Progressive web apps are somewhat a new concept but have been gaining popularity rapidly over the past couple of years. Today, several businesses from a variety of industries have started switching to progressive web apps, also known as PWAs. And why shouldn't they? These applications offer a plethora of benefits, including low development costs. 

One of the main reasons why PWAs are in high demand today is because they are easy to build, promote, cost-effective, and maintain. 

Now isn't that a win-win situation for businesses, large and small. 

We could get in the details of the benefits of building a progressive web app, but that's not what we're here for today. Instead, we will be discussing the top five features that make PWAs irresistible. 

But first, for those who still don't know what PWAs are, we'll start with a brief explanation.

PWAs are an excellent technological innovation that blends the properties of a native app with that of a web application such as websites. It omits the hassle of downloading the application from an app store and can be installed directly from the browser. Incredible, isn't it?

Research shows, progressive web apps increase mobile website traffic by 68% and average conversion rate by 52%. So, in a debate about which is a better option, Progressive Web Applications Vs. Mobile Apps, PWAs win hands down. 

Now let's get to the relevant part - the features of progressive web applications. 

One of the most prominent features of a PWA is that it's highly secure and adheres to all the high-levels of security standards. It uses secure contexts, ensuring safe delivery of content in any browser or device. These applications are TLS/SSL encrypted and use HTTPS in the page's URL, guaranteeing secure contexts. If the URL of the web application you are using does not begin with HTTPS, then it's not a PWA.

The name of the application itself implies that they are progressive. It only means that PWAs make the most of the features of the user's browser and device. The core feature and content of these apps remain the same irrespective of the type of browser.

Besides being progressive, PWAs are responsive as well. These applications can effortlessly adjust to the size of the device being used to view. As the viewport shrinks or grows, the content and layout of the application changes without reducing the quality or functionality. PWAs ensure the UI and UX of the application remain unaltered no matter the device.

Progressive web applications can seamlessly access the features of your smartphone, which, in turn, enhances user experience. From phone camera to face scanner, GPS, etc., the application can use your phone's features. Well, it can access more features on an Android device than on an iOS device. 

Here's a fun fact. Google, on an average, receives around 3.5 billion searches every day. That's a lot. No wonder Google is one of the largest search engines today. There is a reason for mentioning this fact. As the number of searches increases by the day, it offers excellent opportunities to businesses with PWAs being discovered compared to mobile apps. Users can directly access these applications through their search results and download them to their device.

We live in an age where most of us are, in some way or the other, dependent on technology. And this is just the beginning. Our future is much more technologically advanced. As you can see, PWAs are already future-ready offering unparalleled opportunities to businesses from every industry and helping them grow. If you are looking for a great cost-effective way to improve your customer reach, then you should consider building a progressive web application for your business. It's not too late.