No, we're not referring here to sales made by voice over the phone or at your counter. Rather, we're having fun with the idea that voice assistants, such as Siri, Alexa, Cortana, Google Home and others, make it possible to make online purchases without moving or even using your fingers. According to a spring 2023 study, 30% of adult Quebecers use a voice assistance service to ask for the outside temperature, check the news, control other smart devices, etc.

How does it work?

Small voice assistance devices are always on standby, listening for their respective keyword to run. When the command is heard, your trusty voice assistant instantly performs the suggested operation. It's a highly efficient, hands-free way to get things done quickly! Most users are very satisfied with the results of their voice assistant. But did you know that by changing a few small user settings, you can activate the purchase of products with your voice assistant? Google Home and Alexa, to name but two, then become perfect middlemen for concluding transactions with Google Shopping or Amazon.

What about ticketing?

We invest time and money creating websites that attract the maximum amount of traffic and optimize our conversion rates. But perhaps voice commands via a smart speaker will replace the transaction completed by the Internet user's fingers. Skeptical? In France, food giant Carrefour has teamed up with Google to offer a new voice-activated shopping service. In the U.S. and U.K., the Google Assistant can be used to purchase cinema tickets, and in Berlin, to purchase public transport tickets. And in the U.S., Amazon's Alexa service can already be used to search for shows and tickets, and to complete transactions for certain events.

A little spy

Using voice assistants often requires linking a personal account. Interactions with the assistant are therefore a new source of information about the user's interests and habits. Designers can then enhance their profile to better target potential buyers. Perhaps they'll be subject to new provisions on privacy protection and consent to the collection of personal data... While you're waiting to be able to buy tickets to shows in Quebec with this type of speaker, talk to it and it can entertain you: "OK Google, tell me a joke".