One of the rules we like to follow at Google when creating products is “focus on the user, and adapt everything else to that. Think about the users first: what are my customers’ needs and how can a progressive web app meet them?
Identifying customer needs
In studying users, we found some interesting patterns.
Users hate delays and unreliable mobile apps: the stress level caused by delays on mobile devices is comparable to the stress level of watching a horror movie.
When browsing the Web or making purchases, 50% of smartphone users are more likely to use mobile sites because they don’t want to download apps.
One of the main reasons for removing apps is the limited amount of storage on devices (and an installed web app typically takes up less than 1 MB).
Smartphone users are more likely to shop on mobile sites that offer relevant product recommendations, and 85% of smartphone users find notifications on mobile devices useful.
Based on these observations, we found that customers prefer fast, setup-supported, reliable and engaging solutions (the F.I.R.E. concept).
Progressive Web applications take advantage of modern Internet capabilities
Progressive web applications use a number of guidelines and modern webAPIs that are designed to meet the needs of your customers. They will make your site fast, reliable, and interesting. In addition, it will be possible to install it on a device.
For example, using a service script to cache resources and prefetch data based on predictions increases the speed and reliability of the site. If you add installability to your site, customers can easily access it on the Start screen or in the app launcher. And new APIs like Web Push Notifications make it easier to re-engage users with personalized content and increase their loyalty.
Understanding the impact that a progressive web app has on business
Increased time users spend on your service
Reduced bounce rates for your leads
Increased conversion rates
Increased number of returning visitors
Most progressive web application projects result in higher conversion rates for mobile devices. You can learn more in numerous examples. Depending on your goals, you may prioritize the aspects of progressive web apps that are more important to your business, and that’s okay. The features of progressive web applications can be selected and run individually.