E-commerce: Assistant-enabled commerce and voice assistants


Considering the developments taking place, e-commerce will keep on evolving. Voice assistants and chatbots are the latest technologies trending right now. Many companies are building platforms based on conversations. These allow consumers to purchase products easily by voice or text. This system, which speeds up transactions while still maintaining a personal touch is called ‘Assistant-Enabled Commerce’.

One of the ways of engaging in the above-mentioned concept is voice assistants. Examples of these are Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri, Google Home Assistant and Microsoft Cortana. These platforms are very easy to utilise since consumers just have to speak to the device and the latter will create an interactive question-answer environment. Users just have to speak to carry on a conversation. They do not even have to type or swipe. Just with their voice, they are able to get help, make purchases and get their questions answered without difficulty.

Despite the ease with which they allow users to complete transactions, voice assistants have their limitations. They are useful as long as the task you are conducting does not require you to go through actions such as selecting from a long menu, accessing information on the Internet or completing complicated procedures. Moreover, there are some concerns about security issues since the digital assistants do not authenticate voices before completing a transaction.


There are mixed feelings about voice assistants

Comments