Ultimate Guide to Progressive Web Apps

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Web App Development

The term PWA (Progressive Web Apps) was coined in 2015 by Google, and in a short time, it becomes one of the buzzing most software in this digital era. With billions of people using smartphones, the information is stored in an optimized format on mobile devices. According to Gartner, they predict that by 2020, Progressive Web Apps will replace 50% of customer facing apps. Nowadays, browser functionalities enable you to build web applications that were previously exclusive to native apps. One can get the best experience by hiring progressive web app companies for better results and the highest conversion rates. 

For any technical person, it’s effortless to understand what is progressive web apps and their implications. However, to make a layman understand progressive web apps can entirely be robust, so we are here with a no-nonsense guide on progressive web apps with giving you innumerable benefits of PWA.

What is Progressive Web App?

Progressive Web app is an application that provides features based on device support that gives offline capability, push notifications, and other look and feel for local caching of resources. PWA is a kind of website developed with specific technologies to offer a mobile experience with a more pleasant and mobile-optimized website. Further adding more to this, we have a few of the quick PWA features from where we can get a better understanding of how PWA works like a native app. 

  • Loads Fast
  • Offline Support
  • Very Secure
  • Capable of emitting push notification
  • Has immersive, full-screen user experience 

Understand a few of the characteristics of Progressive Web Apps

To get a better retention rate compared to counterparts, we here listed a few numerous features of progressive web apps.

  • PWA provides an app-like experience: To get a full-screen experience, PWA offers an excellent look & feel like native applications with minimal page refreshes. 
  • Linkable: Users can easily share and bookmark the app URLs where the application can retain or reload its state at the same time. 
  • Discoverable: PWA is a website that works like an application and can easily be discoverable on the search engine result page. It is one of the most significant advantages of using PWA as Native apps. 
  • Progressive: PWA can harness all the attributes of the platform with most devices function excellently and augmenting progressively. 
  • Easy to Install: PWA is very easy to install on any device with making content ready to read in no time. 
  • Responsiveness: A fully-fledged progressive web application can fit all screen sizes while providing an excellent user experience.  
  • Safe: Our PWA can host over HTTPS by preventing all external threats by hampering the website performance. 

How can one develop their own Progressive Web App?

A progressive web app is a kind of website that looks like an app. It’s a web development tool and framework to carve its progressive app with ease. Let’s dive in to get a better idea.

  • AngularJS: It is a robust JavaScript framework that builds highly functional apps using the T-user interface. Additionally, it comes with the right atmosphere to develop a state-of-art web solution that resonates with PWAs. 
  • WebPack: With bundling all JavaScript in one place, developers create an astonishing front-end for a website without prior knowledge and advanced coding. 
  • PWA. Rocks: It’s one of the best resources that prevails on the web and illustrates how it creates PWA, along with knowing it’s working and looks like after its development. 
  • Power Builder: The tool creates web solutions with getting the best option to change the orientation terminology and color of PWA as per your preference. 

Which Framework support is available in PWA?

There are times when different JavaScript-based frameworks support PWA features, have a look at a few of them.

Progressive JavaScript Framework – Vue.JS:

PWA template added with a command-line tool which helps in generating a new Vue.JS PWA app that uses:

  • npm install-g vue-cli
  • vue init pwa my-pwa-project

Angular JS Open-Source Framework:

AngularJS supports PWA where you don’t have to create features of Angular to improve the functionality of the website. Users can add in worker support and app shells for offline Angular 2+ apps. The PWA challenge can cater with the help of native service worker’s support and Angular command-line interface. 

React JS Library:

One can start developing with React JS based on the modern application that helps to create React App 1.0 and an offline-first caching strategy service worker to turn this app into a useful progressive web app. 

What is the alternative to Progressive Web Apps?

1) Native Mobile Apps

Native apps are one of the best ways to build a mobile app. The Swift or objective C on iOS, Java/Kotlin on Android, and C# on Windows phone. All platforms come with its UI and UX conventions that provide a great experience to the user. It can be deployed and distributed through the platform App Store.

The main reason the developer prefers most is it comes with cross-platform development and helps in keeping up-to-date with many different methodologies and best practices. A solo developer can build an app on three platforms and learn about technology, manage libraries, and use a different workflow. If you’re looking to develop your mobile app with a Native app, then you shouldn’t miss this post. 

2) Hybrid Apps

Hybrid apps generally use web technologies deployed to the App Store. The common platforms are Ionic Framework, PhoneGap, Xamarin, and several more usually offer WebView that essentially loads a local website. It uses the concept ‘Write once, Run anywhere’ where different platform code generates at build time using JavaScript, CSS, HTML, and more such device capabilities exposed through JavaScript APIs. 

But the wrong side of this Hybrid app is it provides a common denominator that effectively creates an app that is suboptimal on all platforms and ignores the platform-specific and other human-computer interaction guidelines. 

3) Applications that built with React Native

React Native uses a great approach from the hybrid application: ‘Learn once, write anywhere’. It means the same method can be used across platforms and can help you to create a separate application that comes with a great experience on each platform. React Native can be cost-effective with time as it helps to develop a robust framework for app development. 

Examples of the Progressive Web Apps

  • Flipkart: One of the largest eCommerce sites that recently updates with progressive web apps under the name Flipkart Lite. It will give a combined experience to the user with the web and Flipkart’s native app. With this updated version, Flipkart has increased 70% of the conversion rates and 3X lower data usage.  
  • BookMyShow: A Progressive Web App was developed by BookMyShow in 2017 to increase conversion rates and customer base. It can solve all the problems of users by offering a seamless ticket-booking experience. 
  • Twitter Lite: Twitter lite rolled in 2017 with development in Progressive Web App as 80% of the users use Twitter on their mobile devices. With Twitter Lite users can load pages instantly using lower data and engaging users to use the app more frequently. 
  • Forbes: It is one of the top US business Magazines, which was recently developed in the Progressive Web App to improve user experience. It mainly publishes articles on finance, investment, marketing, and various industries topics. 

Look at a few of the crazy trends in the Progressive Web App Development Industry, which will give you a few highlights about the PWA web app and the best understanding to use the PWA technology. 

Have a look to Progressive Web Apps Case Study

Ending Thoughts

A Progressive Web app is more than just a buzzword. One can use these features to create a more native app-like application and develop a progressive web app to get assured benefits. Additionally, if you’re looking for multi-platform web development, web applications and projects to boost progressive web apps are the right choices for you. You can also Outsource your project as many companies do so. 

Also, we highly recommend hiring a PWA web development company that reflects your brand value with ease and offers website development services catering to your entire demand of the business. Also, if you’re confused about choosing the right mobile platform, then get a better understanding of the mobile app development guide. We have a professional team of web developers who are ready to work according to your requirements and are not only functional but offer a great look and feel to your web app. 

Read Also: Mobile App Development Checklist for 2020

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