Strategic Planning
Voice Meets Visual: Why Voice-Navigated eCommerce Is Closer Than You Think
Voice search is no longer a novelty. It is becoming the default. With over 1 billion voice searches made every month and over 50% of U.S. adults using voice search daily, the way we interact with the web is shifting fast. But this change isn’t stopping at “Hey Siri, what’s the weather?” It’s heading straight into the world of eCommerce and not in isolation.
7 August 2025
8 min read
In 2025 and beyond, it won’t be voice vs visual. It’ll be voice + visual. And that combination is about to reshape how we browse, compare, and buy.
🔊 The Voice Search Boom
Recent data from DemandSage paints a clear picture:
- 58% of people use voice search to find local business information.
- 43% of online shoppers use voice assistants for online shopping.
- Voice commerce is expected to reach $30 billion in revenue by 2026.
- 70% of people say voice search feels more "natural" than typing.
These aren’t marginal figures. They signal a shift in consumer behaviour. One that’s driven by convenience, speed, and a desire for hands-free interaction. But here’s where it gets interesting for brands: voice search is increasingly happening in environments where visual confirmation still matters.
👀 We Don’t Just Want to Hear It. We Want to See It Too
Voice search is great for discovery and intent expression:
“Show me waterproof trail running shoes under £100.”
But once the options appear, people want to see them. They want to compare styles, colours, ratings, and sizes. That’s why the future isn’t just “voice shopping” via smart speakers, it’s multimodal eCommerce: voice + screen + touch.
This is already playing out:
On mobile, where users use voice to search but tap to buy.
On smart TVs, where voice-activated browsing overlays visual product options.
On eCommerce platforms like Amazon, where tools like Rufus blend conversational prompts with visual listings in real time.
🛍️ Voice-Navigated eCommerce: The Next Layer
What’s coming is a more fluid experience where people:
Speak their intent: “Find me a light jacket for spring hikes.”
See curated product tiles on screen.
Refine with voice: “Only show me ones under £75... in green.”
Tap or say: “Add the Patagonia one to my basket.”
This is search and shopping by conversation, not just keywords.
And the enabling tech is already here:
Multimodal models (like GPT-4o and Gemini) can process voice, images, and text together.
Retailers are embedding AI agents that let users ask natural-language queries that update product feeds dynamically.
Smart TVs, connected mirrors, and voice+screen devices are rapidly entering homes.
🧠 What It Means for Brands and Retailers
To stay ahead, brands need to:
Structure product data for natural-language queries (e.g. what’s it used for, who’s it for, why is it better).
Optimise for voice-first interactions, clear, concise product titles, spoken-word friendly copy, and embedded FAQs.
Ensure visual content complements voice intent: rich images, comparison charts, and visual overlays that surface dynamically when prompted.
Design experiences for screen+voice together. Not just one or the other.
🧭 The Big Shift: From Keyword SEO to Conversational Discovery
The rise of voice search is just one sign of the broader shift toward conversational commerce. People don’t want to hunt and peck through filters. They want to ask, see, and refine.
The brands that win will be those who:
Understand how AI and voice assistants are indexing products.
Optimise for intent, not just keywords.
Build fluid journeys where conversation drives navigation, and visuals close the deal.
TL;DR
Voice search is exploding and moving beyond search into full eCommerce experiences.
People want to talk and see: voice to navigate, visual to decide.
The winners will be those who master both, building seamless multimodal journeys where voice isn’t just a feature. It’s the front door.
🔊 The Voice Search Boom
Recent data from DemandSage paints a clear picture:
- 58% of people use voice search to find local business information.
- 43% of online shoppers use voice assistants for online shopping.
- Voice commerce is expected to reach $30 billion in revenue by 2026.
- 70% of people say voice search feels more "natural" than typing.
These aren’t marginal figures. They signal a shift in consumer behaviour. One that’s driven by convenience, speed, and a desire for hands-free interaction. But here’s where it gets interesting for brands: voice search is increasingly happening in environments where visual confirmation still matters.
👀 We Don’t Just Want to Hear It. We Want to See It Too
Voice search is great for discovery and intent expression:
“Show me waterproof trail running shoes under £100.”
But once the options appear, people want to see them. They want to compare styles, colours, ratings, and sizes. That’s why the future isn’t just “voice shopping” via smart speakers, it’s multimodal eCommerce: voice + screen + touch.
This is already playing out:
On mobile, where users use voice to search but tap to buy.
On smart TVs, where voice-activated browsing overlays visual product options.
On eCommerce platforms like Amazon, where tools like Rufus blend conversational prompts with visual listings in real time.
🛍️ Voice-Navigated eCommerce: The Next Layer
What’s coming is a more fluid experience where people:
Speak their intent: “Find me a light jacket for spring hikes.”
See curated product tiles on screen.
Refine with voice: “Only show me ones under £75... in green.”
Tap or say: “Add the Patagonia one to my basket.”
This is search and shopping by conversation, not just keywords.
And the enabling tech is already here:
Multimodal models (like GPT-4o and Gemini) can process voice, images, and text together.
Retailers are embedding AI agents that let users ask natural-language queries that update product feeds dynamically.
Smart TVs, connected mirrors, and voice+screen devices are rapidly entering homes.
🧠 What It Means for Brands and Retailers
To stay ahead, brands need to:
Structure product data for natural-language queries (e.g. what’s it used for, who’s it for, why is it better).
Optimise for voice-first interactions, clear, concise product titles, spoken-word friendly copy, and embedded FAQs.
Ensure visual content complements voice intent: rich images, comparison charts, and visual overlays that surface dynamically when prompted.
Design experiences for screen+voice together. Not just one or the other.
🧭 The Big Shift: From Keyword SEO to Conversational Discovery
The rise of voice search is just one sign of the broader shift toward conversational commerce. People don’t want to hunt and peck through filters. They want to ask, see, and refine.
The brands that win will be those who:
Understand how AI and voice assistants are indexing products.
Optimise for intent, not just keywords.
Build fluid journeys where conversation drives navigation, and visuals close the deal.
TL;DR
Voice search is exploding and moving beyond search into full eCommerce experiences.
People want to talk and see: voice to navigate, visual to decide.
The winners will be those who master both, building seamless multimodal journeys where voice isn’t just a feature. It’s the front door.