Use these tips to make your brand relevant in your industry, and always stay on top of the e-commerce learning curve to recognise relevant trends for your business

We live in an exciting time when it comes to innovation and progress, especially in terms of technology and commerce. Some of our latest tech inventions such as machine learning and artificial intelligence (or AI for short) have had a tremendous impact on every single industry out there.

Education, medicine, travel, banking, you name it, it has been changed beyond recognition by the rise of many technological inventions native to our age. So, it’s no wonder that e-commerce is on the list of industries that have utilised tech to its fullest to grow and meet the needs of the modern customer. 

However, there’s one specific invention that has yet to show the extent to which it has altered how we shop online – the use of voice assistants. Starting with Siri, the world has embraced a new way of communicating with AI entities.

Then came Google Assistant, Amazon’s Alexa, Cortana by Microsoft, Watson for IBM, and Bixby for Samsung. We’re sure there will be more joining their ranks while the existing ones are rapidly becoming more refined to meet our needs and preferences.

Also Read:  How to make a website voice search friendly

Suddenly, there are few homes in the world where “hey Google” hasn’t become a norm for searching for your favourite song online or ordering takeout. And that is why voice assistants are indeed changing the face of e-commerce, one smart feature at a time.

Increasing the security of shopping online

Cybersecurity is a hot topic today, perhaps even more so than in the early years of tech development. Now that we have access to incredibly advanced devices and their complex features, the risks of using them to buy online are all the greater.

We constantly share our most sensitive, private information with brands to purchase from them, such as our credit card information, our physical address, as well as our details. We’re not alone in using this sophisticated equipment since hackers can use the very same superior solutions to tap into this highly sensitive data while it’s being transmitted.

Enter your voice.

Security breaches will always be a possibility, but using your voice for another layer of authentication can help prevent any security leaks and issues. This, in turn, means that users will feel safer to buy online, visit your store knowing that no one can make a purchase without your authentic voice, and come back to your store for more.

That also means that your kids cannot accidentally purchase a thousand dollars’ worth of cookware or toys online without your voice. If Alexa is designed to listen to the parents and ask for their voice command when making a purchase – such accidents can be easily prevented.

Security is indeed a very important piece of the customer experience puzzle. Companies in e-commerce need to invest heavily to increase safety, and voice assistants are one of the most novel ways of doing just that. 

Changing the SEO game for e-commerce

To understand the importance of SEO for online stores, we need numbers that give us a clear view of the current as well as the expected state of e-commerce.

Take Asia, for example, revenue in the e-commerce market amounts to US$975.

This number is expected to grow even more in the future, especially in Singapore, where revenue is expected to show an annual growth rate of 14.9 per cent by 2023.

Another study shows that 58 per cent of internet users in Singapore shop online at least once a month. If a brand sells online in this market, or any specific region in Asia, the brand in question needs to be able to stand out to grab a piece of this multi-billion-dollar pie. And the most effective solution to being noticed is ranking high in the search results.

Also Read: Why hyper-localisation is key to optimising voice-based SEO

What’s more, voice search is one of the growing digital marketing trends in Asia, and more than half of smartphone owners use voice-enabled technology to find information about products.

If a business wants to stand out in Asia to those who use voice search, it would have to use localised, voice-friendly phrases and specific linguistic solutions to make it’s brand more noticeable to search engines and users alike.

That’s why SEO Services in Singapore will differ from those of its neighbouring regions, as brands that are located in this country need to use a strategic approach to become more visible for its voice search users. After all, their numbers are growing, and their search preferences are changing.

If your local users rely on phrases such as “the best pastry shop near me” or “in Singapore”, then your website and your SEO strategy need to reflect those trends. It sounds simple, but it pays to understand the market and its evolution in order to implement the best approach for your specific market and industry.

This will become especially relevant for mobile searches, as more users are switching to shopping on the go, which means relying on portable devices that should boast the same voice features. Having more mobile users means you’ll need a stellar mobile presence combined with local-friendly SEO tactics. 

Personalisation through voice apps

Some of the most notable brands across different industries have noticed how voice search can become their tool for better customer engagement, improved personalised experiences for each customer, and many other improvements across the board. 

Look at the giants such as Tide or Nestle – they have no time to hand-sign letters to customers, and yet, personalisation is a huge deal in their industries.

They make use of voice assistants to personalise their customers’ experiences every step of the way, and most importantly, especially after the purchase. You’d expect the journey to end there, and for brands to let you figure it all out, but with voice assistants, you can integrate your brand features and let them lead the way.

For instance, Nestle has built an app called GoodNes for Amazon’s Alexa to turn a dull cooking session into a culinary adventure with guidelines, tips, and tricks to make it simpler and voice-guided so that you don’t have to use your hands at all.

Another example includes automotive brands that have started using smart features in their vehicles and thus promote safe, streamlined rides with more user-friendly options for you as the driver. How about choosing your favourite tunes by merely telling your voice assistant integrated with your Toyota vehicle what you’re in the mood for.

The life of an average shopper has changed drastically over the past several years. We’ve moved from large keyboards and large screens to pocket-sized touch-screen devices that can recognise your face and your fingerprints.

Now that they can recognise your voice, alongside those home-based smart speakers, e-commerce brands need to step up their game in making themselves known in this voice-dominant world.

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Image Credit: Kelly Sikkema

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