Being highly accessible on mobile is a must to succeed in the eCommerce space. Until a few years back it was difficult to replicate the experience of a native mobile app. The creation of progressive web apps has changed the situation. Several companies have taken advantage of this technology which offers cross-device accessibility on mobile phones and tablets. What is a progressive web app? PWA (progressive web app) which was introduced in the year 2015 is a web application that can offer a native app-like experience to users. Basically, it allows the user to have the same experience on a website as his or her experience on an app. It also offers features like push notifications, work offline among others. This technology brings consistency between web and native apps replacing both with a single app. Native apps provide a much richer user experience than the web. Progressive web apps behave in the same way as the native app being incredibly fast and being very user-friendly. Benefits of progressive web apps 1. Loads faster Users are likely to abandon a site if it takes more than a few seconds. Speed is the essence. PWAs load extremely fast, thereby effectively increasing conversion and retention rates. 2. Highly reliable PWAs are highly reliable as you can load them even if the internet connection is bad or non-existent thereby eliminating dependence on a network connection. 3. Can reach a wider audience Since PWAs can work for every user regardless of the platform or screen size, they are instantly accessible thereby enabling more people to adopt them. 4. Less development costs Developing a progressive web app requires less time and fewer costs. If it is a native app, you will have to create it both for Android and iOS, and with maintenance and other costs, it is bound to be expensive. In addition, you will have to maintain a website as well. Progressive web apps for eCommerce People need easy access to services and products. PWA in eCommerce offers just that with fast loading speeds, checkout, and usability. Reports suggest when an eCommerce store switches to PWA, there is usually an increase in revenue by nearly 20%. The ease offers to the customer helps to increase your eCommerce business. People may not like to download an app due to various reasons. They may prefer to search for products or services through a website. By adopting PWA you make your website more user-friendly thereby attracting more customers. The benefits of PWAs for eCommerce businesses 1. Can be released faster Since PWAs are designed with reusable codes, modules can be developed in quick succession. Moreover, in most cases, the original eCommerce site already exists which means most of the groundwork has already been laid out. It is much faster to release a PWA than a native app. 2. Better user experience and engagement PWAs can provide a highly engaging user experience and can be installed right on the home screen making them very accessible. They’re automatically updated so there is no hassle for the user to update it further. There is no need to download, it is very simple to install, just like visiting a link and accepting a prompt. Also, PWAs offer the capability to send push notifications which assist in grabbing people’s attention. This will significantly increase opportunities to promote your products and services. 3. No need to pay app store subscriptions You will have to pay subscription charges for native apps as these reside in third-party application stores. With PWAs you can avoid these without in any way affecting your app’s visibility as customers can find your website on their browsers. 4. Improves your SEO Being a web-based PWA means you can be discovered better by search engines. Along with engaging user experience and faster loading, a PWA will result in higher SEO rankings. This in turn will lead to higher conversion rates helping you achieve your business goals. Conclusion As we have seen, the benefits of having a PWA for your eCommerce store are numerous. The user experience and speed offered by a PWA are essential to attract and retain customers. There are several examples where progressive web apps have truly changed businesses. This is the right time to create a full PWA. We at SDI can help build a PWA eCommerce app that will give you all the benefits mentioned and much more. Being an experienced PWA development company we can enhance your user experience and help increase sales. Do not wait. Call us at 408.621.8481 or email us at team@sdi.la and let’s get started.