7 Reasons Why You Should Turn Your App into a PWA

Mobile app vs. PWA

Of course, no denying the fact that there are a plethora of advantages mobile applications offer. Nevertheless, there are shortcomings too. Downloading the app from app stores like iOS and Google Play, frequent application updates, and draining device memory are some.

These challenges can hurt customer experience at some point, and many customers either stop or uninstall the applications in a short period. Either of these could mean only one thing to your business – losing a customer. So, despite massive applications across the industry, a mobile app may not be your best bet for delivering an experience your customers will remember forever.

Mobile app alternative? This might sound weird, but many companies have already started implementing a new solution called Progressive Web Applications – shortly termed PWA.

Let’s deep dive into what PWA is and why organizations must either turn their existing app to PWA or build their next app as a PWA.

Before getting started, let’s understand what PWA is.

What is a progressive web application?

PWA is nothing but your website but behaves like a mobile app. Most companies are interested in PWA because they are built with native app features, but you don’t have to download them from app stores. You can download them from the web browsers without hassle.

Generally, native applications are beneficial as they are robust, reliable, and user-friendly. But the, coding the applications requires strenuous efforts and time. In the PWA, the coding part is simple, yet the same level of native-like experience is delivered.

Some examples of popular PWA websites are

• Uber
• Google Maps
• Amazon
• Flipkart
• Forbes
• Telegram
• Pinterest, etc.

Why are companies turning to PWA from mobile apps?

To floor your customers with a fantastic experience, you should surprise them with a few elements. These elements are all-important for any application, and the company development should focus on them to delight customers.

A few of the factors that transform customer experience in applications are

Attractive design

This is vital as users are often hooked by the design and download apps that look attractive and engaging.

Seamless page transitions

Most applications will have multiple screens or pages, and moving from one page to another should not be a problem for users. If there is, the user would either abandon the app permanently or uninstall it.

Quick loading time

If the application takes too long to load, then there are chances that you might lose the customers. So, it is necessary to build applications that are quick to load.

Interactive UX

The app screens should be UX-rich and interactive so that users will have trouble using the applications from page 1 to end. A lack of UX will make your customer move to another user-friendly application.

SEO-friendly

Another exciting factor that most businesses overlook is the application’s SEO-friendly feature. According to data, the number of customers that search via mobile devices is increasing every year and if your app is not SEO-friendly, then searching through the app won’t be easy for your customers. This might force them to leave the application permanently.

On the other hand, PWAs can transform your customer’s experience significantly. By developing advanced web applications, you can offer many benefits to customers.

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PWA advantage over native applications

1. Loading time

 PWAs load extremely fast, and they can update in no time. You don’t have to update them frequently. The faster loading time is because the applications are directly loaded from a secure HTTPS origin. So, instead of having 20 native web applications which could slow down the loading time, you can have 30 PWAs that don’t impact the loading time.

2. Minimal memory impact

 Unlike native applications that take a huge chunk of memory on the device while installing and updating, PWAs consume only a minimal volume of device memory, allowing your device to perform faster.

3. Offline capability

 Another fascinating feature that forces management teams of top organizations is the offline capability of PWAs. Unlike native applications, you don’t need the internet to use the application. PWAs can work better offline without hassle.

4. Push notifications

 I would call this feature a boon for PWA users. With push notifications, companies can easily reach and engage with audiences and drive traffic back to the website. This plays a huge role in improving the ROI of the business.

5. SEO-friendly

 PWAs are built so that the users don’t have to worry about searches. The highly SEO-friendly applications help users look for anything using the app without hassle.

6. Express installation

 Unlike mobile or native web applications, PWAs don’t take a lot of time to install on the device. As they are not downloaded from play stores, the time taken to install to the application from web browsers is minimal.

7. Quicker development time

 Building a native web or mobile app might require approximately 3-4 months. On the other hand, developing a PWA will take only 3-4 weeks. Thus organizations can save a significant amount of time when it comes to developing advanced web applications like PWA.

Summing up

From the above discussion, it is evident why top brands are turning their heads toward PWA from the native web and mobile applications. With a plethora of benefits, there is no surprise in enterprises fancying PWAs.

The demand for progressive web applications will increase in the years to come. Many companies have just realized the full potential of PWAs, and this trend is set to continue at least for some years.

Investing in PWAs now is the best choice for companies nowadays.

Have you got your first PWA to improve your customer’s experience? If not, get started today.

Want to turn your native app to PWA? Get a free consultation.