Progressive web apps (PWAs) are websites that deliver a mobile app experience with no need to install an application.

Fast, seamless user experiences across all devices are delivered using application programming interfaces (APIs) and accelerated mobile pages (AMPs). They may be automatically saved around the home screen of cellular devices without downloading an application from a webstore.

The most widely used options that come with PWAs are faster page load times, improved engagement, and better conversion rates. Aside from Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram, businesses that have created mobile-first PWAs include Starbucks and Spotify.

BMW improved customer experience and delivered high quality and interesting content to reflect their values utilizing a PWA. High-resolution images and videos, and pages that loaded 4 times faster than the old site led to four times as many people clicking from BMW.com to some BMW sales site. The company saw a 50% growth in mobile users and 49% more site visits compared to the old site.

Unsurprisingly, business to consumer (B2C) PWAs are proving popular and can they be the right choice for your company to business (B2B) company?

Benefits of PWAs for B2B ecommerce

PWAs are visible to look engines to allow them to be ranked on search results pages (SERPs) and links to content can be simply shared. With fast page loading, low data use, reduced bounce rates, and engaging user experiences, search engine performance for your website will improve.

PWAs use cached data to update information and send push notifications without collecting the user's current email address, so you do not have to request authorization. Which means you can launch offers and promotions quickly and effectively.

Because PWAs have been developed for mobile users they are simple to use with taps and swipes instead of clicks. Along with easy animation and page scrolling options, you are able to enhance your buyers' experiences and lower bounce rates.

It's also easy to apply updates and your users won't have to take any pursuit to see the most recent form of your PWA. If you want to inform them about new features you are able to send them a simple notification throughout their next session.

You don't have to develop a separate mobile app or host your PWA in an app store so they can be developed, designed, and implemented quickly and cost-effectively.

Features of PWAs

There are three distinctive features that make PWAs attractive.

Reliability – your buyers can launch your PWA from their home screen even when their web connection is unstable or maybe they are offline. Key resources are cached and helped by 'service workers' (background scripts to aid offline activity).

Speed – Google states that over half of users (53%) will abandon a website if it takes more than three seconds to load. PWAs load quickly and may meet users' expectations for fast responses.

Engagement – you can deliver an immersive full-screen experience because of the PWA's web app manifest that manages how they launch and appearance, including their house screen icon, launch page, and screen orientation.

PWA technology

Because PWAs are built while using latest web protocols, they offer good security compared to many mobile apps. You will not need development teams to create, build, and maintain separate iOS, Android, or even Windows 10 versions of native applications, which can be costly.

PWAs are as effective as webpages around the desktop as well as on smartphones and other cellular devices, so you can be confident that you are meeting your buyer's needs.

Building PWAs

The shell architecture for your PWA has got the core elements of the design to allow it to operate with no network connection. APIs reduce the amount of data delivered to your buyer's device, enabling you to concentrate on the online experience, which is separate from the background business information.

For example, only 10 components of an item listing might load first, with more products loading because the user scrolls down, in a similar way to Facebook. This means less data must be delivered to the server immediately, increasing the speed of response.

With this separation between your user interface as well as your back office systems user experiences can be revised and tested faster and with less risk.

Is a PWA the right choice for the B2B ecommerce business?

Your buyers' needs should be your starting point. If your catalog is small , your current buyers understand what they need then PWAs may not be an instantaneous priority. However, if you know that lots of your buyers already are using cellular devices for research and getting and also you do not have native apps to support your sales then PWAs count serious consideration.

If your current ecommerce content management system doesn't offer PWA functionality then you will have to take a look at strategy, plans, and preferred ecommerce platform.

Depending in your present position, you have an chance to combine the best of a passionate ecommerce site and native apps to gain a competitive advantage.

Talk to one of our experts for more information about the power of PWAs for your B2B ecommerce business.