Progressive Web Apps (PWAs): Benefits For UX, Branding, and Profit

Korovkin Vitaliy

Feb 23, 2024 • 2 min read

A seamless user experience is when the visitor of your website becomes a client. A website is usually quite all right when it is not over-spammed, uses balanced colors, and doesn’t throw advertisements into your face.

With the emerging PWAs (progressive web apps), it is possible to turn an “all-right” website into a persuasive selling space, that illuminates trust, professionalism, authority, and awesome user experience.

PWAs haven’t appeared just yesterday – in fact, progressive web apps became supportable by most browsers in 2019. And today, in 2024, they have returned with a completely new appeal.

What Is A Progressive Web App?

Progressive Web Apps are web applications that use modern web technologies to provide app-like experiences to users. It’s a website that works like an application. In terms of UX improvement, PWAs are fast, reliable, and responsive.

Unlike with regular websites, with PWA your visitors can have highly convenient features like:

Offline experience
Fast access via home-screen
Fast loading times
Push-notifications and more

An excellent progressive web app example is "Twitter Lite." Twitter Lite is a streamlined version of the Twitter mobile app designed to provide a fast, reliable, and engaging experience for users, particularly in regions with limited internet connectivity or on low-end devices.

How do PWAs benefit your business?

The advantages of PWAs extend far beyond enhancing user experience, particularly for e-commerce ventures. Aside from the link between user satisfaction and profitability, let’s take a look at the statistics surrounding PWA adoption.

Google reports a staggering 68% surge in user engagement and a remarkable 52% uptick in conversion rates across diverse industry sectors.
A notable case study is Starbucks, whose Progressive Web App (PWA) witnessed a doubling of daily active users. Intriguingly, desktop browsers are emerging as significant contributors to order volumes, almost rivaling their mobile counterparts.
Moreover, PWAs are witnessing a remarkable surge in mobile sessions, boasting an average increase of nearly 80%.
In terms of bounce rates, PWAs shine yet again, showcasing a noteworthy 42.86% reduction compared to traditional mobile websites.

Progressive Web App vs Native App

Native apps have long been favored for their performance and access to device-specific features. Now, PWAs have kicked in, presenting a decent alternative with unique advantages and features. Do native apps make rivals to PWAs or should be left behind? Let’s compare.

Native apps

Pros:

Access to device features
Better performance
Enhanced user experience

Cons:

Higher development costs
Platform-specific development
Longer update cycles

PWAs:

Pros:

Notable conversions
Increased user engagement and session duration
Cross-platform compatibility
Lower development costs
Easy distribution

Cons:

Limited access to device features
May have performance limitations on certain devices
Dependency on browser support for advanced features

Conclusion

Progressive Web Apps have revolutionized the digital landscape by offering enhanced user experiences and unlocking new opportunities for businesses. Embracing PWAs is no longer a choice but a necessity for companies aiming to stay ahead in today's competitive market.

How Webmil Can Help Your Business

At Webmil Web Production, we help start-ups and businesses grow authority and profit through their digital presence. With our expertise in progressive web app development, we can empower your business or startup to leverage the full potential of PWAs, driving growth, and maximizing user satisfaction. Examine our successful cases and let’s get in touch!