Devices powered by Amazon’s Alexa have become a staple of modern living. In fact, it is estimated that over 130 million Amazon Echo devices will be sold globally in 2025.
The ever-increasing market penetration of the device means that many businesses are looking at ways to make their brand more appealing to customers by more fully integrating with their smart speakers. And that means making use of Alexa Skills.
Alexa Skills are the speaker’s version of apps. With more Skills added to the device, the smart speaker can become even more versatile for users’ everyday needs. Not surprisingly, the number of Skills available to Alexa users has grown exponentially over the years — for example, from 2016 to 2019, the total number of Skills rose from a mere 130 to over 100,000.
While getting one’s brand more tightly integrated within the Alexa system could prove key to reaching customers and streamlining their experience, many businesses are understandably nervous about the idea of needing to code a Skill. However, with the help of new tools such as the development framework platform Convoworks, creating an Alexa Skill is easier than ever — and with no coding required.
How Convoworks Simplifies Skill Creation
As Tihomir Dmitrović, founder of Convoworks explains, “Alexa Skills can be so useful for expanding a business’s horizons, but there is no denying that the Alexa Development Console can be intimidating and confusing. At the same time, PHP and WordPress are marginally represented in the voice assistant market due to a lack of native solutions. This means a large majority of the internet is unable to utilize these amazing tools.”
In fact, WordPress alone accounts for over 455 million websites — roughly 37 percent of all websites. “Convoworks makes the development of Alexa Skills simple, allowing users to publish their pre-existing web content through this and other voice assistant platforms,” Dmitrović explains.
“Our UI makes this simple by dividing the ‘conversation’ into blocks that look similar to how you set up standard WordPress web pages. Each conversation block includes Elements that run in sequential manner to execute desired actions, Processors that handle user input and executing flows and Filters that use intent-based, plain text and other filters to help a processor know when to activate. Businesses can write responses to common requests to personalize the way a user engages with their content.”
In this case, the “user input” is what the person using the Alexa device says, and a Skill flow dictates how the device will respond. As long as the request is understood, a Skill can deliver the requested information or additional options to fulfill that request.
In addition to being highly customizable, Convoworks is easy for users to install, with a one-click WordPress extension installation that can operate within existing WordPress plugins. The site also offers in-depth documentation and Skills templates to make it even easier for users to get started with creating their own Alexa Skill.
How Your Business Can Benefit From Alexa Skills
“The potential applications for Alexa Skills within a WordPress site are very exciting,” says Dmitrović. “For example, if you already have registered users for your site, Convoworks can help you authenticate voice assistant users so they can access all of your website features through their Alexa device — even making a purchase in your online store.”
While user research indicates that only a small percentage of Alexa users have used their voice assistant to complete a purchase, the fact that some customers do so shows just how in-depth the potential application for these voice assistants can be.
Still, even though most customers aren’t going to utilize a website’s Alexa Skill to make a purchase, Dmitrović notes that simply enabling content delivery through a voice assistant can go a long way in helping a brand.
“In today’s marketing environment, customers are constantly bombarded with ads and information. This includes while they are using a voice assistant. Consistent exposure to your high-quality content can make all the difference in helping your brand stand out in the mind of the customer. When they have a positive experience engaging with your brand content through Alexa, they become more likely to investigate your company’s products or services later on their smartphone or tablet.”
A properly developed Alexa Skill could give users vital information about the business — such as a physical storefront’s operating hours, its phone number or a complete list of available services.
When users can quickly access such information through their Alexa device, they become much more likely to follow up with a more tangible action, such as visiting the store or placing a call to request more detailed information about a product or service. As a result, Alexa could become a powerful lead generation platform that helps deliver warm prospects to your sales funnel.
Making the Most of the Alexa Platform
“You don’t have to be part of an enterprise-level business to create an Alexa Skill that benefits your customers,” Dmitrović says. “In fact, by using Alexa Skills, smaller businesses have the opportunity to level the playing field by utilizing a new method for reaching potential clients. With our tools, we hope to create an environment where no business has to miss out on the voice application market.”
Technology opens up new opportunities — and platforms like Convoworks are ensuring that these opportunities aren’t limited to individuals with extensive coding knowledge. Now, of course, it’s up to businesses to create the Skills that will make their content more accessible than ever.