The Rise of Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)

The mobile landscape has rapidly evolved in recent years. With the high reliability of mobile devices, businesses, and customers need an exceptional mobile experience incorporated with the latest technologies, people are experiencing a Rise in Progressive Web Apps.

Thus, businesses are leveraging the potential of the Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) that lead the charge in revolutionizing the mobile experience. PWAs are web applications that provide a seamless and native-like experience on mobile devices without downloading a separate app from an app store. 

According to a study, PWAs have been more effective in retaining users visiting sites and are most likely to improve conversion rates. 

Due to the immense benefits of PWA for the mobile industry, the PWA market is on the rise at an accelerating rate. It can maybe replace the android and iOS native apps in the coming years. 

In this article, we will highlight how PWA is the future of the next-gen mobile experience. So, let’s unfold what PWAs offer in 2023 and how they can bring new opportunities.

But, before that, we will understand what PWAs are.

What are PWAs?

Well, for those who do not know more about PWA, it stands for progressive web apps. As the name suggests, “progressive” means the next-gen or a step ahead. It is not old technology; it stepped foot in 2015 and was introduced by Google.

A progressive web application integrates the latest technologies while providing the look and feel of an app. Progressive web apps are developed using a much larger web ecosystem, plugins, and community. On top of it, it comes with great ease of deploying and maintaining a website compared to a native application. Once you try your expertise and creativity, you will feel the difference as you do not have to maintain API with backward compatibility.

Throughout its journey, PWA has gained much attention due to its ease of development while providing a fantastic user experience. 

Below is the fantastic journey of PWA.

As we are talking about PWA and its advantages over native mobile apps. But how are they different? Let’s see.

How do PWAs differ from Native Mobile Apps?

If you want to develop unique and highly-interactive mobile apps, then you must understand the limitations of each type of app. Today, many businesses are using native mobile apps that might impact their sales, conversion rates, and other factors.

Looking at the overall picture and considering different factors, you will see how PWAs outranked native mobile apps. Going forward in the age of digitization, native apps can significantly impact your business performance and productivity. 

So, it is time that you must start including PWA apps for better opportunities. Below is a brief table that will help you understand how PWAs are sweeping the native app market.

Real-world Examples of Companies that have implemented PWAs

Many companies have implemented Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) in the real world:

• Twitter: The Twitter PWA offers a fast and reliable experience, allowing users to access the platform offline and receive push notifications.
• Alibaba: The Alibaba PWA improved the conversion rate by 76% and increased the number of monthly active users by 30%.
• Flipkart: The Flipkart PWA increased the time users spent on the site by 40% and resulted in a 70% increase in conversions.
• Uber: The Uber PWA allows users to request a ride and track the driver’s location without installing the native app.
• Pinterest: The Pinterest PWA improved the core web vitals by 60% and increased user engagement by 40%.
• Instagram: The Instagram PWA allows users to access the platform on low-end devices and slow networks, increasing engagement and retention.
• Lancome: The Lancome PWA increased the conversion rate by 17% and reduced the bounce rate by 15%.

Now that you know, PWA is better than native apps. But what are the core elements that build PWA more powerful?

Core Elements of PWA

To make an app PWA, you must consider the following components that work behind the success of PWA. Consider the following as a prerequisite for building a PWA app.

Service worker

It is a JavaScript file that executes separately from the web page and helps provide the features of native and web apps to the end users. It lies between the network and the device, facilitating offline capability, synchronizing data in the background, push notifications, and resource caching.

Manifest.json

It is a JSON file providing a look and feel similar to a Native App. Developers use this file to control and customize the look of the PWA app. Some changes include a full-screen mode app, linking icons and icon sizes, type and location, and critical elements.

Sample Manifest file:

{

  “name”: “My Application”,

  “short_name”: “my_application”,

  “theme_color”: “#208075”,

  “background_color”: “#208075”,

  “start_url”: “index.html”,

  “display”: “standalone”,

  “orientation”: “landscape”,

  “icons”: [

{

   “src”: “launcher-icon-3x.png”,

   “sizes”: “144×144”,

   “type”: “image/png”

},

{

   “src”: “launcher-icon-4x.png”,

   “sizes”: “192×192”,

   “type”: “image/png”

}

  ],

}

HTTPS

It enhances the app’s security as the site is served over HTTPS. PWAs follow the Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol, so they must ensure some rules while transferring and maintaining data security.

Apart from this, there are other components.

Application shell

It is a graphic interface skeleton or simply a template. For example, you want to develop a website with a header, two sidebars, and a footer. The remaining static data is the app shell, where you can simply remove the webpage content and dynamic elements.

These components make PWA more attractive and engaging, giving a rise to Progressive Web Apps. But how can it benefit businesses to scale and create a strong market presence?

Experience the Future of Web Applications: Rise of Progressive Web Apps

PWA benefits include improved speed and performance, native app-like UX, and multi-platform usage. But it is just the start; PWAs have more to offer; let’s take a look.

Shorter time-to-market.

PWAs have changed the outlook of every business by speeding up the development and deployment process. The main reason is that developers can save time creating separate apps for different platforms. 

Lightweight (revolutionizing the mobile experience)

While PWAs come with spectacular features, such as being unexceptionally lightweight. The top example of Tinder’s PWA is now 90% smaller than its native app, reducing the load times from 11.91 seconds to 4.69 seconds.

Improves user engagement.

Being a mobile-dominant market, some businesses still get significant traffic through the desktop. This might be due to the different and changing goals of mobile users. For this, businesses must work on creating a fully-functioning website offering great UX. 

PWA helps to achieve those goals and significantly improves user re-engagement. 

Offline support.

Not being able to access data and websites during a low internet connection or while on a flight and spending long hours without the internet is a problem. But PWA takes care of it and helps you to stay connected and access information, but how?

It is possible due to the service worker caching the information while the device is online and then displaying it without an internet connection. It keeps users engaged. Thus, businesses are using PWAs as it takes care of the customer’s pain point.

Improves page loading speed.

Based on advanced caching capabilities, PWA apps are faster to load than native apps. This is the plus point for businesses to reduce bounce rates due to slow load time or poor website performance. 

Platform independence.

This is the topmost reason PWAs bag the crown for a better performer. The developers must develop once, and the code will work for each platform, providing the same look and feel. PWA apps can adapt well to the underlying platforms with great ease, significantly reducing the development time, bounce rate, and complexity and enhancing visibility. 

Anyone can access the app through their mobile phone, which has a web browser. It will revolutionize the mobile experience.

All these benefits are possible due to the wide range of features being offered by PWA.

Technology stack for PWA development 

A typical tech stack for Progressive Web App (PWA) development includes:

• HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for the frontend
• JavaScript frameworks such as Angular, React, or Vue.js for building the user interface and handling client-side logic.
• A web framework such as Express or Nest.js for the backend
• A database such as MongoDB or Firebase for storing data
• Service Workers for caching and offline functionality
• Web App Manifest for installation on the user’s device
• HTTPS for secure communication
• Lighthouse for auditing and improving PWA performance.

Best Practices and Considerations for Building PWAs.

When building Progressive Web Apps (PWAs), there are a few best practices and considerations to keep in mind to revolutionize the mobile experience.

• Use a Service Worker: Service Workers are a crucial component of PWAs and allow offline functionality and background updates.
• Make use of a Web App Manifest: A Web App Manifest allows users to add your PWA to their home screen, making it feel like a native app.
• Use HTTPS: PWAs must be served over HTTPS to ensure secure communication and take advantage of features such as Service Workers.
• Optimize for performance: PWAs should be fast and responsive, so optimize images, use a Content Delivery Network (CDN), and minify your code.
• Make use of push notifications: PWAs can send notifications, resulting in increased engagement and retention.
• Design for mobile first: PWAs are often accessed on mobile devices, so it’s essential to design for the small screen and touch interactions.
• Keep accessibility in mind: PWAs should be accessible to users with disabilities, so follow accessibility guidelines and test your app with screen readers and keyboard navigation.
• Test your PWA on different browsers and devices: PWAs are web apps that must be tested on different browsers and devices to ensure a consistent user experience.
• Auditing with Lighthouse: Lighthouse is a powerful tool that allows you to audit your PWA’s performance and quality. It is a good idea to use it to improve the quality of your PWA.

OnGraph- developing PWAs to drive digital transformation.

Embracing the rise of Progressive Web Apps

Developing Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) can be a powerful way to drive digital transformation for businesses. PWAs offer several benefits, such as offline functionality, push notifications, and fast performance, which can help increase engagement and retention. 

PWAs are also accessible to users on various devices and browsers, which can help expand a business’s reach. By following best practices and considering important factors such as performance, accessibility, and user experience, businesses can create PWAs that provide users with a seamless and smooth experience. Additionally, PWAs can effectively bridge the gap between traditional web and native mobile apps, providing a cost-effective solution for businesses looking to drive digital transformation.

We believe that the market of Progressive Web Apps will go further.