Progressive Web Apps: What Are They? [A Quick Overview]

ByScalaCode

In this era of rapid technological advancement, websites are becoming more and more optimized to give users an enhanced user experience. 

Websites that resemble native apps have gained popularity in recent years, and Progressive Web Apps (PWA) is an emerging mobile web that strives to bridge the gap between native apps and mobile sites.

Let’s take a closer look at what Progressive Web Apps are, how they work, and why they’re different from regular websites and native apps.

What Is a Progressive Web App?

Progressive web apps, or PWAs, are web apps that deliver an app-like experience on mobile devices. In short, they bridge a gap between websites and native applications by utilizing three components—

  • Service workers, 
  • Manifest File, 
  • HTTPS

These components are used to give users access to offline functionality. This means users can still use your app even if they’re not connected to a network or don’t have time to download it from an app store. Ultimately, PWAs pack all you’d expect in a native mobile application without having to take up precious space on your device’s storage.

Similarly, there are many other reasons why PWAs are the right options. 

What Are The Benefits Of Having PWAs?

  1. Fast Installation

PWAs, unlike traditional mobile apps, do not require a lengthy and complex installation process, which enhances the user experience dramatically. Users do not have to go to the Google Play or App Store to download an app; they simply download it immediately to their smartphones. 

  1. Mobile-Like Behavior

PWAs are similar to mobile apps but include website features such as database access and dynamic data. However, such websites offer better user experiences than traditional websites. Not just that, they are search engine indexable, which helps to increase their market exposure.

  1. PWA Load-Time Is Faster 

PWAs, as compared to traditional websites, have faster load times. And it is also found that clients get engaged in the application due to faster load times. PWA-enabled web stores can also expect a significant reduction in server load. The client experience will not be impacted in any way, and the system will operate as intended, even during high traffic periods.

Why Should We Use Them?

One common complaint about mobile apps is that their business model locks us into a single vendor’s platform and cuts off usage if we stop paying. This means we can’t go back to a previous version or compare options like we can with websites on common browsers. One way to get around these issues with mobile apps is through progressive web apps (PWAs). 

When they are first to run, PWAs behave just like regular mobile websites, but using some extra technologies can be packaged in such a way that they start working more like native apps once installed. This gives users access to advanced features via APIs such as push notifications without having to download another app and without locking them into one company’s platform.

Who Is Using Them Now?

Some innovative companies, like Twitter, Forbes, and more, use PWAs for their projects. Still, more major brands will likely implement them over time to improve customer engagement, including Alibaba, Pinterest, and Trivago.

PWAs have also been used to increase conversion rates and engagement. For example, the Washington Post saw a 4% increase in conversions after adding a PWA, while AliExpress increased new users by 104%. Also, Flipkart increased conversions by 70% after it launched a PWA. 

It’s clear that there are many benefits to using PWAs, and we can expect to see more and more companies implementing them in the future. Are you ready to make the switch?

How Do I Get Started With PWAs?

To get started with a PWA, you’ll need a few resources. First, hire a custom progressive web app development company, as they will guide you through all of your options and walk you through creating a custom PWA. Next are tools to help turn your idea into something tangible—they’re known as web application frameworks (more on that in a moment). You can also register your own custom domain name to match your app’s URL. 

With everything in place, there are only three steps left before creating a custom PWA. These include user interface design, content creation, and program testing. Each is critical for ensuring that users have an easy time navigating and using your progressive web app.

Wrap Up

PWAs are a great way to improve customer engagement and ensure users have a positive experience when using your app. They’re also an excellent way to avoid platform lock-in and increase conversions. If you’re ready to start with a PWA, hire a Custom Progressive Web App Development company or a custom PWA developer to help you create a custom PWA that meets your needs.