Consumer behavior has undergone a significant change in how it was a decade ago. The introduction of voice assistants like Alexa and Google Home in daily life is a perfect example of it. More people tend to rely on these voice assistants in their routines and, it has become an ideal replacement in various aspects. Due to this reason, voice assistants have become one of the most commonly bought gifts in recent times.
What is a voice assistant?
A voice assistant is one of the handiest pieces of technology with multiple functionalities. It has the perfect blend of technology and a humane touch and is very convenient to use as well. The market of voice assistants is only going to increase as it becomes a part of almost every household. Here are a few impacts that voice assistants have on consumer behavior as a whole.
The Impact of Voice Assistants on Consumer Behavior:
Makes life easier
One of the major roles of technology is to make life simpler and easier so that more work can be done in a short period and with minimum stress. Voice assistants seem to fit all the requirements perfectly. You just have to speak about what you want, and the information will be made available to you immediately.
This is more convenient than having to type commands and saves time as well. Another advantageous aspect of it is that it enables a person to multitask. They do not have to stop everything to get work done. It is a dynamic process. In short, life becomes sorted on using the right type of voice assistant and in the right manner.
It becomes a part of a daily routine
Many parts of daily routine can be done with the help of voice assistants and they act as perfect replacements for it as well. Gone are the days when people used to mark reminders on a wall calendar or make a list of things that they want from the grocery store and stick it to the refrigerator walls. You can save all of them in your voice assistant memory and set reminders for the same.
If you want to commute and want to book a cab for the same or you want to know about the congestion and traffic on the road that you are going to travel, all you have to do is give some appropriate voice commands. You can even use the option of voice ordering by going to the preferred online portal and buying different stuff. The easy availability of information is one of the main reasons why it has become a part and parcel in the life of anyone who has used it before or continues to use it now.
It’s at the center of the home
The placement of the voice assistants in the house also gives an idea about how important it has become in the life of every member of the family. It is most commonly placed in the living room, which is generally considered to be the center of the home so that anyone residing in it can have quick access to it. Moreover, it is an indication that these devices are a big part of the day to day activities and information. For example, an elderly person can find out about the latest headlines and news by asking for it while a younger person can know the scores of a football match.
It provides a quick and reliable answer as well. These voice assistant devices have a good range as well. Therefore, when it is kept in the living room, it can generally be accessed from other areas of the house as well. If you want to know the recipe of a dish from the kitchen or change the song while taking a shower, a centralized voice assistant will be up to the task.
Offers more human relationship with technology
The voice assistants that are available in the market have a human voice as respondents. This adds a certain amount of human touch to the device. Generally, technology is perceived as being something lifeless and mundane without any reciprocation of relationships as such. Voice assistants break the norm here though. People address the devices with a certain amount of politeness that they would not do for any other technological devices.
A survey has shown that many people ask for information from the voice assistants by saying “Please” and “May I” while some have developed the habit of even saying “Thank You” to it after the purpose is served. Some even go to the extreme of saying “Sorry” when they ask inaccurate or unnecessary things from it. This is the testimony of the fact that a response in a human voice with expressions has been successful in building a more informal relationship between the consumer and the voice assistant as a whole.
It’s a playground for brands.
Since a lot of information can be obtained by using Voice assistance devices, the brands use it as an opportunity to gain proper insight into consumer behavior. The communication is two-way as well. The consumers allow the brands to subtly dictate their lifestyle by taking in information that is relevant to them. Thus, it is useful for both the parties involved and benefits everyone in the process.
Popular voice assistants
Even though there are quite a few options available in the market these days, the ones which have gained the maximum popularity are Alexa and Google Home. in fact, choosing between both of them is quite difficult. It is just a matter of preference to be very honest as the functionality of it is pretty similar and useful.
Bottom Line
Voice assistant devices are steadily moving towards being an essential device from being a luxury and rightly so. The pricing of it is also moderate which makes it affordable to everyone. It has positively affected consumer behavior as well.