Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) first came to light in 2015. With the rise of mobile commerce, Pwas became widely accepted as one of the best things to come out in the web development space. They are easy to build, cheaper, and more convenient than native apps and websites.
So, what are progressive web apps, and why are they so popular?
We will answer these questions in this article and provide a bonus PWA checklist to help you get started.
What are Progressive Web Applications (PWAs)?
PWAs are a relatively new software development concept combining traditional web development with the latest mobile technologies. PWAs offer users an app-like experience on their mobile devices but with the convenience of a web page.
PWAs are designed to be fast, secure, and reliable. They provide an immersive user experience and keep users engaged with features such as Push Notifications, offline access, and fast loading speeds. PWAs are also designed to be device agnostic, meaning they are accessible on various devices, including desktop and mobile.
Why do businesses need PWAs?
PWAs are becoming increasingly popular in the web development world and are being adopted by many top companies. With their ability to provide an app-like experience while still being accessible from a web page, PWAs are a great option for developers who want to provide users with an immersive experience.
PWAs offer many advantages over traditional web development, such as
1. Fast-loading speeds
PWAs are designed to load quickly, even on slow networks. This means users can access the application quickly without waiting for the page to load. Most global population still uses slow internet connections, especially in inaccessible places.
PWAs are much faster and take less time to load than websites or native apps. This is a great competitive advantage when it comes to increasing the reach of your website. Reaching more people helps your business get more sales compared to your competitors.
2. Offline access
Earlier, web applications relied on reliable network connections; businesses were hesitant to invest extensively in them over native software for a long time. Well, things have changed. Now PWAs are designed to provide access to the application even when the user is offline. This is especially useful for applications that need to be used in locations with unreliable or no internet access.
3. Push notifications
Brands generally use push notifications to inform users about product launches, updates, and discounts. PWAs are designed to send push notifications to users.
Users can engage with your app without returning to your website thanks to push notifications, which enable PWAs to reach far beyond the browser. As a result, PWA supports push notifications and benefits from their appeal and success.
Push notifications attract customers and serve as a reminder of you by showing your company icon and a few lines of text.
To enable push notifications and offline access in general, PWA uses Service Worker. It is a JavaScript file that runs separately from the main browser thread and lets the application control network requests cache them, and access acquired content.
4. Cross-platform compatibility
PWAs can be accessed on multiple platforms, such as desktop and mobile. This means users can access the application from any device, regardless of the operating system.
Native apps require more time and money to develop because they are tailored to specific operating systems. They may cost more since their development periods are longer. You cannot develop a native app that works for android and IOS at the same time. You have to build them differently. Meanwhile, you can develop a single PWA for all platforms.
Users can install the PWA on the home screen or desktop, and it will function like an app as long as the device’s browsers support it. PWAs are shareable and linkable because they can be accessed by URLs.
5. It is convenient
PWAs are convenient from the user’s and brand’s perspectives. Users don’t have to wait long to install PWAs; they can quickly add them on their home screen or desktop. Installing apps and updating them takes a lot of effort from users, and most of the time, they don’t take the time and effort to install and update apps.
Unlike native apps, users don’t need to update PWAs from time to time. PWAs automatically update themselves on the go. From a business perspective, PWAs are cheap and easy to build; their functionality and value help businesses to cut costs while providing great UX.
Building a Progressive Web App: A 4-Point Checklist
There are a lot of misconceptions about PWAs. The most common one is that it’s challenging to build one. On the contrary, building a PWA for your website is relatively easy. Let’s get into the basics of building a progressive web application.
We have compiled a 4-point PWA checklist, so you don’t miss anything important while developing your own PWA.
- You need to build a web app manifest. This is a json file that gives information about the web app. This data usually includes the app icon, the app’s name, background information, etc. You can write the web app manifest yourself or use tools to generate one.
- Add Service workers to your site. Service workers are scripts that run in the background of a website and enable features such as push notifications, background sync, and offline support. Service workers are a javascript script that executes tasks and listens for events like fetch and installation.
They are designed to make web applications more reliable, faster, and more engaging. Service workers also handle tasks such as caching data, receiving push notifications, and enabling background synchronization.
- Add an app icon in your PWA. You can use a jpeg image as an icon. You can generate icons with multiple formats using a web manifest tool. The layout of the tool is mentioned below.
- Ensure your site is served on HTTPS. An SSL certificate provides security to your website, and it is extremely easy to get one. A secure site helps build trust with your users. You can learn more about the importance of SSL certificates by reading our article “eCommerce SSL Certificate: 5 Reasons Why You Need It”.
Should You Build One For Your Store?
In conclusion, Progressive Web Apps (PWA) present many advantages for businesses and users alike. And yes, you should invest your time and money in building a PWA for your site, especially if you are running an eCommerce store. To start things off, you can use a ready-to-use PWA solution. Some of these are PWA Studio, ScandiPWA, and VUE Storefront. You can also hire expert developers to build a PWA from scratch.
With their improved performance and seamless integration with native mobile applications, PWAs are the perfect solution for businesses looking to provide a better user experience and increase conversions.
Brands like Twitter, Instagram, Trivago, Alibaba, and many more have successfully used PWAs to scale their business. This is the perfect time to build a PWA for your store. Developing a PWA can provide a massive competitive advantage to your brand, but you have to hurry as brands in the eCommerce sector are always on the move, and delaying your PWA plans can backfire on you.
Furthermore, businesses can effectively use PWAs to reach a wider audience, and they can be developed quickly and cost-effectively. All these factors combined make PWAs an attractive option for businesses of all sizes.
