8 Reasons Why PWA technology is the Future of Ecommerce Apps

Did you know how famous ecommerce brands reign over mobile shopping in recent years? It is with the help of Progressive Web App (PWA), a game-changing technology that represents the next evolution in mobile-driven commerce.

As the emerging mobile technology changing the way consumers experience on-the-go ecommerce, prominent brands are focusing on enhancing user experiences with the PWA platform. AliExpress, an Alibaba site, has claimed that building great mobile experiences is an indispensable part of its success and the PWA platform enabled them to grow three times faster than an ecommerce site. 

PWAs are unlike native apps, but they are a combined approach of developing a platform that operates as an application as well as a website. They are not downloaded from a play store. However, they are easy to use and prompt, just like native apps. 

That being said, what is the secret sauce of this app and how it conquered the space of evolving online shoppers? To understand the reasons behind, let’s take a dive into the important factors to be considered for success in ecommerce business and how PWA with its redefined mobile experience helps brands to meet these objectives.  

The following are the critical success factors of ecommerce when the visitors browse through your site:

1. Customer conversion rate 
2. More page visits 
3. Increase in total time spent on site 
4. Higher engagement 
5. All of the above has to be achieved with lower data usage 

Benefits of Ecommerce PWA Platform 

Progressive Web App combines the best of the web and the native app. With native apps being there since the dawn, PWAs are now taking the front seat. They make the online shopping experience as seamless as possible and are expected to dominate and transform the landscape of ecommerce for the below-discussed points.

1) No installation required

PWAs are primarily websites and are accessed on browsers only. That being said, it avoids the lengthy process of installations. Similar to surfing a website, the users can view the pages quickly, navigate to different sections of the app and complete a seamless checkout process.

2) One-size-fits-all 

PWAs can be accessed on any browser including Google Chrome, UC Browser, Opera Mini, Mozilla Firefox, etc. Therefore, you can make them work across all browsers or any specific one of your choice that brings in more traffic to your ecommerce site. 

3) Add to the home screen 

Though your users have to access PWAs in the browser, you can let them add the site to their home screen with just two taps, making it easier for them to come back. You can implement this with an "Add to Home Screen" prompt that brings users back to your site. 

4) Native app-like experience 

What’s cool about PWA is that it doesn’t look like a usual web page that is opened inside a browser window. Indeed, it works and looks much similar to the native app, thus, making it truly compelling. Also, it employs smartphone features of your users such as contacts, camera, maps, etc.

5) Offline functionality using service workers 

The gems of a PWA are service worker and cache API. Service worker-run in the background and is responsible for pulling in cache material and pushing notifications. It stores new content in the browser cache and synchronizes local changes to a local server. Hence, even if your app users are offline due to a poor data connection, PWAs would facilitate them with basic navigation in the meantime. 

6) Quick loading in the blink of an eye 

Caching ability is one of the distinctive features of PWAs over native apps. With this feature, PWA makes speedy responses possible by storing the repetitive elements and then later when required, can inject them into the browser. This makes an ecommerce site more user-friendly and loads up pages quickly.  

7) Less data consumption 

PWA loads swiftly, even on flaky networks. It leverages new, open web APIs to deliver a mobile web experience that uses less data but loads fast, thus, re-engages users in multiple ways. 

8) Easy maintainable 

If you plan to build separate apps for Android, Apple, and Windows stores, it would cost you a hefty amount to hire a developer on a long-term basis as every app needs frequent bug fixes, constant monitoring, and up-gradation. On the contrary, PWAs won’t burn a big hole in your pocket, and upgrades can be made just by addressing PWA requirements for different browsers.

Want to get started with PWA Ecommerce? 

Getting a head start with PWA is going to be the go-for-option to everyone looking to increase mobile conversions. Since ecommerce giants like Flipkart and AliExpress use PWA’s mobile conversions to dominate the stats, it has become quintessential for every player to make good use of this opportunity.

So, what’s the great news for store owners like you? If you plan to set up your PWA-enabled mobile web versions, let's know your PWA requirements so that you can leverage our PWA platform that is made with Angular.

For a live progressive web app demo of an ecommerce site, you can visit https://demo.purchasecommerce.com from your mobile browsers.

At Purchase Commerce, we are constantly expanding PWA technology across all browser platforms, and maximizing its true potential. We strongly believe that this is going to see traction in the coming years along with other emerging ecommerce trends, thanks to vivid display with larger screen smartphones.