Why Progressive Web App Makes Sense for Your eCommerce Business

When choosing between selling on a marketplace or creating your own website, each option has its own advantages and disadvantages. While some businesses may find marketplaces like Amazon, Etsy, eBay, or Walmart Marketplace great sales channels, we believe that serious eCommerce businesses should have their own website. Although marketplaces have their benefits, they also come with limitations. In fact, according to the History of eCommerce by BigCommerce, customers will soon expect a seamless shopping experience across different devices and platforms, including standalone web stores and Amazon. Hence, relying solely on a marketplace may not be sufficient.

What is Progressive Web App?

A Progressive Web App (PWA) is a web application that uses modern web technologies to deliver an app-like experience to users. PWAs are designed to work seamlessly on any device, regardless of the platform or operating system. They can be accessed directly through a web browser and can be added to a user’s home screen, allowing them to be used like a native app. PWAs offer benefits such as offline functionality, push notifications, and faster load times.

Why Progressive Web App is Ideal for eCommerce Business?

There are several reasons why Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) are preferred:

1. Improved User Experience

PWAs can provide a fast, smooth, and responsive shopping experience similar to a native app. This is achieved through a combination of features such as faster load times, smoother navigation, and simplified checkout processes. PWAs can be optimized for mobile devices, which can improve the user experience for customers who prefer to shop on their smartphones or tablets.

Another advantage of PWAs is their offline functionality. With PWAs, customers can access their shopping cart and product information even when they’re not connected to the internet. This is especially important for ecommerce businesses that want to cater to customers who may not have access to reliable internet connections.

PWAs can also offer push notifications to customers, which can help increase engagement and remind them about items in their shopping cart or special offers. This can lead to increased conversions and repeat business.

2. Increased Conversions

PWAs offer several features that can help improve conversion rates. For example, faster load times and smoother navigation can reduce the likelihood of customers abandoning their shopping cart due to slow or clunky website performance. Simplified checkout processes can also make it easier for customers to complete their purchase, reducing the likelihood of abandoned carts.

In addition, PWAs can be optimized for mobile devices, which is important since many customers now prefer to shop on their smartphones or tablets. By providing a fast and seamless mobile shopping experience, PWAs can help increase conversion rates and reduce cart abandonment.

Push notifications can also be sent to customers through PWAs, which can help increase engagement and remind customers about items in their shopping cart or special offers. This can lead to increased conversions and repeat business.

3. Lower Development Costs

One reason for this is that PWAs can work on any device with a modern web browser, eliminating the need to develop separate apps for each platform. This can significantly reduce development costs and save time, as businesses can focus on building a single PWA instead of separate native apps for iOS and Android.

Additionally, PWAs are built using web technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, which are widely known and easily accessible. This means that businesses can often use their existing development resources to build a PWA, without having to invest in additional specialized resources.

PWAs can also be updated instantly, without requiring users to download and install new versions. This can save businesses time and money by reducing the need for ongoing maintenance and updates.

4. Cross-platform Compatibility

PWAs can run on any device with a modern web browser, including desktop computers, laptops, smartphones, and tablets. This cross-platform compatibility means that businesses can reach a wider audience and offer a consistent shopping experience across all devices and platforms.

Additionally, since PWAs are built using web technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, they can work seamlessly across multiple platforms and devices without requiring significant modifications or adjustments. This can save businesses time and money on development costs and maintenance.

Furthermore, PWAs can be installed on a user’s device just like a native app, providing a similar user experience without requiring the user to download and install a separate app. This can be particularly useful for customers who may not have enough space on their devices to download a native app or who may not want to clutter their device with too many apps.

5. Offline Functionality

Progressive web apps can cache data and content, allowing users to access the app even when they are offline. This can be particularly useful for ecommerce businesses, as customers may not always have a stable internet connection, but still want to browse products and make purchases.

PWAs can load faster than traditional websites, even when a user is offline because they can cache important resources like images, product descriptions, and other content. This means that customers can still access key information about products and services, even when they are not connected to the internet.

Since PWAs are designed to be mobile-friendly, they can provide a seamless user experience even when a user is offline. This can be particularly useful for ecommerce businesses that target customers in areas with limited or unreliable internet connectivity.

6. Push Notifications

With push notifications, ecommerce businesses can send targeted messages to customers based on their interests, behaviors, and purchase history. This can be an effective way to notify customers of sales, promotions, new product releases, and other important updates.

Push notifications can be personalized and contextual, making them more likely to be noticed and acted upon by customers. Since push notifications can be delivered even when the PWA is not open, businesses can engage with customers in real-time and encourage them to make purchases.

Push notifications can be automated, allowing ecommerce businesses to set up targeted campaigns based on specific triggers or events. For example, a business could send a push notification to a customer who has abandoned their cart, reminding them to complete their purchase.

7. Easier Updates

Unlike traditional mobile apps, which require users to manually update them through app stores, PWAs can be updated in real-time through the web. This means that businesses can make changes to their apps instantly, without needing to wait for users to download updates.

PWAs are built with web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, making them easier to update than native apps, which require specialized knowledge of platform-specific programming languages.

This can be especially beneficial for ecommerce businesses, which often need to update their apps frequently to stay competitive and meet customer needs. For example, a business could quickly update their PWA to add new product pages, change their checkout process, or improve their user interface based on customer feedback.

Evaluate based on these questions for Your eCommerce Business

• Are you looking to improve the user experience of your ecommerce website?
• Do you want to increase conversions and sales on your website?
• Are you interested in reducing development costs while still providing a high-quality app experience?
• Do you want your website to be accessible on multiple platforms, including desktop and mobile devices?
• Would you like to provide offline functionality to your website, allowing users to continue browsing and shopping even when they have a poor internet connection?
• Do you want to take advantage of push notifications to engage with your customers and drive repeat business?
• Are you interested in being able to update your app quickly and easily, without needing to rely on app store updates?

Conclusion

In conclusion, Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) offer a range of benefits that make them an ideal choice for ecommerce businesses. With improved user experience, increased conversions, lower development costs, cross-platform compatibility, offline functionality, push notifications, and easier updates, PWAs provide a powerful combination of features that can help businesses reach new customers and drive revenue growth. By adopting a PWA strategy, ecommerce businesses can stay ahead of the competition, offer a seamless and engaging experience to their users, and achieve their goals for success in the digital marketplace. Whether you’re a small startup or a large enterprise, a PWA can be a smart investment that pays dividends in the form of improved customer satisfaction, higher engagement, and increased revenue.

How ultroNeous can help you With eCommerce Solution

We are a reputed company that specializes in developing top-notch eCommerce web applications that are scalable, reliable, and robust across various devices. We possess expertise in the latest technologies such as Node.js, Flutter, and React Native, among others, that allow us to create highly responsive, adaptable, and fast applications. We are always ready to discuss your eCommerce project with you, and we can initiate the conversation over a quick phone call or email.