According to Comscore, more than 50 percent of all smartphone users will employ voice technology on their devices this year. It’s no secret that voice and visual search tools have completely transformed the way we use the internet. From basic search engine instructions to more complex shopping experiences, using our mouths and eyes to guide searches has transformed how we find the information and items we need most. The internet is changing rapidly, and at the dawn of a new decade, 2020 proves to be a big year for internet development. From major data storage expansions to redefining cloud computing across the board, the internet is sure to leave this year forever changed. There is no doubt that expansions are underway for further developing and improving our voice and visual search options, which opens the doors for more inclusion and opportunities for internet users across the globe.
Onset Of Voice And Visual Search
Google introduced voice search in 2011, and at first, it was little more than a novelty. Most people did not rely on this new and unknown feature to help them navigate their devices and the web. But as speech recognition technology improved, more people started paying attention. Now, most tasks are unimaginable without voice search technology, which has surged to the forefront of search marketing.
Visual search is designed around our very nature as human beings. It takes the everyday task of being a person and transforms it into a digital experience, particularly when it comes to eCommerce. Ben Silbermann, CEO of social media site Pinterest, once said, “the future of search will be about pictures rather than keywords.” Retail giants are stepping up their game online, investing in quality visual search technology to help their customers find exactly what they need when they need it. For example, Target customers can now take a photo of an item or image and quickly purchase the product or search for similar items.
Effectiveness Of Using Words And Sight
According to HubSpot, the average person can recall 65 percent of the visual content they see nearly 72 hours later. This is just one of the reasons voice and visual search has taken the internet by storm over the last decade. Telecommunications infrastructure relies on network cabling to transmit this data, and technology has evolved rapidly to allow for a vast amount of data to be in transit at all times. Although we’re rarely conscious of the physical systems behind this process, it is this networking system that allows us to take the words and pictures in our heads and turn them into accomplished tasks and streamlined communications. When we make search engines work for and with us as we naturally operate: it is a much more effective use of our technology.
Moving Everyone Forward
Hearing and vision-impaired individuals have used voice and visual technologies for years to help them communicate with the world around them. Now, voice and visual search technology make the internet much more friendly to people with disabilities around the world. Gone are the days you needed dexterity to type or eyes to read keys, making everything from ordering food to purchasing medical supplies a whole lot simpler. A more accessible internet is an internet that will not only be around for generations to come but one that will serve every individual who has a need, regardless of their physical abilities.
The expansion of voice and visual search options is sure to continue to surprise us for years to come. 2020, however, is poised to bring about lasting changes in the technology.
