Progressive Web Apps for E-commerce: The Future of Online Shopping
Just think about the world where online shopping is incredibly fast, integrated with mobiles and computers, and does not require installation of large applications. Sounds futuristic? Well, the future has arrived and as a result we have the best Progressive Web Apps for E-commerce. For any online store owner looking for a competitive edge, PWAs are a game changer for your business. That brings us to our next question: How to build progressive web apps and why are they transforming e-commerce? Let’s dive in.
What is a Role of PWAs for E-commerce?
Fundamentally, in simple terms, Progressive Web Apps or PWAs are web applications designed to take the best of both the web and mobile application sites. They are meant to provide a fast, dependable and fun user experience regardless of network quality. For e-commerce, this means delivering your users an app-like experience within their browser space.
Key characteristics of PWAs include:
Responsive web design:
PWAs fit correctly into any device, some of the common ones being smartphones, tablets, or even computers.
Offline capabilities:
Fortunately, through service workers, PWAs can cache content and allow offline browsing of the site.
No installation required:
one of the advantages of progressive web apps is that the users can pin directly to their home screen without ever visiting an app store.
Faster load times:
PWAs for this reason, use caching and preloading to achieve the fastest page loading.
In other words, PWAs are a perfect solution between being just another website and offering native applications to users, which would be extremely beneficial for e-commerce businesses.
Why Should E-commerce Businesses Adopt PWAs?
As the consumers and clients demand quicker and more efficient methods of ordering products online, e-commerce companies are increasingly implementing Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) to enhance user experience and performance. PWAs serve as a prime example of the benefits of custom web app development unlike traditional websites or apps. Let’s explore why:
Pwa benefits in E-commerce
a. Speed and Performance
PWAs are intended to open faster, including in regions with a slow internet connection. Through fast loading of web pages, PWAs eliminate the chance of users straying away from your site due to impatience. In its turn, studies note that each second of page loading time decreases conversion rates by 7%.
b. Improved User Engagement:
It is also a kind of mobile app that provides customers with push notifications in order to provide them with some offers and updates. Such notifications, in contrast with typical websites, enable you to return to the website and make a purchase more than once.
c. Offline Functionality:
One key feature of PWAs is offline operation and despite this, customers are able to navigate through the store. This is especially useful for the e-commerce stores that market their products in areas with relatively poor network connectivity.
d. Cost-effectiveness:
PWAs are not native applications like iOS and Android that need to be built twice or from scratch. This cuts down the costs of development and maintenance while expounding their reach to the broader audience.
e. Enhanced SEO Performance:
Because PWAs are websites, they are searchable and help to improve the ranking of your e-commerce site on search engine results.
How PWAs Drive Conversions in E-commerce
Mobile PWAs have been shown consistently to improve and increase the retention of customers. Here’s how:
a. Streamlined Checkout Process:
Because of the speed, and overall interface resembling an application, PWAs greatly decrease the chances of users abandoning their cart.
b. Improved Accessibility:
PWAs don’t require an app download process and they make it easier for customers to shop.
c. Increased Customer Loyalty:
Another beneficial feature is in-app push notifications and offline mode provoke the customers’ return.
PWA Ecommerce Examples
Many famous e-shops already started to implement PWAs and the results they gained are massive. Let’s look at a few examples:
Alibaba:
As a result of the PWA in Alibaba, the total conversions across different browsers had been boosted by a 76% FEC rate.
Flipkart:
PWAs of Flipkart, specifically ‘Flipkart Lite’ improved the site’s conversion rates by 70%.
Lancome:
Lancome was able to drive an increase in conversion by 17% and minimized bounce rate by 50% upon adopting a PWA.
The above examples explain how PWAs can transform your e-commerce business.
Case Studies of Successful PWAs in Online Stores
Alibaba
By converting into a PWA, the site transformation of Alibaba made the shopping experience more enjoyable for users. Faster loading times, push notifications and offline browsing were provided through the PWA which led to higher end user engagement and sales.
OLX
Proving this, the classified ads platform OLX adopted PWA to cut page load time down to 23% that resulted in an 80% boost in engagement among the users.
Starbucks
Currently, Starbucks implemented its progressive web application that enables customers to view a menu and order food and beverages even without an internet connection. This innovation has led to the doubling of daily active users figures from the social network.
Is PWA Good for Ecommerce?
PWA is good for ecommerce as it solves many problems including slow loading time, poor offline experience which are mostly faced by websites as well as apps. In e-commerce, it means increased levels of customer satisfaction, higher customer loyalty rates and stronger sales.
How PWAs Outshine Responsive Web Design?
Responsive web design covers a given site to support various devices, whereas PWAs go further compounding the website to act like an application. Here’s how PWAs outperform:
Offline Browsing:
While responsive websites require a user to navigate away to continue using the site offline, PWAs do not.
Push Notifications:
PWAs feature a unique aspect of giving app developers direct access to the users of the applications.
Performance Optimization:
There is a considerable boost in the performance as offered by PWAs on caching.
What is Progressive Web App Development for E-commerce? Key Considerations
When progressive web app development company developing a PWA for your e-commerce store, keep these factors in mind:
User Experience (UX):
Make sure that PWA is easy to navigate and user friendly.
Seo Optimization:
Find out how to improve the ranking of your PWA in search engines and apply them.
Security:
Data of users should be secured using HTTPS.
Scalability:
Consider creative ways to expand the page and add more content to it in the future.
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Conclusion
Given all these, one could easily conclude that Progressive Web Apps for E-commerce are no more of a trend but rather a necessity for businesses that are desirable in the digital economy. Are you in the right state to give any of your online stores a PWA? Work on something like this today and keep leading your competition.