advertising efforts, improving the impact of those efforts.
Take Advantage of the Growing Segment Early
As mentioned, the current value of the voice channel is about $2 billion, but experts predict this will reach $40 billion by 2022, with growth in Samsung Bixby, Alexa, and Google Assistant. As such, if you begin taking advantage of the voice channel now, you will be positioned to have already developed experience in the segment before its steady growth to $40 billion or more.
Taking advantage of the voice search and marketing world early on helps position your business as an innovator in this type of marketing, which will put you in good standing when the voice channel is massive. You will also have had time to test out various voice search and marketing strategies to see what works well. Instead of struggling to play catchup in a few years when the integration of the voice web is necessary, you will have a head start.
Start Working on Your SEO and Other Strategies
Getting involved in voice search early will do more than just give you time to fine-tune your methods. It also gives you the chance to work on your SEO and other digital strategies early, so you rank higher. Being the top snippet on search rankings on Google is already important, but this becomes even more crucial with voice search, as later results may not even be seen. By starting with your voice search strategy now, you can get ahead of the competition with your SEO, giving you more time to cement your company’s spot at the top.
Voice Strategies Can Boost Customer Experiences
In addition to the pure business perspective of reaching new audiences, voice search and marketing can improve your business by enhancing the customer experience. Keep in mind that the major smart speakers for homes can distinguish various voices. This allows for personalization of messaging and content, which can improve the search results and suggestions, tailoring them for each potential or current client.
Additionally, the use of Voice First Web can make customers feel more of a personal connection with your business. Voice interactions via Samsung Bixby or Google Assistant simply feel more natural than typing search queries and waiting for results. This provides seamlessness, building customer loyalty and retention.
In addition, voice searches tend to take much less time than other search methods, and customers appreciate this convenience. They will be more likely to engage with your company and rate their experience highly if it is efficient, and Voice First Web provides that efficiency.
Conclusion
When it comes down to it, incorporating voice search and marketing into your company now will let you take advantage of the vast number of people already using voice searches via smartphone companions, wearable tech, and smart speakers such as Samsung Bixby, Google Assistant, and Alexa. It will also give you the ability to grow in the future as the Voice First Web becomes the default method of interacting online.