Consumers are getting used to having voice assistants do things for them, like setting alarms and reminders, ordering groceries and other items, and even just simple interactions (“Alexa, tell me a joke.”*) As voice technology becomes second nature for personal use, consumers are starting to expect businesses to offer the same convenience for their consumer interactions. But wait – how many people are actually using voice technology in the US? 
A recent survey on voice commerce from SUMO Heavy found that about one-third (35%) of US consumers use voice technology monthly or more frequently, while the remainder either do not use voice technology at all (46%) or only rarely (19%). The survey included over 1,000 US adults who were surveyed in April 2019.
Additional data from the survey included:
- The users of voice assistants prefer to interact with the assistants on their smartphones.
- iOS users are more frequent users of voice assistants than Android users – over half of Android users have never used their Android voice assistant, while 44% of iOS users interact with their voice assistant at least monthly.
- About 18% of the survey respondents preferred to use smart speaker devices to interact with voice assistants. According to an Adobe survey, one-third of US adults (36%) own a smart speaker.
- Overall, only 17% of respondents have used a voice assistant for shopping or browsing. However, 42% of “heavy” users of voice (daily or weekly users) have browsed or shopped with a voice assistant.
As voice technology becomes more prevalent, the opportunities for businesses to leverage the technology for sales will grow. Is your organization considering how to use voice technology for marketing and sales?
*Newsletter editor’s favorite Alexa joke: Why does a chicken coop have two doors? Because if it had four doors, it would be a chicken sedan.