Progressive Web App (PWA) is the result of progressive improvement to deliver web and native app experiences. Progressive web apps use HTML, CSS, JavaScript technologies to develop a store application that gives a similar appearance and experience to a native application. Before diving into the deep of PWA, let’s have a quick look at the website and native application development.
Undoubtedly, mobile is the most transformative force in the E-Commerce industry today. With the advent of mobile phones, more people started using them. In the last 10 years, more than half of the traffic originated from smartphones. We observed, while consumers are turning to mobile increasingly, the current technologies are not satisfying. To overcome the issues of existing technologies, new attributes have been evaluated in PWA with the help of some key components.
Key Component of PWA:
1. Service Worker
A service worker is a JavaScript file that gives the offline feature between the frontend and the server and gets executed in the platform background. It plays a vital role in the PWA by providing offline access, mobile app view, caching, push notification, and Background synching. It manages the network request coming from the web user and then provides the required information back from the indexDB through cache API (if the information is cached else not).
2. Manifest JSON
Manifest is a JSON file that has information about the PWA. It provides the information that applies to the browser on which we are going to use to access the PWA. This file contains an application name, application icon which will be used to add on the home screen and URL.
3. HTTPs
HTTPS is a security component to provide a secure environment for data interchange. It is necessary to have in the PWA, without HTTPs, the connection is not secure. HTTPs will be recommended to use for the proper working of the service worker and some functionalities which need a secure connection.
4. Application Shell
The app shell is related to the display aspect which is used to provide the appearance with the same as to native application. When a user loses internet connection then the app shell runs the application in the absence of the internet. Through the shell, the app shows the same UI factors and only the main data is changed through the API.
Progressive Web Apps Characteristics:
- Home screen icon & splash page
- High speed/Less loading time
- Secure
- Push notification
- Offline Access
- No installation and updates required
- Background Sync
- Native apps experience
- Light-weighted
The progressive web application is not only beneficial for users but also for merchants. After using PWA, merchants experienced numerous benefits in their E-Commerce. Here are some key secrets which encourage merchants to use the PWA.
Top five secrets: Why merchants should pick PWA for their E-Commerce Business?
Secret #1: High Customer Engagement and Conversion Rate
Increasing the conversion rate and the traffic is the primary objective of merchants for their E-Commerce business. PWA enables merchants to achieve the goal by developing all one application by which they can target the users of android, iOS, and web platforms users with low cost and time. PWA improves the conversion rate by offline mode, fast browsing, push notification, etc.
Secret #2: Zero App Store Subscriptions Cost
Going with the native application requires merchants to buy the store subscription to upload the store application. In the PWA, merchants can cut the subscription cost and let their consumers use the store application across the entire platform.
In the native application development, we need to upload the application on the play store or app store depending on the platform on which we have developed the application. For uploading the Application we should create an account by purchasing the developer account subscription. App stores charge merchants on a yearly basis which we can cut down in PWA.
Secret #3: Boost Business Exposure to the Audience
If we talk about market trends, users are rapidly moving to mobile and they prefer mobile E-Commerce such as mobile shopping, browsing, searching, etc. PWA increases business visibility and can interact with a large number of target audiences and attract a wide number of customers with ease.
In the progressive web application, you can increase the visibility to the target audience with Google indexing. Unlike native applications, PWA can be searched by the users on the Google search engine.
Secret #4: Setup Business Application in a Short Period
If merchants are looking for setting up their E-Commerce business and develop native applications in a short time then PWA is the right option for them. Merchants can develop a PWA which will be a cross-platform solution and work on android, iOS, and web.
In the native application development, there will be a need to design and write code separately for both platforms and it takes more time than a web application so for having the native experience merchant can go with the PWA.
Secret #5: Cut down the Development Cost
With the goal of targeting users of all platforms (android, ios, and web), merchants move to websites and native applications and spend a massive amount of money on the development and maintenance of them but in some cases, merchants step back due to high development costs.
PWA enables merchants to target all platform users through a single application and cut down the development and maintenance costs. With the PWA, merchants can save 75% development cost.
Example: If a merchant started their business with native app development for $10000 and if we want to go with the PWA then we can save $7500.
Conclusion
PWA has become the first choice of merchants for their store/business as it has financial benefits as well as business benefits. Merchants can start their E-Commerce business with no hassle and target the audience of all channels via a single platform.
Let’s get started with PWA and SunArc is here to take your business to the next level.
