It should come as no surprise that eCommerce has become a vital aspect of our lives in a time when technology is used more and more in daily life. Furthermore, it’s no secret that the progressive web app (PWA) has attracted a lot of attention as the preferred option for companies looking to improve their online presence given the surge in mobile usage.

Because PWA offers a consistent user experience across platforms, it’s become a valuable tool for companies trying to break through the clutter and connect with their audience more deeply. Even if a lot of eCommerce companies have already adopted PWA, others are still apprehensive to do so out of concern that it might not be the best option for their company.

We’ll go deep into everything you need to know about PWA in eCommerce in this extensive tutorial, from the fundamentals of the technology to the advantages it can provide for your company. Now let’s get going!

PWA are web applications that combine the best characteristics of traditional web applications and native mobile applications. They are built using web-based technologies like Java, HTML, CSS, etc., and accessible through a web browser. The best thing about such apps is that you do not need to download a separate app from an app store, and they can be accessed offline. PWA has been a leading choice for well-known companies such as Uber, Alibaba, Starbucks, and so on. It makes use of service workers that are background running scripts used by PWAs to provide offline functionality and faster downloading time. 

At their core, they are essentially web-based applications that behave like native apps. They provide a seamless user experience, with fast load times and the ability to work offline. But perhaps most importantly, they allow businesses to reach customers who might not otherwise be able to access their stores. This is particularly significant for businesses that rely heavily on mobile users.

Let us discuss some of the key features of eCommerce PWA: 

• Quick Loading: When it comes to eCommerce, customers are more likely to abandon slow-loading websites and prefer to move to fellow competitors to make a purchase. To retain your customers, it is more than necessary to use PWAs. PWAs make use of service workers who cache all the relevant information, resulting in faster loading time even when the network is slow or unreliable at times.
• Responsive Design: This is yet another crucial feature when it comes to PWAs for eCommerce websites. They are responsive as well as progressive, meaning they are flexible enough to adapt to different screen sizes and orientations. 
• Push Notifications: PWAs allow businesses to send push notifications to users, providing them with relevant information regarding special offers, sales, and other important updates. This helps in boosting customer engagement and a better conversion rate. 
• Offline capability: PWAs can function offline, allowing users to access information and features across websites even when they lack internet connectivity. 
• Enhanced SEO: PWAs help boost search engine optimization by offering quick load times and a great user experience, which will increase your site’s search engine rankings and attract more users to it. 

Benefits of PWA for eCommerce

From providing a seamless user experience to enhancing conversion rates, there is no denying the tremendous advantages that come with Progressive Web Apps (PWAs). And as more and more consumers flock to mobile devices and crave immediate gratification, it’s no wonder that online merchants are turning to progressive web apps to meet their customers’ ever-growing demands.

PWA benefits include improved performance, offline capabilities, and an overall enhanced user journey. Implementing PWA for eCommerce can lead to faster page loading times, seamless offline experiences, and a more engaging user interface, ultimately enhancing the overall shopping experience for customers.

Enhanced User Experience

With this increase in online shopping, consumers have become more discerning in what they expect from the experience. With PWA storefronts, retailers can offer enhanced user experiences that are seamless, intuitive, and satisfying, ensuring that their customers keep coming back for more.

Whether through faster mobile load times, offline functionality, or smooth transitions between pages, PWAs compensate for any hiccups that traditional shopping platforms may have. 

Faster and More Efficient Performance

In the world of eCommerce, speed is everything. Online shoppers demand a seamless user experience that’s fast, efficient, and personalized. PWAs provide all the benefits of a native app, without requiring users to download anything. They provide faster and more efficient performance, which means happier customers and more sales. With PWAs, businesses can create personalized, responsive experiences that work on any device or platform.

Read Also: Top 10 Progressive Web App Development Companies

The technology behind PWAs allows for faster load times, better caching, and smoother transitions between pages. This means that users spend less time waiting and more time shopping, which is a win-win for both customers and businesses.

Moreover, PWAs are more cost-effective for businesses than traditional native apps, as they require less development and maintenance.

Compatibility with Multiple Devices

With their ability to work seamlessly across multiple devices, PWAs offer unparalleled accessibility and convenience to customers of all ages, backgrounds, and locations. As a result, businesses that embrace PWA technology are poised to reap significant benefits in terms of customer engagement, revenue growth, and brand loyalty.

However, compatibility with multiple devices is one of the most critical factors in making PWAs such a powerful tool in the eCommerce world. Since PWAs are designed to load instantly on any device, regardless of whether it’s a smartphone, tablet, or desktop computer, businesses can reach a wider audience and improve their overall customer experience.

Additionally, PWAs are incredibly lightweight and efficient, allowing them to deliver lightning-fast performance and minimal data usage, making them ideal for customers with limited bandwidth or slow internet connections.

Advancements in User Analytics

What sets PWAs apart is the advancements in user analytics they provide. By tracking user behavior, businesses can gain valuable insights into what their customers want and tailor their offerings accordingly.

This data can also inform website and app design, allowing for a smoother, more personalized user experience. Retailers can better connect with their customers, delighting them with personalized shopping experiences and boosting sales in the process.

Below are some examples of PWAs: 

1. Pinterest: Pinterest’s PWA was launched in 2017 and was designed to provide a fast and interactive experience to users. With the help of features such as offline mode, push notifications, and a smooth checkout process, it makes it hassle-free for users to discover some great ideas and save them for implementation at a later stage.
2. Starbucks: Starbucks’ PWA offers a fast and mobile-like experience to its users. The users can easily order and pay for the drinks online and pick them up from the nearest Starbucks store without any hassle. Its PWA also consists of exclusive features like location services, real-time updates, and personalized offers for users.
3. Forbes: Forbes’s PWA is built to offer a smooth and reliable experience to its users, with a faster loading time. With the help of PWA, users can easily get access to Forbes’ content on their mobile devices.
4. Twitter: Twitter’s PWA offers a fast, lightweight version of Twitter, which is termed Twitter Lite. Its mobile-like design provides a convenient way for users to access Twitter without the need to download a native mobile application.

To implement PWA for your business, the first step is to ensure that your website is progressive. This means that it must be adaptable to different screen sizes and operating systems. PWA must also be accessible offline, and this is achieved through the use of Service Workers. A service worker is a JavaScript file that is installed in the background of a user’s browser to manage offline access.

PWA stores have gained popularity among online shoppers, and this is largely due to the convenience they provide. PWA stores load faster, don’t require downloads or frequent updates, and work offline.

They also provide push notifications, which allow businesses to communicate directly with customers. This technology not only enhances the customer experience but also increases engagement and revenue for businesses.

However, implementing PWA is not without its challenges. There are several technical complexities involved, including integrating and testing with third-party services. It is therefore essential to work with a team of developers that has experience in developing PWAs.

How is PWA Different From Regular Web Apps?

Making the distinction between a PWA and a web app based just on definition might be difficult. They still differ from one another in several essential ways, though.

An application is what a web application is first. However, web programming languages (HTML, CSS, and JavaScript) were used in the development of this application software. After development is finished, the application program will run via these web servers and be housed on distant servers.

To put it simply, PWA is an advanced version of a web app. As a result, rather than the operating system’s programming language, its core is also a web. A PWA and a web application vary primarily in that a PWA is distributed via the web and operates on the web server. Stated differently, PWAs can be installed by users via websites.

Web apps and PWAs are becoming more and more effective in customer care and sales promotion.

Therefore, a growing number of famous companies apply web apps to their business. The most typical ones are Google Docs, Google Sheets, Netflix, Trello, Basecamp, Microsoft Office, and even Gmail.

You can also find many well-known enterprises using PWA. For example, Lancome, Alibaba, Adidas, Twitter Lite, Tinder, etc. Although these companies’ PWAs are designed differently, they all bring positive results.

Technologies

This is the key difference between a web app and a PWA. Regarding the web app, its architecture isn’t complicated. Web technology is the building block of this app type’s entire foundation. The web app’s frontend is developed using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. For the backend, it may use PHP, Python, Flash, Silverlight, etc.

With PWA, besides standard web technologies, developers also use progressive enhancements, like service workers and web app manifests. They create the advanced features of PWA, such as push notification, offline mode, etc.

Distribution

Web apps can only be distributed through web browsers. In other words, they cannot be installed on clients’ devices. Furthermore, web apps are often limited to the web browsers it is programmed to serve. For example, if developers build a web app based on Safari, it will only work on it. However, it is still capable of cross-platform operation.

PWA is an optimal combination between web apps and native apps. It can be accessed through multi-web browsers and installed on a device. To own a PWA, users can download it directly from the website. Besides, you can also distribute this app through app marketplaces.

Targets

Due to capacity limitations and credibility, customers rarely download business apps. Often, they need some initiatives, like vouchers, loyalty programs, etc. Web apps are beneficial in showing your buyers those motivations, leading to an increase in web access to your business’ previously distributed mobile apps. 

Besides, it often has high rankings on search result pages. This factor, combined with the convenience and user-friendliness interface, makes it advantageous in attracting users to web apps.

PWAs will suit business owners who already have a website and want it to be more mobile-friendly with an app-like look and feel. Thanks to its outstanding functions, features, and interface, PWA can improve your website’s user experience. 

If your business hasn’t had a mobile app yet, it can act as a preeminent website and a standard app.

However, PWA is still valuable for businesses that already have both a website and a mobile app. It can become another customer acquisition channel besides web and app. PWA will attract customers who want to stick with the business but are afraid of losing time downloading the app.

Design

In general, the web app’s interface has many excellent advantages compared to a regular website. For instance, it can provide an interactive experience with a responsive interface and mobile-friendly design. Yet, because it can only run in specific web browsers, the experience can’t be as consistent and smooth compared to the one provided by PWA.

The excellent user experience is one of the most well-known strengths of PWAs. It works well across platforms and offers an app-like experience, from add to home screen to offline mode.

Features

Since the web app is an upgraded website version, it contains many benefits. With this app, you can acquire more customer data for remarketing if you require them to log in. Also, it doesn’t require many page loads, and its content is always fresh. Therefore, customers will have a satisfying surfing time without waiting for an annoying upgrade.

The PWA is an advanced version of the web app. Therefore, its features are more up-to-date and realistic. The most vital app-like abilities include fast loading, offline mode, push notification, and background sync. All are very useful in stimulating the shopping needs of customers.

Besides, the process of customers updating PWA is also straightforward. All they need to do is reload the page. This upgrade only takes about 5 seconds to complete.

Popularity

Web apps have been around for about 20 years ago. While they offer a better experience, most users can’t see much difference. Therefore, only specific websites that need high compatibility will usually be upgraded to web apps.

PWA appears much later than web apps, but it has become a hot trend in recent years thanks to its unique strengths. Many businesses have applied this technology to their business models and achieved positive results.

Numerous researchers are also interested in this technology and have published many studies proving the effectiveness of PWA.

As mentioned, PWAs are helpful for most businesses. Especially new companies with a website because PWA is much cheaper to build than a native app but offers similar advantages. For companies that already have both a web and an app, upgrading their website to a PWA will help them have an effective channel to reach customers.

Differences and Similarities

In short, both web apps and progressive web apps are advanced versions of regular websites. Therefore, they have a lot of likenesses. We will now summarize the similarities and differences here to help you better visualize.

• Similarities

• First, they’re all websites in essence, since their core is web technology. They are written using popular programming languages ​​like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
• The web app and PWA are designed to deliver diverse and highly interactive experiences. As a result, their appearance and working ability are all optimized.
• Thanks to web core. The development and maintenance process of web apps and PWAs saves businesses time and money. Since then profits have also greater.
• Ultimately, they are all designed to deliver a great customer experience.

• Differences

• The most significant difference is the installation process. While the web app can only be used through a web browser, the PWA can be added to the home screen through the web browser or app stores.
• Although they both aim to offer an app-like experience, the PWA is still more similar to an app. It can hide the browser bar and be browser-independent.
• The difference that many businesses are most interested in is features. PWA’s abilities are outstanding and much more effective with push notifications, offline mode, etc.
• PWA can enhance customer experience better than a web app. It allows users to access cross-browser. Its speed is also impressive, thanks to a good page-loading process. Combined with its app-like look and feel, these three things helped it win the web app.

PWA vs web app is a topic that many large enterprises are interested in. This is quite understandable when these two types of apps have a lot of outstanding benefits. However, because PWA is a more advanced version than the web app, it has superior strengths.