What Happened
Google is reportedly readying its voice-activated Assistant to store your credit card information and handle payment, opening up Google Assistant to a variety of ecommerce opportunities. In the latest update to the Google app, the company included a string of code that paves the way for payment integration. In comparison, Amazon’s Alexa can handle online purchases from the start as it is linked to user’s Amazon account and can access stored payment information.
What Brands Need To Do
As Google Assistant play catch up with Alexa in terms of functionality, Amazon still handily leads the voice assistant market, with an estimated 9 million Echo devices sold worldwide over this holiday season, bringing the total number of Echo devices in market to about 14 million. A new survey reports that 32% of Echo owners used Alexa to make purchases on Amazon. For brands, the popularization of digital assistant devices like Echo or Google Home opens up a new channel to reach customers in their living rooms via voice.
The Lab has extensive experience with building Alexa skills and helping brands navigate the new realities that conversational interfaces are set to bring. If you’re interested in learning more about our take on this topic, please contact our Client Services Director Samantha Holland ([email protected]) to schedule a visit to the Lab.
Source: 9to5Google
