Creating Micro-Experiences with Progressive Web Apps

Sarah Poore Picture

by Sarah Poore | Last Updated: Nov 13, 2017

Consumer expectations have evolved, and it’s all about what they need In The Now. If you aren’t prepared to give your customer what they want in seconds, forget it–they’re gone. But not only do customers want it instantaneously, they want it hyper-personalized. So what are these in-the-moment, hyper-personalized experiences? They’re called micro-experiences, and they pack a big punch when utilized throughout a customer’s journey with your brand. So, after you dream up a few of these micro-experiences, what technology should you turn to in order to deliver them straight to your customers’ hands in the most seamless way possible? Search no further–the answer is Progressive Web Apps (PWAs). This fast-paced mobile technology will keep up with your fast-paced customer and their fast-paced buying cycle to meet their every need, in every moment. Give Me A PWA Refresher Long story short, Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) combine the functionality of a native mobile app with the accessibility and speed of the web. From a customer engagement standpoint, the benefits of using PWAs go on and on, but the top three are:
  1. Speed. PWAs are faster than mobile apps.
  2. Ease of access. There’s no download required since it’s hosted behind a URL.
  3. Space efficiency. PWAs take up a fraction of the space that native mobile apps take up.
(To get the long story, check out what makes a PWA a PWA or brands seeing benefits from their PWAs.) Why Micro-Experiences Micro-experiences are all the little things that add up to a customer experience worthy of winning your customer’s loyalty. Demand for this type of experience is higher than ever before, and Google has determined that micro-moments are the way to meet that demand and exceed it. It’s all about knowing exactly where your customer is in their journey with your brand, figuring out exactly what they need at that point, and meeting them there with exactly that–everything they need in that moment and nothing more. It’s a bit of a novel concept in this age of information-overload, but micro-moments offer the personalized custom experience your customer craves, and deliver the results your business needs. Knowing where the customer is in their journey and providing them with exactly what they need in that moment is a powerful way for brands to engage customers and promote loyalty, because creating a memorable moment is what will ultimately stick with your customer. But one little micro-experience won’t be enough. Remember: expectations are higher than ever before, which means customers will be looking for the brands that engage them with specific and personalized content throughout their entire experience. Which leads us to me letting you in on a little secret: PWAs Are The Key What better way to meet today’s consumer than on the device that is rarely more than five feet away from us at any moment? Mobile is the answer for micro-experiences–but native apps won’t cut it, and here’s why: Native apps require a download, and it’s just not plausible to ask your customer to download a new app for every step of their journey. Compared to just a year ago, smartphone users are significantly more likely to purchase from companies whose mobile sites or apps customize information to their location. So how can you create that value-adding customization, without using a native mobile app? Remember those PWAs that we were talking about earlier? One of the powerful engagement elements behind them is the fact that they can be accessed without a download. Think about how powerful it would be to offer instantaneous interaction with your brand through contextual activation! Offering the convenience and functionality that a PWA does creates that unique micro-experience for your customer all while enhancing the customer’s “big picture” experience and increasing your return on investment.

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