Voice search is becoming more popular study finds

It should come as no surprise to learn that here at Eazi-Apps, we’re pro mobiles. We love our smartphones and could wax lyrical for hours about their virtues and the added benefits and conveniences they bring.

While the general Internet-using public has warmly embraced mobile search, there is one area where mobile use has been slacking a little – voice search. Once touted as the next big thing, this ultra-useful form of search has failed to take off as many expected. Until now that is.

A new study has found that 21% of people are now using voice search each week with 9.8% of people using it daily and 11% turning to this form of information gathering at least once per week. Despite this adoption, more than half (57% of people surveyed) had never used the voice search function on their device. So, it’s either used often or not at all, with no middle ground it would seem.

Why isn’t everyone embracing voice search?

Now, we know that voice search is super convenient. Most people understand this with an old Google study revealing that people turned to voice when they needed to keep their hands free. It can be useful when driving for example, if you’re looking for a certain type of business nearby and can’t stop to type in your query.

Despite this, almost a quarter say they don’t use voice search as they aren’t used to it, around two in ten don’t think it’s efficient enough and over one in 10 don’t consider the results to be reliable enough.

Voice search user habits

You might think that the fact that most of us have our smartphone or tablet with us almost around the clock means that voice search would be most popular when out and about. Not true, most people actually use voice search at home (37%) with 34% using it in the car and just 11% when walking.

One thing the survey did note however is that voice search is a popular choice for users looking to locate a local business. 48% of the survey respondents said that they used voice search to find local business information at least some of the time.

So, what does this mean for you as a mobile app developer?

Working in a mobile field means that there’s a perception you’ll be good at all things mobile. Simply knowing these voice search habits and user penetration adds an extra edge to the service, advice and added value you can offer your clients.

It also means that if you’re intent on building up a strong business base close to your location, voice search could be a great marketing tool to have in your arsenal.