What’s a Progressive Web App, and Does Your Site Need One?

The post What’s a Progressive Web App, and Does Your Site Need One? appeared first on HostGator Blog . Why So Many Sites Are Building Progressive Web Apps Remember a couple of years ago when everyone was telling site owners to implement responsive design for smartphone users? Responsive design still matters, but the mobile-usability goalposts are moving toward progressive web apps (PWAs) . What are PWAs? PWAs occupy the space between desktopssites with responsive mobile display and full-blown mobile apps that users have to download and install. PWAs load fast, get right to the point, use minimal data, work offline, send push notifications and put icons on users’ homescreens, all without the development investment in an app. Is a PWA right for your site? If so, how can you build one? Let’s take a look. Google has the definitive list of PWA criteria , but in very simple terms, PWAs are web sites that act like apps. PWAs are at least twice as fast as responsive websites, which means that even if you have a responsive template to make your site as mobile-friendly as possible , a progressive web app may still offer some specific advantages, depending on what your site does and what your goals are.   What are the advantages of PWAs? Progressive web apps can benefit retailers, information providers, NGOs, and their users.   1. PWAs can boost sales Many retailers who add PWAs report mobile sales growth, because PWAs help overcome some of the issues that cause mobile shoppers to bail out before buying, such as difficult navigation, slow load times, and fussy data-entry at checkout. After launching its progressive web app, cosmetics company Lancome saw a 17% increase in mobile revenue in the US market. AliExpress, the China-based merchant marketplace, saw conversion rates rise by 104% after its PWA went live . Clearly, customers are happy to make purchases on their phones as long as the process is easy, and PWAs can make it so. 2. PWAs load fast and use less data Most smartphone users will wait 3 seconds tops for your site to load. After that, they’re gone. A PWA speeds up load times, which is good for all users, whether they’re impatient city dwellers who are multitasking at top speed or people in rural, backcountry, or developing areas who want to make the most of their limited connectivity. A good non-retail example of a PWA is the UN’s ReliefWeb. The huge humanitarian-crisis information portal has a full site (below, left) with maps, slideshows, a Twitter feed, and more. The site loads fast for people using the type of internet connection common in major Western cities. But for aid workers in remote locations and disaster zones, it’s not as useful as ReliefWeb’s “lite” site (below, right), which debuted in December 2017 . The PWA distills the content to easy-to-scroll headlines and a small navigation menu.