Mobile Commerce: App vs PWA vs Responsive Web
Mobile accounts for 50-70% of e-commerce traffic for most retailers and a growing proportion of transactions. Providing an excellent mobile shopping experience is essential — the technology choice (native app, Progressive Web App, or responsive website) affects development investment, user experience, and conversion rates.
Responsive Web
A responsive website adapts layout and interactions for mobile screens. The baseline requirement — not a strategy. Mobile conversion rates are typically 30-50% lower than desktop on responsive sites, reflecting the UX gap between mobile-optimised and genuinely mobile-first experiences. Responsive is necessary but usually insufficient for mobile commerce excellence.
Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)
PWAs are websites that provide app-like experiences: offline capability, home screen installation, push notifications, fast loading via service worker caching. No app store distribution — users access via browser. Significantly better performance and UX than standard responsive websites. Nike, Starbucks, and many major retailers use PWAs. Development cost: moderate (significant additional engineering above responsive web, significantly less than native app).
Native Mobile App
Native iOS and Android apps provide the best mobile experience: native gestures, biometric authentication, full offline capability, deep device integration. Higher development cost (separate iOS/Android codebases or React Native/Flutter cross-platform). Worth building for: high-frequency purchase categories, subscription businesses, loyalty-driven brands with significant mobile repeat purchase. Not worth building for: low-frequency purchase categories where app installs won't justify the investment.