7 Reasons Why PWA Platform Are the Future of eCommerce App Development

Do you know how many eCommerce brands have dominated the mobile shopping market over the last few years? One of the main reasons behind it is the Progressive Web App (PWA), a revolutionary technology that stands for m-commerce’s next evolution. 

While mobile PWA technology is changing consumer habits, the user experience is at the centre of the decision of the major brand to adopt the platform. AliExpress, an Alibaba site, has said that creating amazing mobile experiences is a non-negotiable part of the company’s success, and the PWA platform allowed them to get three times the growth of a mobile-only e-commerce site. 

PWAs are not exactly the same as native apps, but they are a hybrid approach for developing a platform that behaves like an app and a website at the same time. They are not installed from the Play Store. Yet, they look and feel like native apps, plus they are also light and fast. 

So, what makes this application so special, and how did it manage to win the hearts of the changing online shoppers?  

To figure out the secret, we need to examine the key success factors for the eCommerce industry and how PWA, with its redefined mobile experience, helps brands to meet these objectives. 

What Is PWA eCommerce? 

Progressive Web Applications (PWAs) or PWA are simply web applications that deliver an optimized user experience for different devices, such as desktop and mobile phones. PWA eCommerce enables users to retrieve the data of your online eCommerce store without any hassle from any device or place.  

PWA eCommerce gives a complete look and feel of a native mobile application, especially designed for optimal app performance. Therefore, hire a progressive web app development company to build an eCommerce PWA, aligning with your business goals.  

In today’s time, 50% of the traffic comes from mobile devices, which is why delivering a mobile experience is the key. eCommerce mobile applications tend to deliver a superior experience as compared to responsive websites because they are more convenient and accessible.  

7 Major Reasons PWAs Are the Future of eCommerce Mobile App Development 

A Progressive Web App is a perfect combination of web and native app that brings the best out of both worlds. PWAs are currently taking the lead after competing with native apps for a very long time.  

They basically help users to have an online shopping experience that is as smooth as possible and are going to be the trendsetters in the ecommerce industry due to the following reasons: 

Also read: Mobile App Development Process Guide

No Installation Required 

PWAs are essentially websites that can only be accessed through browsers. In other words, the process of installation is eliminated. Users of a PWA can quickly go through the pages, browse different sections and complete a smooth checkout process just like when they use a website. 

One-Size-Fits-All 

PWAs can work in any browser, including Google Chrome, UC Browser, Opera Mini, Mozilla Firefox, etc. Ergo, you can either select all browsers for which you want to make your ecommerce site compatible or choose only one that suits you the best and drives more traffic to your store. 

Add to the Home Screen 

Even though PWAs have to be opened in the browser by the users, you can still allow them to put the site on their home screen with just two taps, making it a short distance for them to come back to the site. This can be done by the implementation of an “Add to Home Screen” prompt, which is a quick access point to your site for the users. 

Native App-Like Experience 

One of the great things about PWA is that the way it functions and its appearance do not hint that it is a regular web page that is inside a browser window. Basically, it is a hybrid app between a web and a native app, and thus, users get to enjoy the best of both worlds, which are seamless interactions and use of smartphone features such as contacts, camera, maps, etc. 

Also read: How much does it cost to develop a mobile app

Offline Functionality Using Service Workers 

Service worker and cache API are the two pillars of PWA. These are the technical facts of the process, but the human side is that service workers are invisible helpers who perform tasks like fetching data for offline use and sending notifications.  

They operate behind the scenes, out of sight from users, and receive data material for cache and send alerts. It keeps the new browser cache content and syncs local changes to a local server. In other words, even if the users of your app do not have a good data connection and are offline, service-worker-based PWAs are attempting to provide them with minimal access in the meantime. 

Quick Loading in the Blink of an Eye 

Caching is one of the unique characteristics of PWAs in comparison with native apps. This feature allows PWA to give fast responses by saving repetitive elements, and thus, when they are needed, it is possible to insert them into the browser. This creates a more user-friendly ecommerce site, and the pages are loaded promptly. 

Less Data Consumption 

PWA loads rapidly, even on unstable networks. It utilizes modern, open web APIs to offer a mobile web experience that consumes less data but loads fast; hence, users are re-engaged in different ways. 

Top Features to Integrate into Your eCommerce PWA 

Progressive web app development services can help you integrate the top features for your mobile eCommerce store that help you attract your targeted audiences more: 

Responsive Design 

Responsive layout forms the facade that end-users meet when interacting with various device types (desktops, tablets, mobile phones, etc.), and thus becomes the fundamental characteristic of PWAs, keeping all the device consistency.  

Adaptive presentation through formatting, content, and facilities changes provides users with the optimal viewing pleasure, no matter if the application is run on a computer, smartphone, or tablet. The process of being responsive also saves developers from duplicate work, facilitates easier upkeep of the app/website, and guarantees more convenient usability that, over time, leads to higher consumer happiness and loyalty in the online shopping market.  

App-Like Experience 

With PWAs that connect web and mobile applications and offer a smooth and engaging user interface, the app-like experience holds out hope for a prosperous future in eCommerce. PWAs can be installed on users’ home screens, provide push alerts, and make device features like cameras and geolocation easily accessible. This feature, when combined with offline skills and fast-loading instances, produces an engaging user experience similar to traditional native apps, assisting brands in fostering enduring engagement and loyalty. 

Push Notifications 

Adding a push notification feature is also a vital element of a push notification feature. In case you are willing to be in constant communication with your customer base or, in other words, make them loyal users, you are then able to send them only essential updates that are either newly introduced or already in progress. 

Top-Notch Security 

PAWs, which are supplied over HTTPS, prioritize security by guaranteeing consistent connections between users’ devices and servers. This HTTPS requirement protects sensitive data from attackers by encrypting data being sent over the network. By putting safety first, PWAs reassure clients that their financial and personal information is secure, gaining their confidence and trust. This enhances user confidence, encourages loyalty, and helps e-commerce companies that use PWAs succeed. 

Improved SEO 

PWAs play an important role in the overall effectiveness of sophisticated search engine optimization (SEO) strategies, mainly due to their mobile-first design and quick loading times. User experience is key for search engines and progressive web apps, with their ability to adapt to the most varied devices and screen sizes, making them perfectly suited for that kind of feature.  

On top of that, PWAs are also open for crawling by search engines, thus making sure the content is indexed correctly. The combination of these factors can make brands more visible and attract more natural traffic, which is hugely beneficial for their ecommerce business.  

Real-World Examples of Progressive Web Apps in eCommerce 

Here are the top two real-world examples of custom PWA development solutions that you can look at as an inspiration before making your final decision.  

Alibaba 

One of the best examples that has availed progressive web app development services, and is successful in today’s time, is Alibaba. This brand has witnessed an increase in the conversion rate by 76% across all browsers. The reason behind the success of Alibaba is its capability to run across all platforms and devices.   

Flipkart 

Flipkart, the Indian online company, gained a PWA, having a 3X positive impact on the duration of user visits to the website. The PWA solved the issues of slow connections and limited storage capacity, thus ensuring that customers had a quick and smooth buying experience with different gadgets. 

AliExpress 

AliExpress, the online retail giant, saw a major rise in new customer conversion rates following the PWA rollout. The PWA allowed for quicker loading, offline capability, and push notification, thus upgrading the buying process and recording a substantial rise in online transactions.  

Pinterest 

On finding out that their user experience was slow, Pinterest decided to create a PWA. 

Only 1% of their users went through the hassle of installing the iOS and Android apps. The leading performance indicators went up when Pinterest rolled out its progressive web application three months after the kickoff. 

What was new? As opposed to the mobile site, users got 40% more time value from Pinterest’s PWA, user engagement lifted 60%, and the company’s ad revenue rate went up by 44%. 

Starbucks 

Starbucks implemented their PWA back in 2017 to provide efficient and prompt customer service. Their app-like solution came with offline access, smooth animations, and images. 

Moreover, users can now access the menu, check nutrition details, and personalize their orders without a network connection. Ever since, the coffee giant has acknowledged, they have seen their daily active users count rise x2, and the variety of their orders go up 23%. 

BMW 

BMW dreamed of a mobile website that was both efficient and user-friendly, thus making it a revolutionary one. They also wanted it to be a dynamic one, which would have been possible through access to new narratives, listening to podcasts, and reading articles. 

They were interested in getting a design that was beautiful, simple, light, and still functional. The idea of making a PWA was how they got that. In the aftermath of the release, the audience grew by 50%. The speed of loading the pages was four times faster, and the company counted four times the number of sales pages. 

Best Practices for Implementing PWAs 

Responsive Design 

PWAs should be adaptable to different screen sizes and devices so that the user gets the same experience. Such flexibility not only enhances the usability but also makes the product accessible to a larger number of users. 

Secure Connections 

The main tool to secure data transmission is HTTPS. The success of an online business largely depends on getting users’ trust. 

Engaging Features 

User interaction and retention level can be raised by the implementation of features such as Add to home screen suggestions and push notifications. 

Service Workers 

Service workers have the power to manage caching as well as offline functionalities, which allow them to keep reliability and performance even in challenging network situations. 

The Future Trends of PWA for eCommerce 

Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) have been a major point of interest for the future of the online market. One of the most prominent innovations is that of AI-powered personalization. 

AI-powered personalization is a significant innovation that could lead to more sales and a higher level of customer satisfaction in shopping experiences. 

By the time voice assistants are extremely popular, PWAs would most likely have the feature of speech commerce, thus making the process of voice search and purchases much easier. 

AR (Augmented Reality) allows consumers to get a clear view of the item they want to buy, especially when it comes to clothing and home decor. These kinds of improvements have the potential to revolution the whole e-commerce industry with their more interactive and detailed user experiences. 

Concluding Words 

The progressive Web Applications (PWAs) technology in the eCommerce field is set to transform future online shopping. PWAs provide a convenient integration of web and app functionalities that improve user experience and, thus, increase business.  

With features like offline functionality, adaptive design, and app-like capabilities, PWAs enable eCommerce companies to maintain and engage their clientele across various devices and channels. It will be their influence in global eCommerce that will keep the wheel of the retail revolution turning, a future of fast, engaging, and customized shopping experiences.