Amazon Revamps Alexa with New Developer Tools & Features

Amazon Revitalizes Alexa Platform with Extensive Developer Tools

Amazon is actively working to reinvigorate its Alexa voice platform following a period of slowed growth in skill development, signaling diminished interest from third-party application creators. During today’s Alexa Live developer event, the company unveiled a comprehensive suite of new features and resources for developers – representing its most substantial release of tools to date.

Boosting Skill Discovery and Engagement

These new offerings are designed to encourage Alexa device users to explore and utilize available skills, alongside providing developers with enhanced monetization options. The goal is to re-establish Alexa as an integral component of users’ everyday lives.

Despite initial expectations, Alexa has not become a dominant platform for voice-based shopping, with only a small percentage of users completing purchases through smart speakers. However, Amazon emphasizes the platform’s continued reach, stating that “millions” of Alexa devices are used “billions of times” weekly by over 900,000 registered developers who have created more than 130,000 skills.

Addressing Skill Discoverability Challenges

A persistent challenge for Amazon has been enabling customers to easily find and discover skills they find valuable – a difficulty particularly pronounced on voice-only devices. The introduction of Alexa devices with screens, such as the Alexa Show, has offered some improvement through a visual interface.

Currently, most Alexa users primarily utilize basic functionalities like smart home control, music playback, setting alarms, creating lists, and simple information requests. A truly popular, “breakout” voice application has yet to emerge.

New Features for Enhanced User Experience

To address the discoverability issue, Amazon will introduce Widgets for skills, allowing developers to create interactive elements that users can add to their Echo Show or other Alexa devices with screens later this year.

Developers will also be able to design Featured Skill Cards to promote their skills within the home screen rotation. This approach mirrors the app discovery experience found on mobile devices, though its impact on the voice-only experience remains to be seen.

Personalized Skill Suggestions

For voice-only devices, developers can now have their skills suggested when Alexa responds to common requests, such as telling a story, playing a game, or providing workout guidance. Alexa will also offer personalized skill recommendations based on user behavior and introduce “contextual discovery” mechanisms for natural language task completion across skills.

Expanding Monetization Opportunities

Amazon is expanding the ways developers can generate revenue from their skills.

Existing options like consumables, subscriptions, and in-skill purchases are being supplemented with Paid Skills, enabling a one-time fee for access to skill content. In-skill purchases are also being extended to India and Canada.

Despite these options, in-skill purchases have not yet yielded substantial revenue. A 2019 report indicated only $1.4 million in revenue for the first ten months of the year, falling short of Amazon’s $5.5 million target.

Integrating Shopping Actions

Amazon is now enabling developers to integrate Shopping Actions into their skills, allowing them to sell Amazon products directly within the skill experience. For instance, a role-playing game could suggest the physical tabletop version, as demonstrated by Starfinder.

Developers can also earn affiliate revenue through product referrals.

Enhancements for Music and Media Skills

New tools are being provided for music and media skill developers to create more engaging experiences, such as a Song Request Skill for DJs, which iHeartRadio plans to adopt. The launch of interactive experiences for Radio, Podcast, and Music providers will also be expedited.

Practical and Useful Skill Features

New features are aimed at increasing the practicality and usefulness of skills.

Restaurants will gain access to a Food Skill API for creating pickup and delivery ordering experiences. A “Send to Phone” feature will connect skills with mobile devices, and event-based triggers will enable proactive suggestions, like reminders to lock doors upon leaving home. Whole Foods will utilize these features for curbside pickup.

Alexa replenishment support, for reordering household items, will expand to include replacement parts for appliances and smart home devices. Carrier, Resideo, and Bissell are among the companies utilizing this feature.

Improved Safety and Security Integration

Safety device manufacturers, including those producing smoke, carbon monoxide, and water leak detectors, can now integrate with Alexa Guard to send notifications to mobile devices.

Streamlined Skill Development Tools

Amazon is introducing new tools to simplify skill creation, including access to Alexa Entities – a comprehensive knowledge base. Developers will also gain tools for custom pronunciations and expanded language support for Alexa Conversations, now in beta in Germany and preview in Japan.

Additional tools focus on regional expansions and improved interoperability with smart home devices, including unique wake word functionality.