A Progressive Web App for Small Business: An App Without the App Store

Lots of small businesses want "an app," and the quotes for native iPhone and Android apps scare them off. A progressive web app for small business is often the better first step: it's a website that installs on a phone like an app, opens full-screen from the home screen, and can keep working when the signal drops.

I built one for a community of gardeners who trade and sell what they grow. Here's what a progressive web app (PWA) can and can't do.

What a PWA is

A PWA is a website with a few extra parts:

• A manifest that gives it a name, icon and colors, so it can be added to the home screen
• A service worker that saves key screens and data so they load fast and work offline
• App-like screens: full-screen, no browser bar, thumb-friendly buttons

To the person using it, it looks and feels like an app. To you, it's one code base that works on iPhone, Android and computers.

The gardeners' app

The garden app lets members post what they're growing, list extras to sell or trade, browse what neighbors have, and message each other. Members add it to their home screen, and it opens like any other app. The browse screens are saved, so someone walking through a garden with a weak signal can still look things up.

When a PWA is the right choice

• You want an app quickly and on a reasonable budget
• Your users are customers, members or staff you can send a link to
• You don't need deep phone features (like background location all day)
• You'd rather skip app store reviews and fees

When you need a native app

Some things still call for a real app store app: heavy use of phone hardware, being found in the app store, or features Apple limits in web apps. For that I build iPhone and Android apps from one code base with React Native or Flutter. Many businesses start with a PWA and move to a native app once they know people use it.

Good uses for small businesses

• Field crews checking jobs and uploading photos
• Members of a club, gym or community
• Loyalty cards and rewards
• Event check-in with QR codes
• Ordering for regular customers

Questions people ask

What is a progressive web app?

A website that can be installed on a phone's home screen, opens full-screen like an app, and can work offline.

Do PWAs work on iPhone?

Yes. On iPhone, people add it from Safari's share menu. Some features, like push notifications, have extra steps on iPhone.

Is a PWA cheaper than a native app?

Usually, because it's one code base for every device and there's no app store process.

Can my website become an app?

Often, yes. See the services page or start a project.