As a small business owner, we’re confident that you know now the importance of having a digital presence; 51% of smartphone users have discovered a new company or product when conducting a search on their smartphone. With the growing use of digital platforms for customers to search for products and services, ensuring your company is there, competing with your rivals, is key to a long-lasting business in today’s day and age.
The digital world is ever advancing though, and with more people than ever using their mobile devices to search online, in fact, more Google searches take place on mobile devices than on computers in 10 countries including the U.S. and Japan, you need to put yourself ahead of the competition- and we know just the way you can do it.
Whilst having a responsive website or native mobile app works, you now have the opportunity to go one step further in the form of your own Progressive Web App. In essence, a PWA offers all the fantastic features of an app but is accessed through your browser- so it looks like an app, has the benefits of an app but doesn’t require any installation, it will be available just like your website is online.
This will be the future of the mobile web and it will put your company at the forefront of modern-day marketing. If you require any more convincing, we’ve listed some of the great reasons why you should consider a PWA for your business below.
You can’t be found if you can’t be seen
With the sheer number of businesses now moving their services online, with the aim of continuing to attract their evolving customer base, visibility is everything. However, with so much congestion, the internet can be a tough place to stand out.
So how do you make sure your business is found? Having a responsive website and implementing the latest SEO techniques is a great start, but it can still take time. A native app could also be a great tool to promote your brand, but how are people going to find it in order to install it.
It’s undoubtedly a difficult online world out there for businesses, yet a Progressive Web App offers a fantastic solution. On setting it live, your PWA is indexable by Google, so will start to rank like any other website would, and the promotion of it is much simpler.
Your business would be offering something unique from the competition- an app like experience for customers to enjoy without the friction of having to install and take up valuable storage space on their device! Presented with the fast loading and a range of fantastic features that they will struggle to find elsewhere it can really bolster your overall marketing strategy.
Every ounce of data counts
Everybody loves a top quality app, and creating a native app for your business can be a fantastic marketing tool, but there are overheads that can be associated with the process which doesn’t involve cost. We are, of course, talking about data.
A Progressive Web App is free from the large data requirements associated with a traditional app, therefore offering all the incredible features without the friction that can put the end user off. They also won’t even have to leave their mobile browser, so no more flicking back and forth between app and browser as your offering presents the best of both worlds.
Should users want to install the app though? That is still on the cards and something that will appeal to those long-term brand advocates who are devoted to your brand.
From search to site, it’s a seamless transition
The end goal for any website is to convert, and whilst responsive sites can achieve this by offering an awesome mobile experience, they do have limitations.
Speed is a key driver to encouraging a conversion
We don’t like to be kept waiting! Faster more enjoyable experiences are proven to increase engagement and in turn, time on site.
For all their benefits, responsive websites are just reworked versions of your desktop and therefore doesn’t necessarily result in the fastest experience. Even with the addition of AMP to guarantee speed, this can come at the cost of aesthetically appealing experience, which is another key driver for the end user.
However, when a user lands on your PWA, with its bespoke design and fast loading speeds, it will feel just like they are using an app straight from their browser. In turn, the speed, experience, look and feel means that users are far more likely to convert.
We might have just touched on it, but the speed of your Progressive Web App can’t be stressed enough. With the option to combine your PWA with AMP, your pages can load almost instantly, no matter what level of internet connection is available.
With this all said and done, PWA’s have become great tools for companies to reach out to audiences that may not have the best internet connections but still have their mobiles, meaning they stand out from the crowd and immediately provide a service where others struggle.
Some of the Google case studies around PWA’s explore the impact that PWA’s have had on companies that are operating in countries which aren’t even using greater than 2G, for example, Flipkart grew conversions by a whopping 70%!.
They cut out the democracy of Apple vs Android
Another great feature of Progressive Web apps is their cross-platform accessibility. There is not just one channel that you can access them from- whether you’re using a tablet, mobile or another device, your PWA and all of its features will be fully accessible (to an extent).
In most cases, PWAs are configured to automatically redirect users from your main website to the mobile version when they arrive on a mobile device, ensuring they enjoy the best possible experience no matter how they have come across your online presence.
With the recent developments in 4.2.6, there has been an uproar in the mobile development world, affecting small developers, app builders, and many facets of the industry. By moving towards a future that rests with the PWA – it is guaranteed that the jurisdiction of Apple and other mobile manufacturers won’t affect your business.
No submissions
Time is of the essence in any business, so you’ll be pleased to know that Progressive Web Apps are a time efficient solution too. As you struggle to get all tasks and projects completed during the working day, the last thing you want to worry about is the impact of completing any updates to your site.
With a Progressive Web App, you are building something for iOS and Android that continues to work perfectly, without any downtime, each and every time you update- again making it differ from the issues that can arise when conducting similar updates to native apps.
Are progressive web apps the future of apps?
If you’ve been thinking about entering the mobile web world or you’re considering updating your current offering, now is the time to stop thinking and take the plunge. A Progressive Web App offers all that you are looking for and more, and most importantly will create an incredible and memorable experience to all users that come across it.
At the end of the day, there are so many trends that seem to appear overnight taking the world by storm and soon become a thing of the past. But much like responsive websites are now the standard for creating impeccable desktop experiences, Progressive Web Apps are to be the future of the mobile experience. And let’s face it – PWA’s are backed by Google who in reality, does everything in their power to ensure continuity for businesses and their futures.
For the ultimate market coverage, you really need a mobile app that is native to either platform, utilising a PWA as a gateway to these additional more bespoke per device experiences. At least that’s the dream scenario for providing customers with the perfect experience whether they are a new consumer to your brand or a fully fledged brand advocate.
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