This may be an essential part of the Mass Adoption stack
Original title: “What is PWA? Progressive Web Apps in eCommerce Explained”
Original source: Vue Storefront
Original translation: Luccy & 0×26
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I don’t know if you are curious about the APP-like product experience of friend.tech that does not require downloading, and why PWA is considered by many as a good method without entry barriers and for large-scale adoption?
In fact, PWA (Progressive Web App) was proposed as early as the Google/O conference in 2016. Due to browser compatibility and performance issues, PWA did not quickly enter the public eye.
It was not until February 2023 that Safari version 16.4 added support for Web Push to Home Screen Web applications, which means that PWA can provide push services. This also explains why friend.tech has system version requirements.
In fact, encryption protocols and applications such as Sushi, DeBank, and Orca have launched PWA earlier. And on the website Store.app, which focuses on PWA, there are not only coffee giants like Starbucks, but also well-known international chess game websites like Chess. The slogan of Store.app “Web applications are applications, closed platforms stifle innovation” points out another characteristic of PWA – no need to pay the 30% commission of the App Store.
Dan Romero, the founder of Farcaster, said that as long as you install PWA, you are equivalent to paying 30% less Apple tax.
PWA is not only characterized by flexibility, ease of development, and protection of the rights and interests of founders. Rhythm has compiled a more detailed introduction to PWA from Vue developers. The following is the original translation by BlockBeats:
What is PWA?
PWA (Progressive Web App) is a type of web application that can run as a web page and mobile application on any device. It is a good solution to the problem of poor mobile user experience. PWA uses standard technologies and aims to provide users with a native app-like experience, enabling faster conversions and clearer browsing experiences even in poor network connections.
PWA is written in JavaScript, CSS, and HTML, and looks like a regular web page (which means they can be searched on the Internet browser), offering the same features as mobile apps (i.e., native apps): fast, can work offline, send push notifications, and support multiple devices.
More importantly, PWA can be uploaded to popular app markets like Google Play.
Since PWA does not have any specific form of expression, it is difficult to formulate a suitable, dictionary-like definition for PWA. Google, which proposed the concept of PWA, has not given a specific definition. Its official introduction is still quite vague:
· Reliable – can load immediately even in unstable network environments.
· Fast – responds quickly to user interactions, provides smooth animation effects, and offers a uniform sliding experience.
· Engaging – feels like a normal application on the device, providing an immersive user experience.
The Origin of PWA
Google is regarded as the father of PWA, and by integrating web and mobile user experiences, PWA has a chance to break through Google and Apple’s walled gardens. Although Google can afford this result (because its data storage basically includes the entire Internet), Apple cannot.
The idea of putting the mobile user experience at the center was actually proposed over a decade ago by Steve Jobs. In 2007, the CEO of Apple introduced this concept at the iPhone launch event because, at the beginning of the mobile revolution, external applications would be a way to measure the popularity of the new generation of Apple devices, and Jobs wanted to encourage developers to develop these applications.
However, this idea did not last long. In July 2008, Apple shelved the concept of “universal apps” and replaced it with the App Store, where mobile apps began to dominate the Internet.
The specific approach of PWA had to wait for the right time ten years later. In 2015, the authors of the term PWA, Frances Berriman and Alex Russell, wrote in the preface of Jason Grigsby’s book “Progressive Web Applications”:
“The concept of native apps has always felt like a step backward. Closed platforms have terrible search, questionable security, and endless updates on tax policies—it feels like being back in the 1990s.”
Berriman and Russell noticed that a new type of website offered a better user experience than traditional web applications, and they called it “PWA.” A year later, at the Google IO conference, Eric Bidelman, a senior developer advocate engineer, introduced PWA as the new standard for web development.
In early 2018, Apple provided basic support for PWA but still imposed certain limitations on caching capacity and native push notifications.
Benefits of PWA
The benefits of implementing PWA include improved speed and performance, app-like user experience, and cross-platform usage. However, these are only part of the advantages of PWA. Let’s delve deeper into PWA below.
Quick entry into the mobile market
PWA is the easiest way to enter the mobile world, as it is built using the most standard web technologies and can be set up within a few months.
More importantly, using PWA eliminates the need to develop separate applications for iOS and Android, as it is suitable for all types of devices.
Providing all features at once
Unlike building separate websites and native mobile apps, using PWA technology allows you to build an application that runs seamlessly on any device. With PWA, there is no need to create separate native apps; simply adjust the front-end of the store with PWA to have a store that runs smoothly both as a web page and as a native app.
Yes, PWA can provide a consistent app-like experience on any device. By leveraging browser capabilities, PWA automatically enhances its built-in functionalities, making it behave like a native app.
Cost-effective optimization
Due to its comprehensive functionalities, PWA not only saves time but also reduces development costs. In simple terms, you can build an app that works on any device instead of developing three separate entities – iOS app, Android app, and website.
In addition, PWA does not need to be listed in an app store, which means no fees are required.
Reduced customer acquisition costs
PWA can build websites that can be directly installed as apps from mobile browsers. This means that users can use the app without accessing an app store and downloading a local app, increasing the usage options of PWA.
Compared to native apps, PWA apps do not require downloading updates.
This greatly increases the possibility of guiding users from the website to the local app, thereby reducing customer acquisition costs.
Better SEO performance
One of the main advantages of PWA is that they accelerate the process of indexing applications in Google. They have URLs like standard web pages, which Google can crawl and index. In addition, full server-side rendering (SSR) provides complete documents for crawlers to index, which is particularly important for large e-commerce stores.
Search engines prefer smooth and fast apps with limited retention and promote them through high rankings in search results. It is well known that the higher the ranking, the greater the chance of capturing user attention.
Not to mention, website performance reduces bounce rate, which is also an indicator that affects Google’s evaluation of a site and determines its position in the SERP (Search Engine Results Page).
Reduced bounce rate
A study by DoubleClick found that if a page takes more than 3 seconds to load, 53% of website clicks will be abandoned.
Regardless of network conditions, PWA can load immediately, even when offline. PWA is very lightweight because it uses placeholders to fill in the downloaded content, giving users the feeling of instant app loading.
PWA’s offline work allows users to continue browsing without an internet connection.
What is the difference between PWA and native mobile apps?
Native apps have dominated for a decade, but we will eventually have a unified user experience on every platform and device. PWA can achieve the same level of interactivity as native apps while being extremely lightweight.
Now let’s compare PWA and native apps as a whole.
In summary, the characteristics of PWA are:
· Fast loading and running
· Mobile-first approach
· Offline mode
· SEO and crawler-friendly architecture
· Platform independence
· Consistent user experience and increased user engagement
PWA focuses on user experience and aims to improve user engagement along with all the advantages that come with it. There are more advantages besides improving page speed when choosing to leverage the benefits of PWA.
Since PWA is searchable and discoverable in internet browsers, it can also be used with voice search, which seems to be a new stage that makes digital interaction more user-friendly and the overall user experience more consistent.
Progressive Web Applications (PWAs) can improve web performance, and they are also supported standards by Google, which allows them to be a perfect match for voice solutions.
PWA leverages the habits that users have developed when using native applications, allowing developers to enrich the user experience with the functionality of mobile phones, such as cameras, microphones, geolocation, and even device vibrations. The application scenarios of PWA depend on business needs.
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