The concept of PWA (Progressive Web Application) has been in the commercial spotlight for quite some time. Since 2018, these types of apps have been adapted for work in all major browsers. Basically, these are web applications that use a wider scope of technologies to achieve more functional and business goals.
In essence, an ЕCommerce PWA is both a website and a mobile app at the same time. If you open the site in a desktop browser, you will see a regular webpage, but the mobile version of the solution opens up some extra capabilities that may involve hardware of one’s device.
All in all, the technology allows you to make your commercial website more convenient for potential customers and, therefore, increase its profitability.
What are the Advantages of PWAs?
Using PWA for business has a huge number of advantages, and their list is constantly updated as the technology improves.
Accessibility of creation & deployment
ECommerce app development and support are much simpler to handle than in the case of regular applications. Yes, like any other web resource, it requires regular maintenance and updating, but you won’t face any app market restrictions. The development here doesn’t involve complex technical stacks, but standard technologies that are familiar to most developers out there.
And you can easily upgrade an existing web resource with efficient PWA features, which will cost significantly less than creating a new separate app that you will need to maintain separately as well. Here’s a step-by-step guide for implementing PWA.
SEO optimization
PWAs are indexed by search engines, boosting your regular SEO readings twice. In addition, all web applications of this type run on HTTPS protocol, which significantly increases their rating as well.
In terms of SEO optimization, PWAs are considered by search engines as sites and are indexed end-to-end. This is something that a native app can never boast. And if you use an efficient backlinking strategy, you can promote your app through link sharing with EVEN MORE efficient results.
Cross-platform nature
The PWA technology is completely cross-platform, so you can develop one solution that would suitable for any device and any operating system. A browser alone is enough to use PWAs freely.
Offline performance
Apps built according to PWA standards perfectly work in conditions of a very weak network connection or even offline. Thus, they help make sure that you don’t lose ANY potential conversions. For instance, a user can put goods in a basket without a necessary Internet connection and finish up an order once the network access is gained.
Independence from app stores
You don’t need to upload your PWA to any of app stores, check them for compliance with the market policies, and, basically, provide an eCommerce app for iOS and Android separately to cover a wider user audience. All that a user has to do to start working with your solution is access the official website and create a respective shortcut.
Loading speed
Progressive web applications load several times faster on smartphones or tablets as compared with regular native solutions. All due to the internal use of pre-caching, which makes it unnecessary for the whole software to load from scratch every time it is launched.
This is an important moment because many users get irritated by resources that take more than 5 seconds to load, so the speed of loading can be a decisive factor for business development. Faster loads also improve integration with search engines. See more ways PWAs beat native apps.
Push notifications
A PWA allows you to send out convenient, unobtrusive yet attention-grabbing push notifications about special offers, discounts, and new products. All existing and potential clients can get the freshest info as soon as it is sent even if their smartphone screen is blocked at the moment. This is a definite way to boost eCommerce.
No need to install anything at all
Progressive apps don’t need to be installed and, according to statistics, it is precisely at the installation stage that 30% of potential customers refuse to continue with the app. On top of that, you don’t occupy any hardware memory of users. Typically, the average user installs approximately 30 apps on their phone, and a niche product is unlikely to be among them.
Better conversion
For an online store, switching to a PWA eCommerce solution can mean a serious increase in conversion rates. After all, the technology offers a simplified interface for mass users and significantly speeds up the ordering process, hence, faster advancing a user through the sales funnel.
When to Best Develop a PWA for eCommerce?
PWAs are great for web marketing purposes, helping to boost sales in a lot of ways. They will be especially efficient to implement in the following cases:
- You are looking for a more accessible yet efficient way to manage a website where content should be constantly updated, in particular, an online store;
- Your company provides a service that conflicts with the app store policies;
- You have a strictly limited budget and you are looking for the most optimal eCommerce mobile app development cost without sacrificing the functionality;
- It’s important for you that potential users could find your website online fast while you realize that a separate app won’t be launched as frequently;
- You decided to update the user interface of your commercial website in an up-to-date manner;
- You are working on a startup or the launch of a small-scale business that needs affordable efficiency here and now;
- You need to urgently boost conversion rates and SEO of your resource;
- You wish to provide utterly convenient navigation;
- You are looking to expand eCommerce horizons in a relevant, progressive manner.
How Much Time & Money Do I Need to Get a PWA?
As for the average cost of implementing a PWA, it ranges from 40 to 80 thousand euros. But keep in mind that you may not need to implement the full version of a solution from scratch. You can upgrade your existing site with certain PWA capacities, which will save you both money and time.
Conclusion
PWAs are an excellent solution for common commercial purposes, efficient upgrade of the readymade eCommerce, and a great boost for low-budget projects. All in all, the technology is simple to handle, convenient to use, time-efficient in development, and inexpensive. We can safely conclude that a PWA-based eCommerce is a sure way to quickly increase conversion rates, hence, business sales.
