What Is a Progressive Web App? Why Would You Need One?
App usage is growing steadily without showing any signs of slowing down. Hence, it is no surprise that mobile applications open new lucrative business opportunities.
However, building native apps has several disadvantages for businesses, such as time-consuming development, higher costs, complex maintenance, and so on. Therefore, enterprises wanted to develop a mobile app and look for alternative options.
The Progressive Web Apps is emerging as that option, bringing a variety of benefits, including affordable & faster app development, easy maintenance, and a single codebase. Consequently, PWAs are gradually entering the forefront of mobile-web app development.
As a business owner, you must understand progressive web apps before hiring a PWA development company to gain a competitive advantage.
(Also Read More – Top 10 Web Development Companies in UK 2023 )
What is PWA? Progressive Web Apps Explained
Progressive Web Apps (PWSs) are applications built using web technologies with native app-like features and experience. It can be installed and run seamlessly across the web, iOS, Android, and multiple platforms.
Providing a faster, more reliable, and more engaging version of your website, PWAs can utilize the built-in capabilities of the devices they run on, such as cameras, microphones, or GPS.
Precisely, PWAs combine the look, feel, and accessibility of mobile apps, blending with easy app development capabilities.
What are the Advantages of Developing a Progressive Web Apps?
Consider PWA, the fusion between websites and apps designed to run on a single codebase for all platforms. Therefore, you get the benefits of websites as well as the convenience of mobile applications.
Why build a PWA? There are prominent advantages to it, such as:
- Fast Performance
PWAs offer fast performance similar to native apps, which can be optimized with the right strategies. You can further improve loading speed by using cache-first networking, prioritizing resources, and adaptive loading based on network quality.
- Convenient and Accessibility
PWAs can be installed and accessed from multiple platforms, allowing businesses to reach a larger audience. In addition, it can access the core features of devices and loads with slow internet connectivity, providing a better customer experience.
- Stable Experience
With a wide range of benefits like offline access, swift loading, and device compatibility, PWA apps facilitate an improved experience. Also, it combines the best of websites and native apps for better customer engagement.
- Cross-browser Compatibility
One of the most compelling advantages of developing a progressive web app is its ability to function smoothly in the browser of all devices. It can seamlessly adapt to the screen size whether users are accessing your application on a desktop, smartphone, or tablet.
- Platform Independent
Progressive web apps built with web technologies can be installed and run smoothly on multiple platforms. Hence, users can access them on a desktop, smartphone, or tablet, ensuring a consistent and user-friendly experience.
- App-Like Experience
Advancements in browser capabilities and optimization techniques enable PWAs to deliver optimal user experiences on modern devices. Since it can be added to the home screen of a user’s device, it gives the look and feel of a mobile application. Hence, user engagement and retention are improved as a result of reduced friction between accessing a website and installing a native app.
- Responsive Design
Inherently designed to work across multiple platforms and devices, PWAs are highly responsive in nature. It can adjust content and layouts dynamically across devices to deliver seamless user interactions, enhancing accessibility and engagement.
- Developed With Web Technologies
As mentioned above, progressive web apps are built using web technologies, such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. This means a developer proficient in these programming languages can effortlessly develop a high-performance PWA. Additionally, these technologies are easy to learn, use, and integrate with third-party services, further simplifying the app development process.
Top Examples of Progressive Web Apps
It is not a new concept to develop a PWA. Several companies have been using it for years to build responsive applications. Want to know the industry-leading brands investing in progressive web apps? Well, there are many of them, as given below:
- Starbucks
Starbucks is a widely known application with a user base of over 31 million. This application is popular due to its unique Reward and loyalty program and wallet integration. The PWA version of Starbucks is 233KB, making it extremely fast in performance.
This social media platform is widely used and appreciated by users for sharing creative ideas. Users can install Pinterest PWA, i.e., Pinterest Lite App, from the website URL bar. This is an optimized version for lower-end devices or slower network connections.
- Spotify
Spotify is the most popular application people use to listen to their favorite music. It has a lightweight PWA, transforming the web browser experience.
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Conclusion
Fast loading, offline working, and seamless user experience, you get all captivating features for better customer engagement with PWA. By building a PWA, you can get profitable benefits, helping your business grow and generate higher revenue. Hence, hiring a technology-driven PWA development company is the best option for creating an intuitive app with native digital experiences. Additionally, it is a cost-effective app development since companies have to invest in building one stellar web experience packaged and deployed across platforms and devices.
