PWAs combine the best of web and native apps. Global companies have adopted it and seen impressive results. This guide presents examples and success stories with Progressive Web Apps.
What is PWA
Definition
Sites that behave like native apps.
Features
- Installable on the home screen
- Works offline
- Push notifications
- App experience
Technologies
Service Workers, Web App Manifest, HTTPS.
Success Stories
Twitter Lite
- 65% increase in pages per session
- 75% increase in tweets
- 20% decrease in bounce rate
- 1-3MB app vs 25MB+ native
- +40% time on site
- +44% ad revenue
- +60% core engagement
- PWA replaced app in browsers
###Starbucks
- 99.84% smaller than iOS app
- 2x daily users
- Works offline
- Connectionless orders
Uber
- 50kb core app
- 2G connectivity supported
- 3s loading time on 2G
- Emerging markets
###Trivago
- +150% engagement
- +97% clicks for offers
- -50% bounce rate
###Forbes
- 43% more sessions
- 6x article completion
- 20% more ad impressions
###Alibaba
- +76% browser conversions
- 4x interactions via Add to Homescreen
- 30% more monthly active users
E-commerce
Flipkart
- 3x more time on the website
- 40% higher re-engagement rate
- 70% higher conversion of Add to Home
Lancôme
- +17% mobile conversions
- +53% iOS mobile sessions
- -15% bounce rate
OLX
- +250% more re-engagement
- +80% conversion
- -80% size
Media and News
Washington Post
- AMP + PWA
- 88% improvement in load time
- 23% increase in returning users
Financial Times
- First major publication to adopt
- App-like experience
- Works offline
Travel and Hospitality
MakeMyTrip
- +3x conversions
- +160% sessions
- +30% retention
Wego
- +26% mobile conversion
- +95% performance
- Effective push notifications
Common Features
Performance
Everyone focused on speed.
###Offline
Essential content cache.
Installation
Add to Home Screen prompt.
###Push
Re-engagement via notifications.
Emerging Markets
Many focused on bad connections.
Success Metrics
Engagement
Time, pages, actions.
Conversion
Purchases, registrations, leads.
Retention
Returning users.
Performance
Charging speed.
###Size
Data savings.
Ideal Segments
E-commerce
Mobile shopping experience.
News
Offline reading, notifications.
Travel
Works on the go.
Delivery
Quick orders.
Productivity
Light tools.
Noted Limitations
iOS
Fewer features than Android.
Push on iOS
Only recently supported.
Discovery
It is not in the main app stores.
Native Features
Some APIs unavailable.
When PWA Shines
Emerging Markets
Slow connections, weak devices.
Informational
Content for consumption.
Simple Transactional
Shopping, reservations.
Limited Budget
One codebase for everyone.
Implementation
Audit
Lighthouse to check requirements.
Service Worker
Asset and data cache.
Web App Manifest
Metadata for installation.
HTTPS
Mandatory.
Conclusion
PWAs demonstrate impressive results in real-world cases. Companies that invested saw significant improvements in engagement, conversion and performance. PWA is a viable option for many use cases.
##FAQs
1) PWA replaces native app? In some cases, yes. For others, it complements.
2) Which case is most impressive? Twitter Lite and Starbucks are frequent references.
3) Does PWA work well on iOS? It's improved a lot, but Android is still better.
4) Do I need special knowledge? Web developers can learn. It's not that difficult.
5) Is PWA good for my business? If it makes sense on mobile web, probably yes.