The inevitable "bang" of Voice Assistants

Voice assistants come in a variety of different devices, commonly overloop smartphones, PCs and smart speakers. The adoption rate and the usage of voice assistant technology are widely spread among consumers, and the vast majority of people today have either heard of this accessible technology, use it on daily basis, or both.

Why is this technology so popular, and why do so many tech companies implement it into their life and even invest into installing voice assistant into their devices? After an in-depth research at WorryDon't Co. we came to a conclusion than the answer isn't as simple as it may appear. Many companies are already diving into the new markets that voice assistants have opened, but there are still many more companies that have yet to take that step. What is clear is that voice assistant technology is useful, popular, widely adopted, and has the possibility to be integrated into our daily lives.

Unfortunately, for those not jumping on the same boat, they are missing out on a niche of the market with the population using voice assistants in their everyday lives. Consumer awareness and the technology's adoption rates, device count, and capabilities are rapidly increasing. This has given a boost to the technology actively shifting the way we search the internet, experience ads, enjoy content, and purchase goods and services.

What problems can this solve?

We all know that a solution should fix a problem, and this is exactly the approach, which this tech companies took with this leap. The skills and actions, which are available in voice assistant devices are innumerable, reaching into every industry and potentially helpful in every aspect of a user’s daily life. Despite the skills and actions available, the majority of consumers only use their voice assistants for repetitive and basic tasks. The most used query is to answer a general question. The second and third query place is assigned to traffic information and finding a place to eat respectfully.

Why aren’t people using advanced skills? Average user does not even imagine that the device could do much complicated tasks. Fewer people are using their voice assistants to control elements in a smart home than are using the assistants for keeping to-do lists and cooking timers. Men and younger users are more likely to branch off into more advanced skills, but the levels are lower than expected. The research has shown an unexpected increase in the category of research of a particular product before purchase, which has more requests than streaming music services, however, it is not as widely used on daily basis.

Interestingly, many users have tried shopping with their assistants, though they limit their purchase to items they don’t need to see before buying. Many users are comfortable purchasing less expensive items and other objects they do not need to see to check the quality. One significant downside of shopping via voice assistant is the chance of an unauthorised person making purchases without permission, like children, however, in many smart devices there are already security measured in place to avoid these kind of issues.

Which devices are winning the race?

Even though voice assistant tech can be found in many mobile phones and other devices used outside the home, like some cars, the majority of consumers using this tech prefer to do so in private, usually in the privacy of their home or office. Many consumers are uncomfortable with using their voice to activate their smart device in public. This might help explain why 18 to 24-year-olds use voice assistants less than older age segments. Despite voice assistants being available everywhere, they are less used in public, making their capabilities slightly less practical for the average consumer.

However, younger segments of the population, those between 18 and 24-years-old, are adopting voice assistant technology faster than other age groups. This rapid adoption is due to the missing-out factor and the urge to stay connected. Young consumers overall are more likely to adopt new technologies quicker than their older people, however, they tend to use it with less frequency than other age groups. A young person with a mobile phone, can do the task in the same or very similar time frame as the voice assistant. Having the phone always in the hands is also a big factor. Instead, 25 to 49-year-old users tend to be the frequent users, who stick to this tech leap and implement it into their daily lives.

As a business, what should I do?

As far as business goes, voice assistant technology is rapidly evolving both in how it’s changing the way users interact with brands and in how well it works technologically speaking. Businesses that enter the voice assistant market can take advantage of a new way of reaching and interacting with clients directly in their mobile devices, homes and cars by bringing in new customers, keeping daily customers active and increasing conversion rates. Users of all ages, but especially younger generations, are adopting and using the technology with higher frequently than ever. Satisfaction rates are high for most devices, and, when used correctly, most voice assistants can achieve impressive and advanced tasks that make them the ideal technology to use in many occasions.

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