I'm Nico van Zyl — an Interface Architect & Progressive Web App Developer.

Progressive web apps are installable, allowing offline access to content and when connected, attract users with push notifications and offer an immersive full-screen experience.

Progressive web apps are built using web technologies we’ve had since the birth of the browser, PWAs are built using HTML, CSS and JavaScript, instead of a proprietary language for each platform, these apps are inherently cross-platform compatible, which means your development costs are considerably lower. Releasing updates are also a breeze and you’re in full control instead of having app store reviews with each new release.

Your users don’t have to go to an app store to download the app. Users can be notified to install the app on their initial visit to the site or via an option. Once the app is installed it looks and functions just like any other app. Google research revealed that PWAs are installed 5-6x more often than native apps. More than half of users who choose to install a native app from banners fail to complete the installation, whereas PWA installation is near-instant without taking them away from the experience.

Your content lives on the web, which can be indexed just like any other website.

Progressive web apps are built to use as little data as possible when accessed and store content on the user's device, by doing that content is available offline and almost instantly, your users can purchase a product or view content even when they have no connection.