Voice in the Era of Video
The audio space is evolving quickly. From dramatic growth in podcast industry to the many voice-enabled products announced at the Consumer Electronics Show a few months ago, it’s evident that more people are becoming aware of the power of voice technology, and specifically, live voice.
Live voice is more than just a trend, however. It’s a tool to build connections, better relationships, and interact with people all over the world.
Here are three reasons 2019 is already shaping out to be a monumental year for live voice.
1. It’s on the rise.
Many factors have contributed to the growth of live voice, but the advent of smart home devices has played a major role in bringing more awareness to the technology. Voice assistants like Google Home and Alexa can play music or check the weather, but there is a variety of smart home products on the market. From doorbells to pet monitors, these devices utilize live voice features and other real-time communication solutions to keep people﹘and even their furry family members﹘in regular communication, inside and outside the home.
According to GlobalWebIndex’s Voice Search report, 27 percent of the global online population is using voice search on mobile and 34 percent of internet users say they’re interested in purchasing a voice assistant. While these numbers may not be off the charts just yet, consumers are slowly but surely becoming more aware of live voice and its potential.
2. It benefits both companies & their customers.
Live voice isn’t limited to consumer technology, however. More enterprises across a variety of industries are using real-time voice to create new channels of communications and opportunities for engagement with their users and customers.
While running a business via the Internet can cut down on costs, it also makes communicating with customers online more difficult. For B2C businesses like e-commerce stores, finding more efficient ways to answer customer questions and address feedback is a must. Through one-to-one voice call, companies can offer personalized customer service in real time, no back-in-forth emails required. They can elevate the customer experience even further by hosting group calls or even live interactive streaming that answers customers’ FAQs or feature live demonstrations of products or services.
For many social engagement and gaming apps, live voice has become an integral part of the user experience. From coordinating with teammates to competing with a plan, nothing beats calling out to other players over an open voice channel in a multiplayer game like Vainglory. Live voice not only improves gameplay; it significantly increases engagement, user stickiness, and monetization opportunities. In addition to live voice chat, developers can embed a variety of features, like 3D spatial audio, and voice effects to keep players entertained for even longer spans of time.
3. It’s easy to implement.
While there are plenty of web platforms that offer live voice services, there are often limits to the amount of time that can be spent or the number of people who can participate in a single call. For businesses that are serving hundreds or even thousands of customers or developers who are looking to build out their own in-app live feature, embedded live voice is an ideal option.
Incorporating live voice can seem like a complicated overwhelming endeavor but by taking advantage of an easy-to-implement solution like Agora’s voice signaling SDK, individual developers and enterprises can install live voice features into their existing platforms and applications.
Live voice is becoming an increasingly sought-after feature in the consumer and enterprise tech space. Companies across a variety of industries should consider how the “voice” revolution will affect their current products and services. Incorporating features like voice calling and group conferencing will help create interactive experiences and drive engagement and sales.
To learn how you can incorporate Agora live voice chat and calling services into your platform or application, talk to our team.