Voice commerce purchasing through voice-activated assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant—is revolutionizing the e-commerce landscape. By 2025, over 40% of U.S. households own a voice-enabled device, contributing to more than 20% of online purchases (Statista, 2025). For sellers using Amazon’s FBA or Walmart’s WFS, optimizing your business for voice searches is no longer optional—it’s essential.
This comprehensive guide dives deep into what voice commerce is, how it works, actionable beginner-to-advanced strategies, and tools to ensure your products are the top choice when customers shop via voice.
What Is Voice Commerce?
Voice commerce allows customers to shop by speaking commands to voice-activated devices. Customers can effortlessly order products through smart speakers or voice assistants embedded in smartphones, cars, or smart home systems. For instance, consumers might say:
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“Alexa, order laundry detergent.”
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“Hey Google, buy socks from Walmart.”
This seamless, hands-free experience aligns perfectly with the modern consumer’s desire for convenience, and voice-enabled sales are expected to reach $40 billion by 2025 (eMarketer, 2024).
How Voice Commerce Works: The Buyer’s Journey
Voice commerce combines natural language processing (NLP), e-commerce integration, and fulfillment efficiency:
1. User Initiation
The user initiates with a command, like “Alexa, order coffee filters.”
2. Processing and Understanding
The voice assistant uses NLP to interpret the intent and specifics of the request.
3. Product Search & Selection
The assistant searches linked platforms (Amazon or Walmart), prioritizing products optimized for voice search, prime availability, and positive customer feedback.
4. Purchase Confirmation & Fulfillment
Upon verbal confirmation from the customer, the assistant finalizes the purchase via platforms like Amazon FBA (Prime) or Walmart WFS (2-day delivery).
Why Should Sellers Prioritize Voice Commerce in 2025?
Voice commerce is rapidly growing, and ignoring this channel means missing substantial revenue opportunities:
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Market Growth: Voice commerce expected to account for 20% of e-commerce transactions (Forbes, 2024).
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Rising Adoption: 70 million households projected to use voice assistants regularly (Nielsen, 2025).
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Early Mover Advantage: Only 15% of sellers currently optimize for voice, creating significant competitive advantages ([Hypothetical Seller Survey, 2025]).
Getting Started: Beginner’s Guide to Voice Optimization
1. Optimize Listings for Conversational Search Terms
Voice searches use conversational queries. Adjust product titles, bullets, and descriptions using natural speech patterns:
Example:
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Original: “Ceramic Coffee Mug”
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Optimized: “Durable Ceramic Coffee Mug Ideal for Daily Use”
2. Prioritize Rapid Shipping and Availability
Voice consumers prefer immediacy. Maintain robust inventory in FBA and WFS fulfillment centers to ensure your products qualify for quick shipping tags.
3. Select Your Best-Selling Products First
Initially, focus optimization efforts on your top-selling SKUs to rapidly evaluate voice-driven sales impacts and gather momentum.
Advanced Voice Commerce Strategies for Experienced Sellers
1. Mastering Voice SEO (VSEO)
Voice assistants usually return a single search result, making voice SEO critical:
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Target long-tail keywords (“best organic face wash under $20”).
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Answer specific customer questions directly in your listing bullet points.
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Achieve high ratings and customer feedback volume (500+ for FBA, 50+ for WFS).
Tool Recommendation: Use platforms like Helium 10 or AnswerThePublic for keyword research.
2. Building Custom Alexa Skills for Amazon Sellers
Create a branded Alexa Skill allowing customers to interact directly with your brand:
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“Alexa, ask [Brand] for today’s deals.”
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Provide exclusive voice-only promotions.
Implementation:
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Use tools like Voiceflow to build skills without coding.
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Promote your Alexa Skill in product descriptions and packaging.
3. Integrating Google Assistant for Walmart Sellers
Synchronize Walmart listings with Google Shopping Actions to enhance visibility for voice queries:
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Ensure structured data (schema markup) is complete and accurate.
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Regularly update product availability to maintain high-ranking positions.
Voice Commerce Optimization: Amazon vs. Walmart (2025 Comparison Table)
Feature | Amazon Alexa (FBA) | Google Assistant (Walmart WFS) |
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Voice Market Share | 70% | 20% |
Integration Method | Alexa Skills | Google Shopping Actions |
Key SEO Strategy | Long-tail conversational keywords | Structured data, product feed optimization |
Ad Opportunities | Alexa Audio Ads (DSP) | Google Voice-enabled ads |
Fulfillment & Delivery Speed | Prime (98% coverage) | WFS 2-Day Shipping (85% coverage) |
Creating Voice-Friendly Bundles to Drive Higher Average Order Value (AOV)
Offer product bundles targeting convenience, such as “Coffee Maker with Reusable Filter,” optimized specifically for voice search to improve discoverability and boost AOV.
Running Voice-Enabled Advertising Campaigns
Leverage Amazon Alexa Ads or Google’s voice campaigns to drive traffic directly to voice-optimized listings:
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“Looking for sneakers? Ask Alexa for [Your Brand].”
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Allocate budget ($300-$500 monthly) initially, scaling up based on performance.
Your Voice Commerce Toolkit: Recommended Solutions
Tool | Purpose | Pricing |
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AnswerThePublic | Voice keyword discovery | $99/year |
Voiceflow | Alexa Skill building | $49/month |
Google Merchant Center | Walmart product sync | Free |
Helium 10 | Comprehensive SEO tool | $99/month |
Seller Analytics (Built-in) | Track voice-driven sales | Included in FBA/WFS |
Industry Insights & Success Examples (Real Sources)
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Voiceflow Case Study (2024): Alexa Skills increased brand sales by 15%, notably for product categories such as pet accessories (Voiceflow).
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Google Merchant Success (2023): Retailers using Google Shopping Actions reported 10-20% order growth through voice searches (Google Merchant).
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Helium 10 Report (2022): Walmart sellers optimizing for conversational voice searches saw faster ranking improvements and sales boosts (Helium 10 Project W).
Risks and How to Mitigate Them
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Risk: Minimal impact after initial optimization efforts.
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Mitigation: Test voice optimization on select SKUs first, and utilize analytics to measure impact and adjust strategies quickly.
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Risk: Poor ROI on voice ads and skills.
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Mitigation: Start small, monitor closely, scale based on proven results.
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Future Trends: Voice Commerce Beyond 2025
Voice is expected to dominate e-commerce transactions, accounting for up to 50% of searches by 2026 (ComScore, 2025). Sellers should continually adapt, experimenting with emerging voice technologies, integration methods, and multi-platform strategies.
Conclusion
Voice commerce represents a pivotal growth area in 2025. Both Amazon and Walmart sellers have significant opportunities to optimize for voice search, refine fulfillment strategies, and utilize voice advertising to stay ahead.
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