The Amazon Echo, popularly known as Alexa, was released on November 6th, 2014, and since its release has been selling like crazy. The Amazon Echo is a new technology from Amazon.com intended to make life simpler for consumers. The Amazon Echo device can answer questions, control smart home devices, perform web searches, and more through simple voice commands.
Consumers love having a personal assistant in their homes to answer their questions. Companies are also eagerly looking for ways to use the device’s convenience to increase their digital marketing efforts. This article will explore how Amazon’s Alexa will transform digital marketing in the coming years with some great examples of what is already happening.
Anyone who has tried to get it to work knows that the technology for Alexa is still very young in terms of being an effective marketing tool. But already, Amazon has opened up some incredible possibilities for how you can use it to increase your digital marketing.
What exactly is Amazon Echo?
As mentioned already, the Amazon Echo is a voice-activated device that listens through a built-in microphone to serve different functions. The device can perform different tasks such as making calls, controlling devices, streaming audio, and more. It was first released in November 2014 and has quickly been adopted by consumers looking for ways to make life easier in the home.
The great thing about how the device works is that it listens for the word “Alexa” and then will begin to listen for your verbal commands. So along with “Alexa,” you can also use the word “Amazon” or “echo”. A blue light ring on top of the device glows when Alexa listens to dictate something for you to hear.
The device is part of the Amazon Echo family, including the Echo Tap and Echo Dot. So far, these devices have been released in over 42 countries according to Amazon.
What can Alexa do?
Alexa can do quite a bit! It has been designed to make life easier for consumers by providing them with a simple way to get information and perform tasks.
So far, Alexa is even able to make phone calls for you. This can be a huge time-saver since you won’t have to reach for your phone. You can ask Alexa to make a call, send a text message, or email, and she will take the initiative!
Steve Jobs once said that Apple was “always-on,” and we can see how the Amazon Echo device plays into this idea. When you tell Alexa to “turn on the lights,” she will brighten up the living room and ask, “How’s your day going?” all with a warm and friendly voice.
The device can also make notes for you to easily remember important dates, birthdays, and more. You can also ask Alexa to present music requests to play based on which genre suits your mood. One of the best features of having Alexa is that you can get answers to questions like “Who is the president?” or “What are the capitals of Germany?” without having to type it into a search engine or pull out a book.
The possibilities for Alexa devices are endless, and Amazon has made it clear that they plan to develop software and services to continue to make it better.
Examples of How Alexa is Transforming Digital Marketing
The Amazon Echo device has already proved to be an incredible innovation in the digital marketing arena. Here are a few ways to use the Alexa device to bolster your digital marketing efforts.
Using Alexa as the voice of your website
So let’s say that you have a company website that you want potential customers to visit and view. Most people nowadays are used to having websites work because the website will have a search function built-in. So if you wanted to find out more information about something, you would type it into the search bar or click on a link. Most people don’t realize that this is how websites work and instead believe that someone named “Google” works in the background who listens to what they have to say and types it into a search engine for them or that someone at Google is manually manipulating search results.
But now, with Alexa and other similar personal assistant devices, you can use the device as an alternative to a search engine. So instead of typing into something, all your visitors have to do is ask Alexa what they are looking for.
For example, if you were in a business that sells products used to help people with arthritis, such as braces and specialized clothing, Alexa could be the voice of your website. As a website owner, you can make it so that when someone visits your website, they will hear a message like, “I’m sorry, but I can’t answer that question. Did you know that a 1.5-inch wide compression knee strap is ideal for your problem?”
As you can see, this is an effective way to increase conversions on your website since it provides visitors with helpful information along with a direct call to action. An Alexa virtual assistant can help your website earn more money by increasing your site’s conversion rate, which will drive up how often people revisit your site and shop from you.
Using Alexa to drive traffic to your website
In addition to Alexa driving people to visit your site, it can also drive people directly to you on social media. There are several ways that you can do this. For example, you can use an Alexa voice integration app like Dashbot to put your company up next on a Twitter feed or Facebook page. This is a great way to get an opt-in from a potential customer and start increasing the number of leads for your business.
Another great way to drive more potential customers to your website is to work with Amazon’s commerce platform. To promote a product using Alexa, you need to let Alexa know that you want the item in question placed on your Amazon product page. Alexa will then take the appropriate steps to make your product available for sale on the Amazon marketplace.
In addition to promoting products on Amazon, you can use Alexa voice integrations to promote other companies and brands. You can use it so that when someone asks about a special promotion or contest you are running, Alexa will let them know about it. This could lead to many sales because of the free exposure this could provide your business.
Enhancing your content
In addition to offering professional advice, Alexa can also enhance your content. For example, if you were writing a blog post about how to get the best deep clean carpets from the experts at Carpet Cleaning Services, you could ask Alexa to help you with the research and provide some helpful information in the process. Alexa can give reviews about products so that you can help other potential customers know what to look for when searching for specific products online.
An example of Alexa enhancing content that could be very helpful for business owners is offering discounts and promotions to people interested in a product. For example, suppose you were selling custom-made garage doors. In that case, you might encourage potential customers interested in the type of doors you sell to check out a product that has just been updated by adding new features or improvements.
This is a great way to increase your sales because it generates more traffic on your website and can truly benefit your business.
Using Amazon Echo to drive traffic from the web to your phone app
In addition to talking about products on websites, you can use Alexa to provide information about them in phone apps. This is an excellent way for potential customers to learn more about a product and potentially take action. For example, if you were selling a custom-made garage door, you could include an Alexa integration that would allow potential customers to ask the device questions about your product.
This will drive traffic to your app and lead to sales by providing additional information on the product.
Using Amazon Echo to provide customer service and fulfill orders
In addition to using Alexa as an alternative search engine, you can use it for other purposes. One of those purposes is customer service. You can use the device to help provide valuable information to your clients. You can also use it to ask Alexa to find it and have it delivered to them when a customer is searching for a particular product.
For example, if you were selling imported rugs from Turkey, you could use Alexa to provide additional information about the history of the carpet that someone is trying to purchase. This can help you enhance your brand and learn more about what customers want to give them better service.
A company that could greatly benefit from using Alexa is an auto parts manufacturer that uses this technology to answer questions about their parts. For example, if a customer was trying to install an air intake on their car and they had some questions about the way it works, the customer could ask Alexa for help and get the information they need in the process.
Disadvantages of using Alexa for digital marketing
Although Alexa has many benefits for digital marketing, it also has some disadvantages that you should be aware of. One of the most significant disadvantages is that to use Alexa, people must have an active Amazon account. This means that users who do not have an Amazon account cannot use Alexa services.
Another disadvantage is that not all situations are ideal for a device like Alexa to be used in. For example, if you work in an office environment where other people are present during the day, then Alexa will not be a good choice.
Other things that may not be an ideal use of Alexa are if you have it on while at home and want to hear the news or watch something, etc. You must realize that to use Alexa, you can’t be doing something else at the same time and must focus on it to get feedback from Alexa.
Is Alexa right for your business?
Overall, using Alexa for your digital marketing needs is helpful if you can do so correctly. These voice assistants can help you engage with more customers, increase the number of leads, and promote your business in many different ways.
For example, you can use Alexa to hear reviews about a product and then provide it to potential customers when shopping for products that are important for their needs. This is a great strategy that could lead to many sales and could be used by many different businesses.
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