What Consumers Want -- and Don't Want -- From the Internet of Things (Infographic) As more and more connected smart devices pour into the market, here's what we hope for and dread.
By Carly Okyle
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Just as smartphones forever changed our lives, 57 percent of consumers say that they believe the Internet of Things will be revolutionary, with another 47 percent saying that companies that aren't trying to connect their products to the Internet are missing a big opportunity, according to a study conducted by marketing tech company Affinnova which was recently acquired by consumer and media insights compmany Nielsen.
Yet, as promising as the future is, right now customers are none too pleased with the Internet-connected products available. In fact, over 40 percent of people feel that most current smart products are more gimmicky than useful, the study found.
Related: Why the Investment Potential of the 'Internet of Things' May Be Overblown
Still, almost everyone admits that they don't even know what they want from a smart object. What's a company to do with such mixed results? When making a smart product, companies would do well to focus on ways to save the customer money -- either by helping save water or electricity or by alerting the customer to discounts via coupons or sales. Also important, companies will need to make sure the customer's data is secure and private.
Check out the infographic below to see what smart products people want, and what ones they can live without. A smart lightbulb sounds great, but a smart diaper...not so much.
Click to Enlarge+
Related: The 7 Most Useful Smart Home Devices
