Most online users are looking for easier ways to get what they want on websites, ask queries, and interact. Voice-activated commands are one such way. These commands also work great for people who have visual or hand movement impairments. You can implement voice command on your website and start engaging more with your audiences using the guideline below.
There are several voice-activated assistants out there, including Google Assistant integrations, Amazon Alexa for Business, and Microsoft Cortana. They are stand-alone tools that you integrate into your applications and start taking commands from users.
Where Can You Use Voice Commands?
You can use voice commands in a variety of applications in the online ecosystems. Here are some of the most common applications where you can use the technology.
Navigating E-commerce Sites
Voice assistants make shopping on e-commerce sites a lot easier. For example, a retail website integrated with Google Assistant allows customers to say “find blue shirts under $50” to browse products or “add to cart” to make purchases. This reduces reliance on mouse or keyboard inputs and enhances convenience.
Get Virtual Customer Support
Customers want convenient, fast, effective, and friendly support service. Businesses can deploy voice assistants on websites or apps to provide verbal assistance. It makes it easy to get help without going through the FAQ and works as a personal assistant on accounts. For example, if you run a banking platform, you might allow customers to check the account balance and transfer savings with voice commands.
Other sites can use voice commands to help users learn the procedures or navigate complex menus. For example, new players at a casino can learn rules of online roulette games as laid out at Roulette.Guide for easy understanding.
Manage Employee Workflows
You can also make it easy for employees to use online workplace tools with voice commands. For example, they could use the voice commands on cloud-based platforms like Microsoft Teams or “update CRM with new lead.” It can also be used to schedule meetings and scan data for specific information. This helps with workflow streamlining and management.
Online Training
Assistants deliver verbal instructions for online training modules, helping employees with visual impairments. A retail business might use voice commands to guide staff through an e-learning platform, saying “Play next training video” or “Read quiz questions aloud.” Voice commands can also be paired with audiobooks and video content for enhanced training sessions.
Enhance Public Digital Services
Government or community websites can use voice assistants to provide verbal access to online resources. For example, a library’s website might allow patrons to say “find books on history” or “check event schedule,” supporting users with disabilities in accessing digital services.
How to Set Up Voice-Activated Assistants in Online Platforms
The process of setting up a voice command assistant for your online platform varies from one provider to another. Below are some general steps that you may need to take.
Determine Your Business Goals
What do you want the voice assistants to do? Do you want to make shopping more convenient or streamline workflow management? Will the assistant make any tangible difference? If the integration has tangible results, consider installing it on your applications.
Select a Business Voice Platform
Choose enterprise-grade solutions that meet your specific needs. Most tools have different packages with features offered for different functionalities. Check the pricing too and pick a package that best works with your budget. If you need a voice assistant for multiple applications, go for a package and tool that combines all that so that you have an easy time managing it.
Integrate with Online Systems
Use APIs to connect assistants to websites, apps, or platforms like Shopify, Salesforce, or internal intranets. Remember, you should have picked a package with such features when subscribing for a service.
Customize Your Voice Commands
Create custom commands that engage your audience. Most voice assistants have training kits for the commands. For example, Alexa has Skills Kit, while Google has Actions. Use phrases that your audience may use to get information. For example, “Show product categories” or “How much are green t-shirts?”
Configure the Web Features
Enable voice navigation features, such as screen-reading support (e.g., Google’s Voice Access), to ensure compatibility with assistive technologies on websites or apps.
Test Your Tools with Diverse Voices
Check if your tools can work with different voices, accents, tones, and even barely audible or impaired speeches. Test with different wordings for an action, such as “Sell me a t-shirt” or “Add the t-shirt to the wishlist.”
Secure Data Transmission
Configure secure APIs and cloud connections for enhanced safety to protect user data. You should also enable auto-deletion of voice recordings (e.g., after 30 days) to comply with regulations like GDPR or CCPA.
Train Staff and Monitor Usage
Conduct training for the staff that will be interacting with these assistants. For example, customer service teams will use virtual assistants. This helps complement the tools and ensure smooth operation. Finally, use platform dashboards to track command frequency and errors, adjusting integrations or commands based on data to improve performance.
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