Is The Future Screen less

Research indicates the screenless technology market will cross the $5 billion mark, by the end of next year.

There’s no doubt the technology marketplace is moving at an expedited pace. When speaking with colleagues and friends–we all agree that we’re maximizing the concept of “frictionless living”. Anything that can help us minimize task-time is inherently good. Devices like Alexa and Google Home are revolutionizing the way we interact with technology and minimizing friction. Think about it, you can just ask from across the room to get more toner for the printer or to buy the dog a bed!

As we’ve seen, conversational interfaces have also gone through a myriad of permutations. From screenless to screened interfaces, companies (like Amazon, Google and even Facebook) have had a difficult time determining which will be the defining conversational interface. There is, however, a single truth about conversational interfaces: they’re here to stay.

One of the key reasons for this shift is that voice data is enabling companies to understand their customer base. Further, voice data is invaluable as a digital transformer because, it holds much more value than other means of communication. Voice conveys context, sentiment, intent, emotion and action–these things provide real intelligence and drives valuable outcomes for businesses. Additionally, voice enables us to ask incredibly complex questions rather than searching for keywords on Google.

According to research from Red Box, most companies will have a ‘voice first’ strategy within the next five years. This demonstrates a clear paradigm shift towards recognizing the value of the spoken word. Moreover, 95% of C-Suite execs believe voice data is ‘valuable’ or ‘very valuable’ to their organization.

Voice is going to be key in understanding the incoming consumer generations. I consider myself to be a digital native, but when I see my colleague’s or friend’s kids interact with their phones I’ve noticed something astounding: they treat Siri like a friend. They are naturally at home asking for anything and everything, to the extent that they rarely type. According to Gartner, voice-based search queries are the fastest-growing mobile search type, and comScore estimates half of all searches will be performed via voice by 2020.

If anything, these stats and anecdotal stories bring home the critical importance of making sure your website is optimized for voice search and response. This will impact search engine optimization (SEO), as people search with different terms from specific keywords and use natural language. Meanwhile, for executives and developers creating bleeding edge software products, it means voice must be an integral part of a user’s experience. It means shifting from thinking in terms of clicks/swipes and delivering seamless voice experiences. It means delivering experiences in a world where immediacy is key. People want to ask a question and receive immediate, insightful information.

While I wouldn’t go as far as to think the future is screenless–its going to be far less screen-centric.

It is time for you to consider optimizing your website or app. It is time to consider ‘what’s my company’s voice?’.

ByJohn Kullmann | Published on April 12th, 2019 | Last updated on September 2nd, 2020 | Enterprise Services