How do today's users interact with their mobile devices? Research conducted by ADI points to one specific trend. Which one? Find out!
Today's users of electronic devices prefer to talk rather than use glass screens. This is according to research conducted by Adobe Digital Insights (ADI), which estimated that VAS – Voice Assistants Sales, or voice-assisted sales, grew by 103% over the course of a year, through the fourth quarter of 2017.
"We're moving toward a point where consumers won't always need a screen to interact with their devices," said Costa Lasiy, a senior analyst at ADI.
"Our survey shows that people are not only more confident in voice technology, but also eager to use it. We expect this trend to accelerate next year, when more voice-activated devices hit the market and when companies begin to incorporate voice features into their existing products and services."
The ADI analysis is based on anonymous consumer data covering more than 55 billion visits to over 250 retailers in the United States. The research also includes a survey of more than 1,000 American consumers.
How many people use voice features?
According to the survey results, more than half of consumers who own a voice system use it at least once a day. In addition, 22% of people who own voice devices reported that they shop using voice commands.
Why do people prefer to talk?
"The reason people are increasingly using voice features is that the technology has improved enormously, and consumers are noticing," said Lasiy.
According to the ADI survey, the vast majority of users believe that the current quality of voice recognition is good, and only 4% still consider it too poor to use.
What is voice used for?
- The most popular uses of voice devices are:
- Listening to music (61%)
- Checking the weather forecast (60%)
- Asking fun questions (54%)
- Search (53%)
Wireless sets
The research conducted by ADI, as part of the analysis, confirmed that consumers are satisfied with wireless headphones used with mobile devices. In the fall of 2018, for the first time, sales of wireless headphones surpassed those of wired ones. Despite the increased number of interested customers, the survey showed that 45% of consumers disagree with the decision by smartphone manufacturers such as Apple and Samsung to remove the headphone jack.
Moreover, sales of wireless charging devices more than doubled compared with the previous year. Two-thirds of surveyed consumers agreed that overall demand for cord-free consumer electronics is positive.
Growth in electronics sales
Compared with last year's sales result for electronic devices, the fourth quarter of 2017 saw a 4.7% increase.
As with other retailers, consumer electronics retailers are trying to increase the share of sales coming from mobile traffic. Despite strenuous efforts, however, the vast majority of online revenue is still driven by computers.
"Buying electronics online is a highly labor-intensive process," explains Lasiy.
Customers most often want to see the product, read all of its specifications and reviews, and such activities are still much easier to do on a desktop computer. It is also apparent that the average order value for consumer electronics is steadily rising. This is probably because retailers have become really good at recommending products and add-on accessories, which increases basket size.
Summary
The ADI analysis shows that voice commerce (VAS) is no longer a curiosity but a real sales channel — it recorded 103% growth over the course of a year. More than half of users of voice systems reach for them every day, and 22% shop by voice. We most often use them to listen to music (61%) and check the weather (60%). This trend is forcing companies to implement voice technologies, although electronics purchases still reign on desktop computers. Interestingly, consumers appreciate the convenience of wireless devices, but 45% disagree with removing the headphone jack from smartphones.
