Introduction

You need a native app. That’s what we’ve been told repeatedly since Apple first announced the iPhone App Store.

And perhaps you do. Native apps can make sense depending on an organization’s size and needs.

But what about potential customers who don’t have your app? Or current customers on a desktop computer? What about people with limited space on their phones who delete apps to make room for other things? What is their experience like?

This is where progressive web apps (sometimes referred to as PWAs) shine. They combine the best features of the web with capabilities previously only available to native apps. Progressive web apps can be launched from an icon on the homescreen or in response to a push notification. They load nearly instantaneously and can be built to work offline (Fig 0.1).

Best of all, progressive web apps simply work. They are an enhancement to your website. No one needs to install anything to use a progressive web app. The first time someone visits your website, the features of a progressive web app are available immediately. No app stores (unless you want them). No gatekeepers. No barriers.

Early adopters of progressive web apps have seen significant returns on their investment. Housing.com increased conversions by 38 percent with a progressive web app (http://bkaprt.com/pwa/00-01/). Travel website Wego has seen 26 percent more visitors, a 95 percent increase in conversion, and a threefold increase in ad click-through rates (Fig 0.2) (http://bkaprt.com/pwa/00-02/). Lancôme’s mobile sales increased 16 percent year over year after launching a progressive web app (http://bkaprt.com/pwa/00-03/).

Without knowing more about you and your organization, I can’t say for certain whether you need a native app or not. But if you have a website—particularly one that is tied to revenue for your organization—you need a progressive web app.

The only questions that remain: What should your progressive web app do, and what should it look like? That’s what this book is for.

This book guides you through the decisions you’ll need to make about your progressive web app, and how those decisions can impact the scope of your project. It will help you avoid common pitfalls and show how seemingly simple decisions can require far more functionality than their surface appearance implies.

While certain progressive web app features require JavaScript, there is very little code in this book. There are many resources for developers that describe how to build a progressive web app (many listed at the back of the book), but this isn’t one of them.

This book was written for teams who are tasked with designing and building a progressive web app to understand what is being asked of them. It will help designers, product managers, and business unit owners gain a common understanding of what a progressive web app is and what features make sense for your organization. It will help your team define a roadmap, so your customers will benefit from progressive web app features as you complete them, instead of waiting for one big app release.

Progressive web apps represent much more than the discrete technologies that comprise them. They herald a new era where fast and immersive experiences are democratized. It’s not surprising that some of the earliest adopters of progressive web apps have been in developing markets where storage is limited, connections are slow, and networks are metered.

We’re on the verge of a web renaissance. I’m pleased you’ve decided to join us on the journey. Let’s begin.