Leverage the Benefits of Voice Apps in Your Business

Voice apps and industries

Voice apps or voice applications. Voice technology. Voice user interface. Smart speakers. Voice search. 

They are more than just a fad.

Voice technology and voice apps are growing at a faster rate due to its increasing number of benefits such as convenience, accessibility, flexibility, and better productivity. It’s becoming a must-have for brands wishing to grow stronger, build lasting relationships with their consumers and target audience. With more than 60% of US households expected to own a voice-enabled smart speaker by 2022, this growth opportunity is poised to bring increased opportunities for brands who are willing to embrace it. In recent years, the advancement of voice apps has culminated in the innovative idea of customized/personalized services and consumer market penetration. And, it has had a major influence on various business verticals.

Let us explore how different industries are witnessing the amazing impact of this technology.

Voice apps- How are they being used in various industries?

Retail

With Alexa and Google voice assistant, help is just a question away. Of the consumers who adopt the technology, 94% of users find voice technology easy to use and think it saves time and improves their quality of life, according to a 2019 Adobe report. Voice apps have improved the buying experience for consumers in retail and e-commerce as it is helping its users to place orders online. The number of consumers who are using smart speakers for their purchases is increasing rapidly.

November 2020 report from eMarketer estimated that 21.6 million people will have purchased via smart speakers by the end of 2020, about 2 million fewer consumers than previously predicted. The voice assistants can interpret a consumer’s voice command or question such as inventory, pricing, product availability, etc., and provide a relevant answer. They can also navigate users to relevant web pages and present them with upsell opportunities. As the smart assistants can collect more data about their users, they can predict demand for items based on a user’s history of searches, purchases, and product reviews, thus creating a more personalized and seamless buyer experience.

Incorporating voice technology at every stage of the purchasing experience will offer unprecedented opportunities for brands to secure customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Government agencies

Observing the functionality that voice apps offer to the corporate world, governments have been quick to adopt voice-enabled techniques to enhance public service delivery efficiencies, as well as integrate them for improved internal workforce management and greater transparency. Government agencies have accelerated their efforts to deploy voice-based technologies to save time and resources. For example, residents of Mesa, Arizona, will soon be able to pay their utility bills using Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant. This means for citizens to have convenient and hassle-free access to the information and services they require without having to wait.

Healthcare

The healthcare industry is rapidly changing with advancements in voice tech and AI. Voice assistants have two major groups of potential users in healthcare: physicians and patients. Voice is being used to book appointments or even advise on prescriptions. The folks can also ask a voice assistant for advice on medical conditions and whether you should seek professional care. Voice assistants are even able to ‘listen in’ on patient visits and document all patient notes, process data, and access records, so the physician can focus all their attention on the patient. A smart 24-hour assistant answering patients’ queries will reduce the time spent in hospitals significantly, freeing up more time for doctors to conduct critical care. There are a few key use cases where the voice assistants have real potential to shine and impact the industry namely operating rooms, examination rooms, recovery areas, surveys, feedback, clinical trials, integration with various care management platforms, technical support, and so forth.

Automobiles

Hands-free voice interfaces are giving the carmakers and drivers a plethora of new options. It can increase safety by allowing drivers to keep their eyes on the road. Tech giants like Apple, Google, Alexa, and Nuance are reshaping the way voice-activation is used in vehicles, enabling drivers to find directions, send emails, make phone calls, and play music, all by using their voice.

According to Voicebot.ai, about 60% of consumers say that presence of a voice assistant is a factor in their new car purchase criteria. As a result, voice assistants like Alexa have seen demand, with carmakers like Mercedes, BMW, and Ford partnering with Amazon to build Alexa voice integrations directly into their cars for different things like engine controlling, door locking, as well as getting updates on fuel or battery level, and vehicle range.

Travel & Hospitality

The travel and hospitality sector has eagerly embraced digital disruption, incorporating voice technology at every touchpoint in the modern traveler’s journey. For example, a local hotel could guide the tourists from arrival at the central train station via public transport to their doorstep. Hotels located near major tourist attractions could provide their commentary, owning to the wider travel experience.

Read More: 5 Ways Smart Speakers Can Revolutionize Travel

Education

Education is another industry that is quickly adopting voice technology and voice apps. It changes the way things are taught and learned. By 2025, it is predicted that two billion of the global population will be the ‘Alpha’ generation who will greatly benefit from emerging technology solutions.

According to a special education week report, voice-activated devices like Google Home and Amazon Alexa have already entered the school classrooms. Through their power of voice, these devices have boosted engagement among students, schools, and parents by providing a convenient way of interacting and accessing school-related and other useful content. Students can go hands-free and study on the go. Teachers and educators can contribute their knowledge, learnings, and even school learning material through personalized podcasts according to the student’s need who can easily access it anytime and anywhere.

Read more: Whitepaper – Voice Assistants in Education: The Next Big EdTech Trend
Webinar: Voice apps for Education

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Marketing

Marketing being an early adopter of voice tech, voice-driven content marketing strategies brings a lot of benefits to the table. The increased interaction and selling opportunities allow the marketing team to stand out from the competition. Businesses are set to integrate voice-activated technology with their marketing strategies. Therefore, it’s necessary to recognize its importance in the marketing industry and use it consistently to create endless selling opportunities.

Today there are more touchpoints and channels in the customer journey than ever before. Smart speakers bring different channels and touchpoints into the daily routine of their users. They disrupt how the consumer’s search, make shopping lists, listen to music and buy. Brands should act on this and rethink their omnichannel strategy. The first-mover advantage is significant, according to industry experts. But the marketing essentials remain the same: right time, right device, and right place are still key in a successful marketing approach. Leveraging the consumer data gathered in the process will drive productivity, conversion, and customer experience.

Whitepaper: Brand Marketing with Alexa and Google Enabled Devices

Customer services

In many areas of everyday life, customer care is already being optimized using voice assistants. The benefits for customers include immediate availability, so not having to wait in call queues or having to navigate complex menus. It enables users to control the pace of the call themselves with voice guidance, creating a personalized experience that is tailored with user-centric content and preferences. It’s also highly interactive with every step designed to get the customer closer to the completion of their task.

HR
More employees are quickly getting answers to HR-related questions by taking advantage of voice-enabled software on their mobile phones. This is one of the main things that HR professionals are inquiring about: how they can enable additional assistance in the workplace to help employees find answers to common HR questions. Besides offering voice-activated help desks to address HR questions, some companies are using virtual-reality glasses for on-the-job training or text- and voice-enabled chatbots to provide a positive candidate experience. The ultimate goal is to free HR professionals from performing mundane transactions, enabling them to focus on more human responsibilities like employee coaching.

Transportation, Logistics & Distribution

Voice-based solutions are fast becoming the most important part of the customer experience in the transportation industry. For example, transport companies integrate voice platforms that facilitate booking processes. The logistics industry has benefited hugely from the growth of e-commerce. The logistics and transportation industry operators have realized that higher-quality service and logistics management provide the competitive edge as the primary channel of communication with consumers.
Webinar: Innovative Capabilities of Voice Apps in Transportation and Logistics

Banking & Fintech

Voice apps are already gaining traction in the insurance industry. The banking and financial sector is another area that particularly benefits from artificial intelligence. Voice assistants provide the user with a conversational interface. They also provide customer support that can be compared to that of a human assistant. Customers can use voice commands to perform various functions, e.g. check account balances, check transaction histories, and even make payments.

Financial services firms have been steadily streamlining their customer services and replacing the routine and FAQ-type queries with chat assistants.

Wrapping up,

Voice tech and smart speakers can be used for every situation.

In recent years, voice technology has seen increased growth in both popularity and adoption. From consumer devices in homes like the Amazon Echo and Google Home to the deployment of voice-based solutions within business and enterprise environments, the voice continues to have an impact on our daily lives. Commerce, travel, health, and transportation are being impacted industry-wide as consumers transform the way they interact with brands as a result of voice technology. As these industries begin to realize the power of voice, we will also see a huge demand for VUI designers. Today, the voice interface is the hot cake, and the time to invest in learning these skills is now.

For various purposes, VOGO Voice is happy to support you with your voice assistants and voice skills developed. You will be amazed at how you can simplify and improve day-to-day business and customer care.

VOGO Voice designs and builds engaging voice skills for industries including education, civic, transportation, business, and nonprofits using our robust voice user interface platform that allows data integration and in-depth customization. VOGO Voice build you the best of class voice app that is compatible with both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Get in touch with our professional team today to hand your citizens, customers, and workforce a high-definition voice-activated solution to keep pace with their demand.