A voice assistant is simply a digital assistant that responds to spoken commands. Assistants like Siri or Alexa, for example, are able to perform various tasks from simply making a call, through answering questions to playing music and creating to-do lists.

When it comes to voice search, it can certainly be said that the future is now. While the technology itself was introduced a little over a decade ago, it is now estimated that 1 in 4 American adults owns a smart speaker, and predictions are optimistic for that number to grow in the future. More and more companies are investing in voice search features in their products, seeing how in the last few years it’s truly become the new norm.

The most obvious benefit is an improved, personalised customer experience, especially in the case of e-Commerce stores, where assistance is frequently needed. The use of chatbots on a website or app means customer service that’s available 24/7, regardless of how many clients are waiting. Chatbots also take some of the customer-service related tasks off the employees, drive engagement among customers, and make it possible to easily collect data on what needs to be improved in the service.

Chatbots can be used in virtually any type of business, but they’ve been really popular in e-Commerce, finance and healthcare, where they’ve helped to revolutionise the way the industries operate. They’re also frequently used in the entertainment, travel and real estate industries, as well as many others where customer service is particularly important for success.