Many merchants struggle to increase mobile conversion rates. One solution is to develop a progressive web app (PWA).

PWAs are lightweight, fast and can be installed on the home screen for direct access. They also avoid the hassles of downloading and installing apps, and allow for push notifications to increase re-engagement.

Reduced Development and Maintenance Costs

Progressive Web Apps are designed to look and feel like native mobile apps. They are built using web technologies such as HTML5, CSS, JavaScript and WebAssembly which are compatible across various devices and platforms. Unlike native mobile apps, PWAs do not need to be installed in an app store and can work offline. This enables businesses to reach more users and reduces development and maintenance costs.

PWAs can also load faster than native mobile apps, resulting in improved user experience and increased conversions. They are easily discoverable through search engines and can work in locations with limited or unreliable internet connections. PWAs can even run in the background, allowing them to respond quickly to user actions and updates. This makes PWAs a viable solution for businesses with high customer engagement rates and a large user base in the developing world.

By combining the benefits of traditional web applications with the performance and accessibility of native mobile apps, progressive web apps have become the new standard for modern business. They have reduced development and maintenance costs, offer better user engagement, and improve business operations. Starbucks used a PWA to replace its existing app and saw a 2x increase in daily active users. Starbucks, Flipkart and Nikkei are just a few of the many companies that have experienced success with progressive web apps.

Faster Loading

The process of downloading and installing a mobile app can be cumbersome, frustrating and time-consuming. Progressive web apps bypass this step by offering users the option to add the experience directly to their home screen without the need for a download or install. This eliminates the barriers to entry and improves user retention.

Adding PWA capabilities to an existing website is simple and allows businesses to offer a more engaging, native-like experience with the advantages of reduced development costs. The caching and offline access features of Progressive Web Apps enable improved performance, faster loading times and higher conversion rates.

Businesses can also use Progressive Web Apps to send push notifications and other personalized content. These tools help to keep a brand top-of-mind with users and can boost engagement, conversions and other KPIs.

In addition, Progressive Web Apps are easy to maintain and update. Unlike native apps, which require months to develop and then must be reviewed by Google Play or the Apple Store, a business can easily update and maintain a PWA through standard web technologies such as browser push notifications, localStorage and IndexedDB.

Offline Functionality

The ability to work offline is a major advantage of Progressive Web Apps that differentiates them from their traditional web counterparts. It allows users to continue browsing and purchasing even when their internet connection is lost or poor quality, leading to higher user retention and engagement rates. For eCommerce businesses, this feature is a critical component in building their brand and competitive edge.

This functionality is enabled through service workers, which act as a network proxy and intercept all outgoing requests to a PWA. When a request is made, the service worker will check the app’s cache to see if the content is available there first, and only if it’s not, will it fetch it from the network. The result is that the PWA can function as an effective offline application without wasting valuable bandwidth and CPU resources.

Aside from caching, service workers also allow for push notifications and other background syncing features. Developers must ensure that their web apps are optimized for offline use, which includes defining what content is essential to the app’s core functionality, designing user interactions that can be handled when the connection is offline, and handling dynamic data until connectivity is restored. This is achieved through optimization techniques such as minimizing the app’s size through compression and minification, and using efficient data storage mechanisms like IndexedDB.

Discoverability

Progressive Web Apps are easy to discover via search engines, which helps increase engagement with users. They also work offline, a feature that makes them competitive with native mobile apps. Because of these benefits, progressive web apps have the potential to grow business revenue by increasing user retention.

The Progressive Web App (PWA) concept is a modern fusion between the mobile and desktop worlds. PWAs are websites that behave like apps, and are similar to native mobile applications in many ways, but can be developed more cost-effectively and efficiently using standard web platform technologies.

Unlike conventional mobile apps, which require a download from the app store, progressive web apps can be accessed directly from the web browser, and can appear as an app icon on the device home screen. This means that they can benefit from the higher discoverability of the app store, and can engage with users in a more effective way by providing push notifications.

PWAs are also optimized to work well offline, and can use the service worker technology to cache elements of an application shell, which can then be loaded instantly on repeat visits. This allows the user to experience the interface of an app even without a connection, and minimizes data usage, which can be helpful for users on a limited data plan.