Are You Mobile?
I am not asking if your website works on a smartphone. Is it at its best on mobile?
Your site should become a native app in both experience and performance. Your home page can be a first class citizen on an iPhone or Android. It will exist on the homescreen and in the app drawer. When it is tapped it will respond instantly with a custom splash screen even while offline.
< business \ perspective >
Here’s the problem: There is friction when a customer must discover your app, install it, and create an account. People have become resistant to installing new apps simply because the novelty has worn off.
Here’s the solution: A website that behaves like an app. The discovery and onboarding are frictionless because there is no need to install an app. It’s Instant gratification.
The Progressive Web App represents the single greatest leap in engagement opportunity since the introduction of the browser. Because of its intimate relationship with the phone the potential to influence the micro-moment behavior of its user is vast and largely unexplored. Consider just some of the native APIs that a PWA might control: local storage, bluetooth, cache, contacts, camera roll, notifications, sockets, USB, location, payment, speech, and the list goes on. These are bridges to integrate your branded product directly into the lifestyle of the user. If you’ve ever managed a digital ad campaign you will appreciate the value of an impression every time a customer turns on the phone. Your branded icon will be right there on the homescreen as a compelling and ever-present ad.
< technical \ proficiency >
The most significant PWA advancement is the new Server Worker technology. This is custom logic that executes even when your page is not open. It can push native notifications in the background. That is something to get excited about.
We are talking about JavaScript. You will need a professional who is fluent. One that crafts functional, reactive, asynchronous, performant, testable and future-proof ECMAScript.
< creative \ passion >
We are talking about UX. It has to feel like an app. It has to respond quickly to touch and swipe. It has to make sense at a glance. Design an interactive prototype that earns stakeholder’s enthusiastic approval. The end result is a compelling, persuasive, and effortless customer journey.
We are talking about a new paradigm. You will need an experienced influencer who can smooth the path, point developers in the right direction and mentor. You need a change agent like Scott Krause.