Smart speakers can present strong use cases for smart home devices to the consumer. By bundling smart speakers with smart plugs, smart light bulbs, or smart thermostats, companies can deliver a guided introduction to the smart home experience.

We just released new research from Smart Home Buyer Journey and User Experience showing that smart speakers are serving as a gateway to smart home adoption, as 16% of broadband households purchased a smart speaker prior to purchasing a smart home device. Of the 29% of US broadband households that own both a speaker and a smart home device, nearly three-fourths said ownership of the speaker motivated them to purchase a smart home device.

This combo also helps facilitate support for self-installation, which is becoming significantly more important following the COVID-19 outbreak.Our consumer research finds that that between 69% and 78% of all smart security and safety devices bought in 2019 were self-installed, representing a significant increase from 2018. For example, 77% of networked camera owners self-installed this product in 2019, compared to 68% in 2018.

The self-installation trend enables direct-to-consumer online sales for retailers and service providers without the cost or challenges of a COVID-19 service call. Prior to the outbreak, the main trigger for a smart home purchase was the consumer experience of seeing the product in a store or online. With so much shopping now shifting online, having these self-install options is even more important to trigger sales, and with a smart speaker, companies can deliver support through do-it-with-me or do-it-together services that utilize real-time chat.

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