How we got 60% of customers to install our PWA

Most websites convert 1–3% to PWA install. Our restaurant ordering pages convert 60%. The trick is friction, not features.

By Osama Khan

Counter-intuitive: less promotion, more results

Most apps show an "Install Now!" banner on first visit. Bounce. We don't do that.

We show the install prompt **3 seconds after a successful order**. The customer is already happy, already engaged, and now they see: "📲 Install this app — get notified when your order is ready."

Install rate: 60%+ vs. industry standard 1–3%.

The native iOS sheet

Android browsers fire the `beforeinstallprompt` event. iOS Safari doesn't — Apple makes you go through Share → Add to Home Screen.

So on iOS we show a custom modal with step-by-step iconography. Users follow it. They tap Share. They tap Add. They tap Done. App installed.

The dismissal trick

If the user dismisses, we don't ask again for 7 days. localStorage timestamp + a guard at top of `showInstallPrompt()`. Don't be annoying.

Why install rate matters

Installed users:

• Order 4× more frequently than non-installed
• Open the app from home screen (no URL typing)
• Receive push notifications about deals (open rate 40–60%)
• Are essentially "subscribers" we can market to forever

The ratio is the moat

Once 60% of your customers are installed, you have a direct line to them. No Instagram algorithm. No FoodPanda commission. No "boosted post" required. Push them once with a "20% off pizza tonight" and orders pour in.

This is the long-term play. Every restaurant we onboard starts collecting installed users. By month 6 they have 300–500. By month 12, 1,000+.