Why I was excited about progressive web apps
In 2018 the big names were quietly rebuilding their mobile sites as progressive web apps. Twitter, Instagram, Google Maps and Uber all had one. They loaded fast on bad networks, worked offline and could sit on your home screen like an app.
My question in Bucharest was: why should only big companies get this?
The cost problem
A native app means building for iOS and Android, paying for both, and maintaining both forever. For a small business or a WordPress site owner, that is usually out of reach.
The PWA answer
A PWA is your website with superpowers. It can be installed, it can work offline, and it can send push notifications. Your content stays in WordPress, where your team already knows how to edit it.
Testing it
Run a Lighthouse audit, test in your browser’s device simulator, then on a real Android phone. Fix what breaks. Then decide whether to publish to a store at all.
Looking back, PWAs didn’t replace native apps. But the habits they taught us, offline-first thinking, caching and caring about slow networks, are now just good web development.
