The Mobile Dilemma for Small Businesses
You know your customers are on mobile—over 70% of web traffic comes from smartphones. You've considered building a mobile app, but the costs are daunting: $50,000-$250,000+ for native development, plus ongoing maintenance for both iOS and Android.
Enter Progressive Web Apps (PWAs): websites that look, feel, and work like native apps—at a fraction of the cost.
What Is a Progressive Web App?
A PWA is a website built with modern technologies that enable app-like features:
- Installable: Users can add it to their home screen (no app store needed)
- Works offline: Core functionality available without internet
- Push notifications: Re-engage users just like a native app
- Fast: Loads instantly, even on slow connections
- Responsive: Adapts perfectly to any screen size
The key insight: PWAs combine the best of websites (easy to build, easy to update, no app store fees) with the best of apps (immersive experience, offline access, push notifications).
Real Examples You May Have Used
- Starbucks: Their PWA is 99.84% smaller than their iOS app
- Pinterest: PWA increased engagement by 60%
- Twitter Lite: Reduced data usage by 70%
- Uber: Works on 2G networks for emerging markets
PWA vs. Native App vs. Traditional Website
| Feature | Traditional Website | PWA | Native App |
|---------|-------------------|-----|------------|
| Works offline | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Home screen install | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Push notifications | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| App store required | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Automatic updates | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Works on all devices | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ (need iOS and Android versions) |
| Development cost | $ | $$ | $$$$$ |
| Maintenance cost | $ | $ | $$$$ |
Why Small Businesses Are Choosing PWAs
1. Dramatic Cost Savings
Native app development:
- iOS app: $25,000-$100,000+
- Android app: $25,000-$100,000+
- Ongoing maintenance: $5,000-$20,000/year per platform
- App store fees: $99/year (Apple) + 15-30% revenue share
PWA development:
- One codebase for all platforms: $5,000-$30,000
- Maintenance: Included with regular website updates
- No app store fees or revenue sharing
Savings: 70-90% less than native development
2. No App Store Gatekeeping
Native app challenges:
- Approval process can take weeks
- Risk of rejection
- Must comply with store policies
- Revenue sharing (15-30%)
- Users must actively download from store
PWA advantages:
- Deploy instantly (it's just a website)
- Update anytime without approval
- Keep 100% of revenue
- Users can install directly from your site
3. Better Discovery
The app store problem: Unless you're a major brand, getting discovered in app stores is nearly impossible. There are over 2 million apps in each store.
PWA advantage: Your PWA is found through search engines just like your website. SEO works. Google indexes it. You don't need separate app store optimization.
4. Immediate Access
Native apps: User must find your app, download it (maybe 50-100MB), wait for install, then open it.
PWAs: User visits your site, uses it immediately, can optionally install (typically 1-5MB) with one tap.
Result: Much higher conversion from visitor to engaged user.
PWA Features That Matter for Small Business
Offline Capability
How it works: PWAs cache content locally so core features work without internet.
Use cases:
- Restaurant menu viewable offline
- Service catalog accessible anywhere
- Contact information always available
- Forms that save and sync when connected
Push Notifications
Business impact: Re-engage customers without relying on email or social media.
Use cases:
- Order updates ("Your pizza is ready!")
- Appointment reminders
- Sale announcements
- New product alerts
- Loyalty program updates
Stats: Push notifications have 90% delivery rate compared to 20% for email.
Home Screen Installation
Why it matters: An icon on the home screen means:
- Higher visibility and recall
- Easier repeat access
- Perceived as "real" app by users
- No app store friction
Fast Performance
PWAs are engineered for speed:
- Instant loading (cached resources)
- Smooth scrolling and animations
- Responsive to touch inputs
- Works well on slower connections
Is a PWA Right for Your Business?
PWAs Are Great For:
- Restaurants: Menu browsing, online ordering, loyalty programs
- Service businesses: Booking systems, service catalogs, customer portals
- Retail: Product catalogs, simple e-commerce, loyalty programs
- Content sites: News, blogs, resources (offline reading)
- B2B: Client portals, documentation, tools
Native Apps Are Better For:
- Complex games with heavy graphics
- Apps requiring deep device integration (camera-heavy, Bluetooth)
- Apps where app store presence is essential (certain industries)
- Very complex applications with extensive offline requirements
Questions to Ask:
- Do my customers need to use this frequently? → PWA makes repeat access easy
- Is offline access valuable? → PWA can provide it
- Would push notifications help? → PWA supports them
- Is my budget limited? → PWA costs much less
- Do I need to update content frequently? → PWA updates instantly
Getting Started with a PWA
What Makes a Website a PWA?
Technical requirements:
- HTTPS: Secure connection required
- Service worker: Enables offline and caching
- Web app manifest: Defines how app appears when installed
The good news: if you're building a new website with modern frameworks (like Next.js), adding PWA capabilities is straightforward.
Progressive Enhancement
You don't have to go all-in immediately. PWA features can be added progressively:
Phase 1: Fast, mobile-optimized website (baseline)
Phase 2: Add offline caching for key content
Phase 3: Enable home screen installation
Phase 4: Implement push notifications
Working with Your Developer
Questions to ask:
- Does your framework support PWA features?
- What offline functionality makes sense for my business?
- How will push notifications integrate with my workflow?
- What's the additional cost/time for PWA features?
PWA Success Stories
Small Business Results
Local Restaurant Chain:
- PWA replaced their native app
- Development cost: 80% less
- Maintenance: 90% less
- User engagement: Comparable to native app
Service Business:
- Added PWA to existing website
- Push notification opt-in: 65%
- Repeat visits increased 40%
- Booking completion improved 25%
Retail Store:
- PWA with product catalog
- Load time: Under 2 seconds
- Offline browsing enabled
- Mobile conversions increased 35%
The Bottom Line
Progressive Web Apps offer small businesses the benefits of mobile apps without the enterprise-level costs. They're fast, engaging, and discoverable—and they work on every device with a web browser.
If you've been holding back on mobile because native app development is too expensive, a PWA might be exactly what you need.
Interested in exploring PWA for your business? Contact us to discuss whether a progressive web app is right for you.