Increase App Downloads by Qualifying for 'Progressive App' Label

Statistics show that users who install a business' app are more likely to continue to use their services, which results in return business, views and user engagement. However, getting that app downloaded in the first place is a big hurdle for most app owners. Well, Google is hoping to help you get over the hurdle with Progressive Web Apps, a new technology that combines apps and responsive web design to create an app experience that people can use on or offline from whatever device they choose.

One clever new feature is to have any user, browsing with Chrome, to be prompted to download relevant apps directly to their device's home screen instead of being pushed to the app store. In order for your app to qualify for this type of user experience, it must meet Google's criteria that they've outlined in their extensive best practices guide. We've provided the highlights for you below:

• Content must be crawlable.

• Links should be clean.

• Canonical URLs should be specified.

• Use Responsive Design for multiple devices.

• Add new features one at a time.

• Annotate with Structured Data, Facebook's Open Graph, and Twitter cards when it's sensible.

• Test with Fetch As Google and multiple browsers.

• Optimize for speed.

• Site must use HTTPS.

Google released a large development site dedicated to Progressive Web Apps that outlines how to get started here. From the site, you can get support and use the Lighthouse testing tool to see exactly how your app measures up. If you'd like to dig deeper check out the videos below of Google's June Progressive Web App Summit.