Considerations for Choosing Progressive Web Apps Instead of Releasing Apps

Establishing a technology company that relies on the internet as its main business area, is often faced with thinking about whether or not to release an application. However, considering the current conditions, each company has generally launched their own application.

These conditions, make the level of churn very high. The level of sustainability of an application in smartphone users are getting less and less to download, when the benefits are not so pronounced for them. Especially if the UI/UX looks less attractive. Another drawback, the cost of maintaining the application is not cheap.

These shortcomings have become a dilemma for companies whether they need to jump into the flow or remain idealistic mobile web just. One of the solutions offered to developers is to take advantage of the Progressive Web Apps (PWA) technology that Google launched last year.

Strategic Partner Manager of Google APAC Rica Handayani explained that the application was designed to improve engagement, but if you look at the range, it is not good because it requires a 3G network and above. The opposite condition is shown by mobile web. In terms of reach, it is very broad, but the level of engagementit's not good.

From the data collected by Google, accessing mobile web at least it takes time loading for 19 seconds in 3G network. When the site delay more than three seconds, will potentially lose consumers as much as 53%.

PWA has the advantage that it can be visited online offline, can receive notifications, and can be accessed by feature phone though. Thus, the consideration of diverting from mobile web to PWA becomes more appropriate especially when the company operates in Indonesia. Remember, user smartphone has not yet reached the interior level and the network is not evenly distributed.

"That PWA mobile site which in-upgrade as mobile app. Meanwhile, PWA users in Indonesia and around the world, on average, come from [service] E-commerce, online travel, and news publishers. Other industries, such as games, haven't implemented it yet, even around the world. No examples yet case studyfor that," explained Rica when speaking at the 2017 Seamless Indonesia conference, Wednesday (11/10).

One company that implements PWA is Twitter. In Indonesia, some time ago Twitter announced it to the public. Rica explained, after Twitter implemented it, it managed to increase the visit rate by up to 65%. Number of tweets (tweet) increased by 75% and attracted 1 million users who put icon Twitter in Home Screen they.

Twitter also noted the data consumption rate of PWA is only 0,6 MB. Smaller than when accessing via the Android application about 23 MB or iOS by 100 MB.

Other companies, OLA, apps ride hailing in India, also a PWA user. OLA noted that it can book more than 1 million trips every day and acquire more drivers up to 600 thousand. The company has also reached more cities in India up to 110 cities.

After implementing PWA, OLA managed to enter tier 2 and 3 cities. Of the total booking that companies receive on a daily basis, about 20% comes from users who access PWAs. These people were previously users who useduninstall OLA application.

"OLA sees conversion rates from users in tier 2 cities as being as high as users from native apps. In fact, the conversion rate in a tier 3 city is 30% higher than native apps."

PWA is now accessible through Opera, Internet Explorer, Samsung Internet Browser, and Mozilla.

Another example is the cosmetics company Lancome. The company managed to increase visit duration by up to 53% for visitors from the iOS platform.

In Indonesia alone, several companies that have used PWA include Tokopedia, Kaskus, Liputan 6, Bukalapak, DailySocial, Viva.co.id, JD.id, Traveloka, Kapanlagi Networks, Babe, Kompas, Brilio, and so on.

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Discolsure: DailySocial is the media partner of Seamless Indonesia 2017