TLDR
- PWAs offer app-like speed, offline access, and home-screen installability without the cost or friction of native app stores.
- Real case studies back this up: Starbucks doubled daily active users, Alibaba saw a 76% conversion lift.
- PWAs are fully indexable by search engines, unlike native apps — a real SEO advantage.
- Best fit for ecommerce, education, and news apps serving regions with unreliable connectivity.
Every business reaches a roadblock where their website is adequate, but clients want an “app.” Creating an app in this form would mean endless time and money to create a version for both iOS and Android, only to subject your app to an unpredictable app store approval process that may decline your app after you have invested all of your time and money. Most businesses will never see a return on investment, as their app will not be introduced to a significant user base.
Progressive web apps sidestep this dilemma. A progressive web app is a web application that optimizes the speed of a web application while functioning offline, and has the capability of being installed like an application on a user’s home screen. This eliminates the need for building and maintaining two separate native apps for different operating systems, along with the costs that come with each.
This guide explores what progressive web apps are, what features they offer, how different businesses have benefited from their use, and the steps necessary to create an app for your business.
What Is a Progressive Web App?
The foundation of progressive web apps is the same technology as a regular website. Progressive web apps use JavaScript, CSS, and HTML as their framework. Unlike a website, progressive web apps can utilize browser features to behave more like a mobile/desktop application. For example, progressive web apps can be installed on a mobile or desktop device, and can function without a dedicated internet connection.
“Progressive” is what is important here. A PWA functions the same for all users on all devices and browsers, though certain browsers’ features are used to add extra functions. Previously, an application had to be added to an app store and then a web user needed to go through a multi-step process of downloading and installing the application. With the creation of PWAs, all of those steps have been eliminated. Seriously, adding a PWA to the browser requires a couple of taps and voilà, it is installed.
In essence, a PWA reaches the same level of interactivity as a native mobile application, while at the same time sustaining the same flexibility and accessibility as a standard website.
Key Features of Progressive Web Apps
Certain key features differentiate PWAs from the rest.
- Accessible offline. Through something called a service worker, a PWA can store all the data and resources it requires and therefore can be made available to a user for browsing even when the user’s device is not connected to the internet.
- Fast loading. A great deal of data has already been cached, thus making the PWA load very quickly even without pulling data from the server every time.
- Feels like an application. Smooth interface; ability to dynamically adjust to the dimensions of the screen; and user interface controls that are specifically designed to be used by touch all contribute to a PWA feeling like a native application, even though it is just a website.
- Installable without an app store. A PWA can be added to a user’s home screen directly from the browser, eliminating the need for an app store.
- Secure from the ground up. The default security of HTTPS protects PWAs and keeps connections safe.
PWA v. Native App v. Traditional Website
When choosing between the three, the most important factor is the intricacies that each of the three options has.
| Factor | Progressive Web App | Native App | Traditional Website |
| Codebase | One, works across devices | Separate builds needed for iOS and Android | One |
| App store required | No | Yes, with approval needed | No |
| Development cost | Lower | Higher, often 2–3x more | Lowest |
| Offline access | Yes | Yes | No |
| Search engine visibility | Strong — fully indexable | Limited | Strong |
| Installable | Yes, straight from browser | Yes, via app store | No |
| Performance | Fast, near app-like | Fastest, native hardware access | Depends on build |
A PWA sits in a genuinely useful middle ground — it costs less than a native app, reaches more people than an app-store download, and outperforms a plain website on speed and engagement.
What Real Businesses Have Gained From Switching
The theory behind PWAs only matters if it actually plays out for real companies, so it’s worth looking at what’s happened when well-known brands made the switch.
Starbucks built one of the most widely cited PWAs around, letting customers browse the menu, customize drinks, and add items to a cart even while offline. Their PWA reportedly weighs in at a small fraction of the size of their native iOS app, while Starbucks has reported that daily active users on the web version roughly doubled after launch, with web orders approaching the volume of their native app.
Alibaba was one of the first large companies to use a PWA, and they saw significant increases in conversion rates, reportedly around 76% more than before, as a result of faster page loads and improved re-engagement via push notifications and home-screen app installs. AliExpress, a sister company, saw similar gains following the rollout of its PWA.
After Pinterest rebuilt their mobile site as a PWA, they realized significant improvements in core engagement, time spent on their site, as well as sign-ups.
These specific companies show some of the best-documented results after converting to a PWA, but most companies see positive results after making the switch. Lower load times and offline accessibility increase both engagement and conversion rates.
Benefits of Progressive Web Applications for Business
- Improved performance. When a web page loads quickly, so does everything else. Because pages in a PWA are progressive, it will load quickly and improve user experience. PWAs will improve your conversion rate and decrease bounces.
- Improved engagement. Rather than relying on your user to type in a URL, PWAs can send notifications from a user’s home screen.
- Lower development cost. An app framework that is code-based and works across all platforms is far less expensive to construct, develop, and manage than proprietary apps for both iOS and Android. This is typically in the range of 20%–40% of the total cost of building native iOS and Android apps side by side.
- Better conversion rates. Faster page performance and an application that loads and operates smoothly are shown to drive an increase in completed purchases and/or inquiries, particularly for ecommerce and service-based businesses.
- Simplified updates. There are no requests for users to download new versions and no waiting on an app store’s approval. A progressive web application (“PWA”) updates as soon as a user visits the site.
Common Use Cases
There are numerous industries that PWAs serve, although a few stand out as especially strong use cases:
- Ecommerce, online marketplaces, and retail shopping applications, especially for less developed regions of the world that still have significant portions of a population without access to high-speed internet.
- Education apps that need to provide a portal of instructional resources in regions of the world that suffer from unpredictable and intermittent internet access.
- News and media apps that provide access to news content even in regions with unreliable internet access.
- SaaS dashboards and internal business applications that require high speed and low latency.
Built around the same unifying factor: mobile platforms with variable-quality internet, or strong needs for offline access, tend to yield better outcomes.
How a PWA Is Constructed
Generally, construction of a solid and reliable PWA takes five steps.
- Planning and documenting requirements. This includes the user’s perceived needs, combined with business goals and technical requirements.
- Design. A mobile-first, responsive design is necessary for a PWA to feel like a native app. Without this, a PWA would feel like a plugged-in website, rather than an app.
- Development. This stage is where the finer technical details are taken care of, such as service workers, caching, the web app manifest, and the performance of the PWA.
- Testing. The PWA is tested across a variety of devices to ensure it is fast, user experience is consistent, and the app functions offline.
- Launch and ongoing upkeep. Like any other application, a PWA requires monitoring and occasional maintenance after the initial launch.
When to Bring in a Developer
While it is possible to build a PWA yourself for a small project, it is a good idea to hire a developer in the following situations:
- You want a secure, scalable solution that is not just a quick prototype.
- You require advanced custom integrations and features.
- Performance and SEO are crucial to your end goal.
- You want a solution that isn’t a one-time build.
Developers who have built PWAs are already accustomed to the usual hurdles builders face when dealing with caching, manifest, and service worker errors, which helps them greatly speed up the development process.
SEO Benefits of Progressive Web Apps
Probably the most underestimated advantage of a PWA is how search engines rank them.
- Fully indexable. A PWA behaves like a website, which allows search engines to crawl and index pages just like any other page, unlike a native app, where users have to go through an app store to access it.
- Faster load times. Page speed is a ranking factor, and PWAs are built to actually load quickly thanks to smart caching technology, as opposed to traditional websites.
- Built for mobile-first indexing. PWAs are actually built for the mobile web, meaning the way Google indexes web pages aligns perfectly with PWAs.
- Stronger engagement signals. Features like lower bounce rates and increased time on the site translate to a better site ranking.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a progressive web app?
It’s an app that, when installed, behaves as a traditionally built app, offers features like push notifications, runs in the background, and can work without an internet connection, all while being developed using web technologies to avoid the app store.
Is a PWA better than a native app?
It all comes down to the use case. However, PWAs work across every browser, cost less to develop, and are built to be easily discovered by search engines, whereas native apps allow for greater access to a device’s hardware.
Does a PWA need app store approval?
No. There is no app store process required to install a PWA, unlike a native app.
Are PWAs good for SEO?
Yes. With strong performance, mobile-first design, and fully indexable content, search visibility will benefit.
Should I hire a developer to build one?
If your project will need to scale, will need to manage sensitive data, or will have to sync with other systems, hiring a developer will likely be a better use of time and money compared to the DIY route.
The Bottom Line
PWAs provide a unique advantage for businesses between the cost of a native app and a fully responsive website. Case studies on Alibaba and Pinterest have shown stellar results. While smaller businesses shouldn’t expect the same astounding results, PWAs provide value at a fraction of the cost and time native apps require.
Whether you’re developing a new website or a new system, a well-built PWA should be one of the first things you consider when trying to improve value.
