PWA — Retailer's best friend?
PWA or progressive web applications are built from web technologies like HTML, CSS and Javascript. It provides the functionality and the feel of a native app. Almost any website can now be turned into a PWA. PWA can be built faster while offering all the features of a native app, like push notifications, offline support & more.
How do native apps and PWA differ? A native app has to be downloaded from a store like Apple’s App Store or Google Play store and is built in a programming language specific to the platform. For example, iOS apps are built using Swift while Android apps are built using Java.
A PWA runs in the browser and can be saved on the home screen. Once saved on the home screen it functions like a native app. It can also access the hardware and software that a browser cannot because of security reasons.
Some features of PWA are;
1. Interface. PWA offers a native app-like interface and experience and allows seamless and quick interactions.
2. Responsiveness. PWA delivers a fast, responsive & consistent user experience across all devices.
3. Compatibility. PWA performs consistently across all browsers like Chrome, Safari, Firefox and more
4. Offline mode. PWA can function offline using its Service Workers feature. Content is cached and customers can continue engaging even when the network connection is lost or not available.
5. Easy installation on the home screen. Customers are generally not willing to download native apps even though they prefer the experience with the app itself. PWA steps in here. Customers do not need to go to an app store and download any app. PWA downloads to the home screen and acts like any native app making it extremely versatile.
6. Updates. PWA updates by itself using the Service Worker update procedure automatically and continuously.
7. Notifications. PWA may access the home page and offer real-time updates and alerts using push notifications. This can happen even when the application is not running.
8. Performance enhancement. PWAs load much more quickly while consuming less data than native apps. PWAs also reduce server stress and the possibility of slowdowns or crashes during high traffic on the server.
9. Language support. PWAs support multiple languages.
10. Interactive image and video support. PWA enables image and video content to make online shopping more engaging.
With so many useful features, PWAs offer a host of benefits for businesses.
Some of the benefits to retail businesses by way of using PWAs are;
●Increased traffic due to mobile-friendly websites. Companies aim to increase organic traffic on their websites. However, to get more traffic, websites must be SEO compliant to rank on Google.PWA is mobile-friendly and works with any browser. It does not affect the display on any website regardless of browser or network strength. Search engines index such sites in their search results.
●Increased customer engagement due to page loading speed. A site with faster page loading leads to increased customer engagement. Faster page loading reduces purchase cart abandonment and helps the company close sales. It reduces bounce rate, ie. it keeps the customer from abandoning the site for another one.
●Increase in conversion rate. Search engines also have criteria for faster loading sites. PWAs load faster than native apps and have a higher conversion rate due to this. PWAs also reduce the rate of redirection and contribute to closing the mobile revenue gap. Since PWA has the appearance of an app, it provides a better experience for both desktop and mobile users. Thus PWA mobile applications show better revenue than native apps. They show an increase in registrations, return visits, and longer session times due to PWAs.
●Low bounce rate. A good website should have a low bounce rate. Apps that are more responsive result in higher conversion and low bounce rates.
●Performance. Performance optimization in PWA is extremely good. They utilize fewer data, minimizing server load and eliminating slowdowns or failures. It helps in improving the overall page performance.
●Search engine optimization. The retail industry benefits from PWAs as PWAs have an efficient SEO strategy. The success of a website depends on how well search engines monitor it and show it on SERPs. The higher the SERP rank, it’s more likely it will receive more visitors as it will be ranked higher up in the search results.
●Increasing Brand Awareness. Native apps create brand awareness, but PWAs can simplify the process and give more visibility by using the add to home screen button. Session time gets longer, return views are more. and results in brand exposure and recognition.
●Affordable. PWA is less expensive to develop than native apps which makes them ideal for retail businesses.
Some of the brands that have successfully implemented PWAs, like Flipkart, an Indian eCommerce site uses PWA to increase time spent by customers on its site, increased engagement, increased conversion and at the same time using fewer data.
Starbucks uses PWAs to deliver quicker and more responsive performance to customers. Has resulted in an increase in daily users, and a reduction in data storage.
Progressive Web application development services help companies develop apps to help reduce data usage and storage, offer flexibility to online stores, increase performance, and help increase interaction and conversion.
It can be concluded that PWA is popular and helps businesses achieve success given the range of features that it offers vis-a-vis native apps. With benefits ranging from low data usage, low data storage, faster page loading, and working offline, PWAs are a retailer’s best friend.
