Have you heard of progressive web application (PWA), but you really don't understand what it means? You are in the right place! It's a reality, smartphones are already part of your life (you could say they are an extension of the body right) And, with them, mobile applications. Different mobile apps developed by
app developers are available to buy at your favorite clothing store, to make a food order, to reserve a dinner at a restaurant, etc., there are hundreds of things you do through your smart mobile phone. PWA are making their way (it's about turning your website into an app). In this guide, we want to explain what they are, the advantages they offer to your website, and the plugins with which you can turn your WordPress into a Progressive Web Application.
There are many companies and businesses that have already seen a great future in apps as a mobile marketing tool and are betting on them. Creating a responsive website is very important. However, we are in the era of mobile apps, and you need to contact mobile app developers to join the trend. Although adapting web pages to different mobile devices seems to be a great advance. Many of the websites, blogs, and online stores that have opted for a responsive design have had to face serious problems of compatibility (between web browsers) and with it a very bad mobile experience. But PWA was born to offer an alternative solution, with the aim of offering a better user experience (even when you don't have an Internet connection).
What is a PWA, how does it work, and what is it for?
The first thing you should understand is what is a PWA. In a very simple way, one could say that a PWA is the sum of the best features of native apps and web pages. They somehow blur the barriers that can occur between a native application and a website but selecting the best of each one. In 2015, designer Frances Berriman, along with Google Chrome engineer Alex Russell, brought the term Progressive Web Apps to life. With it, they described the applications that used and took advantage of the characteristics of most browsers.
But many of these technologies already existed before even Berriman and Russell coined the term. The
Progressive Web App has evolved from web technology based on "services workers." What does this mean? Well, the PWA executes the functions in the background, even when the browser of the computer or mobile device is not open. And it is that the PWA emerged with the sole intention of optimizing the performance of any website (including WordPress installations) and to adapt them to any type of mobile device. Like native apps, these are developed with HTML, CSS, and Javascript code.
What role do PWAs play in a mobile marketing strategy?
Thanks to the ease of being shared, PWAs have become an essential marketing strategy for any business (the reason for this is the help it provides to SEO positioning). As with a native mobile app, you must have a launch strategy planned both "pre" and "post" to maximize the number of downloads and interactions.
If you are going to launch a PWA, you have to generate expectations in users, since they have to wish to have it on their smartphones. Spread the premiere on all your social networks and, the more people know that you are going to launch your progressive web application, the more chances they will download them. Imagine that a small business (a restaurant, a hairdresser, a gym, etc.) is going to launch a PWA. It could prepare some flyers to distribute to customers at the store when they visit. In that brochure, you can add a
QR code so that customers can scan it, and in seconds they have the PWA installed on their mobile phones.
The best way to encourage the download is to know how to transmit its value and the benefits that the users will obtain. On the other hand, why not organize a launch event? This can also be a great pre-launch strategy, for example, with a welcome cocktail or access to a face-to-face raffle in celebration of the event. We recommend you make use of creativity and innovation. The competition is very large, and the more original you are and the more you differ from your competitors, the more opportunities you will have to get downloads.
