JMBullion.com’s mobile conversion rate increases 28% and page load time decreases 54% after the retailer updates its mobile site to a progressive web app.
Precious metals retailer JM Bullion makes its living selling shiny objects. But the online retailer chose to revamp its mobile design to a progressive web app—not because it is the slickest and shiniest new form of design, but because it was the fastest.
Speed is extremely important to web-only JMBullion.com, says Al Lee, director of web technologies. The retailer sells metals including silver, gold, platinum and palladium at current market prices, which are constantly changing. Many JM Bullion shoppers are monitoring these prices and want to pounce when they see a good price, Lee says.
“As they see the desirable price level, they will want to complete the shopping and checkout process quickly before the price changes,” Lee says. “This is why we want to make sure our digital experience is as fast and as frictionless as possible.”
This is especially true on mobile devices, when shoppers are already on the go and pressed for time, Lee says. Sales from smartphones account for roughly 30% of total revenue, he adds.
JM Bullion’s new progressive web app
JM Bullion earlier this year updated its mobile site to a progressive web app (PWA) with mobile design vendor WompMobile. A PWA is a form of mobile design that formats the page to the size of the shopper’s screen and offers the look and feel of an app, but in a mobile website. The new site launched in mid-June and already the average smartphone load time decreased more than 55% to now load a page in 2.8 seconds on average across the smartphone site from about 6.3 seconds before the PWA, Lee says.