3 MIN. READ

If your business doesn’t yet have a high-quality app offering, you may already be falling behind in the industry. Providing an intuitive and user-friendly app experience is an essential part of doing business in the digital age. According to mobile data and analytics provider App Annie, consumers worldwide downloaded 194 billion apps in 2018 alone and spent $101 billion in app stores.

But beyond downloadable native apps, how can businesses further enhance their digital offerings to attract new customers and gain additional revenue? Enter a PWA.

What is a PWA?

There are two types of mobile applications: progressive web apps (PWAs) and native apps. Unlike PWAs, native apps are made for one platform, such as Android, Windows Phone, or iOS. Native apps use tools provided by the operating system to perform their functions.

PWAs however are web apps that are coded to be used inside a browser and then installed on a device. They behave similarly to native apps but require less overhead. Additionally, PWAs use 25 times less storage and can increase mobile traffic by 68 percent.

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PWAs benefit consumers and businesses

There are over 4 billion mobile users globally. PWAs provide a more user-friendly experience similar to using a desktop, but with the convenience from a mobile device. By incorporating a PWA into your marketing and business plan, you can help grow your business and keep loyal customers.

Native and web apps often move slower and can be dependent on a strong Internet connection to work efficiently. PWAs sidestep these issues and give developers the freedom to create an app that works within a browser, has offline features, and has a 15 times faster load speed.

With all of the PWA perks it would be logical to think that it’s a more expensive ticket item. However, a PWA is actually three to four times cheaper to develop than a native app.

PWAs can increase your web traffic

Google gives preferential treatment to websites that are mobile-friendly. Not only will customers appreciate the conveniences of a PWA, but having a PWA also helps improve search engine results page (SERP) ranking to guide more traffic to your website. In fact, research has shown that PWAs can result in a 133.67 percent increase in page views.

Leading companies using PWAs

Thriving brands from Uber to Starbucks rely on PWAs to provide a personalized, convenient online experience for their customers. In fact, many companies are already seeing higher adoption rates with PWAs. For example, Pinterest, one of the most well-known PWA success stories, has experienced users spending up to 40 percent more time inside the app. That’s huge for ad revenue, which has increased by almost 50 percent since the rollout.

The future of PWAs

With faster access and higher conversion rates, PWAs are not only becoming the norm, but are also continually evolving. Their use of machine learning (ML) helps PWAs stay updated and consistent with the patterns of computer systems.

PWAs additionally have the potential to become an app that every platform supports. With recent developments, Google could possibly convert Gmail and Google Calendar into PWAs, therefore becoming applicable to Windows software.

Companies need to stay at the forefront of paradigm-shifting developments such as PWAs to stay relevant in the digital world. If you’re considering building a PWA but don’t have the resources to design, develop, or maintain it, contact us to learn how to get your strategic PWA to the market quicker. Or discover how we have helped other leading businesses with their technology offerings.