Technology keeps improving day by day, that’s nothing new. In today’s article, we will be talking about voice search, what it is used for, and how people utilize it. We will also be giving you some of the best voice search plugins for WordPress.
If you have never heard of voice search, here’s a short introduction. Voice search allows users to input a command into their search engine, Internet, or app using their voice. Voice search can be done on any device that has a voice input/microphone. Some of the most popular commands are Siri and Google Voice Search.
Voice control can be accessed in three ways: by clicking the voice control command icon, calling the name of the virtual assistant (like: “Hey Siri”), or clicking the home button.
Some available functions are; requesting information, search engine requests, voice dialing, launching programs, and much more. Language is the only way to communicate with your device. So, it’s not only important on your side but also on the assistant’s which makes it the most important aspect of voice search. You want to understand the assistant, even if you speak a certain accent or dialect.
Another aspect where voice search differs is ASR search, which stands for automatic speed recognition for the input alone. You may think that not many searches are using voice search, but it has been proven that around 40,000 searches are done using voice search daily. And its number is only to rise over the following years.
How do you even activate a voice search plugin for your WordPress? Well, the first thing you do is install and activate the plugin. After that, your plugin will wait for you to go to appearance and widgets in the admin area and add the search widget to a sidebar. The next step is to go to your WordPress site, where you’ll see a microphone icon next to the search box.
That means the plugin is activated and ready for use. A “Start talking” sign should appear on the screen. We will be listing some of the best and most used plugins for voice search when it comes to WordPress.
1. Virtual Assistant
This is undoubtedly a good plugin for WordPress. Some of its features include scroll on, up, bottom, unlimited voice commands, make your blog speak, click to any element on your page, work in back-end and front-end, and almost any language is supported. If you own an e-commerce store there’s even an add product to cart command available. Basically, you use it instead of clicking a link.
Virtual Assistant offers different prices and licenses. The first one is a Regular license and it costs $29, then there is the Extended license which costs $59. These licenses include quality checks by Envato, any possible future updates, as well as 6 months of support by BestBug. For additional support, you can pay an extra $9.
In essence, this plugin allows you to create your own Siri, Cortana, and Google now.
2. Universal Voice Search
Universal Voice Search is another plugin that allows for voice search instead of typing. With it, you can use voice search to find almost every page and go through every search bar.
It’s free to use when it comes to Google Chrome but is also supported by iOS, Safari, Firefox, etc. However, with these, an external speech to text will be required. So, if you wish to use it on one of these browsers it’s not going to be free.
Some of the languages supported by this plugin are English, German, Portuguese, Chinese, French, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Arabic, Danish, Dutch, and many more.
Conclusion
We hope that the information given to you in this article was helpful. Incorporating voice searches into your websites is always a big plus. The technology behind these plugins is improving (just like the one regarding Youtube where you can get a Youtube vanced apk and get rid of the ads) and we are sure that every website in the future will have a voice search option.
Plus, it’s not just about adding cool features and widgets onto your site. Having a voice search can help with accessibility as well.
We’ve presented you with two different options to choose from. So, take another quick glance and see which one works best for you. You know what your website is all about and what the best way to compliment it is.