It’s the time of smartphones, the digital revolution, and tech-savvy users. People want the ease of a mobile app while not wanting to get caught up in constant loops of updates, storage issues, and a lagging device. Interactive apps are a new reality; however, users have now become very choosy about filling up their phone’s memory with any heavy app. This has made way for highly efficient web solutions that combine the strength of a mobile app with the robustness of a web app—progressive web applications, popularly known as PWAs.
Let’s explore what PWAs are and when you should consider progressive web app development for your business.
What Are Progressive Web Apps?
Progressive web apps are designed to emulate the look and functionality of native mobile apps. They blend the features of a web browser with advanced enhancement strategies to deliver a native app-like experience on any device. PWAs unleash the simplicity of website coding by combining the appeal and usability of apps.
Here’s the difference between Native and Progressive Apps.
| Criteria | Native Apps | Hybrid Apps | Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) |
| Coding Approach | Platform-specific coding. | Relies on frameworks like Ionic, Cordova, React Native. | Hybrid between websites and apps. |
| Codebases | Separate codebases for different platforms. | Shared codebase in many cases. | Single codebase for all platforms (web, mobile, desktop). |
| Native Capabilities | Utilizes a device’s native capabilities extensively. | Accesses most of a device’s native capabilities. | Limited access to a device’s native capabilities. |
What are the Benefits of Progressive Web Apps Development?
Despite limitations in tapping into native capabilities, PWAs offer several advantages:
It’s reliable and stable.
PWAs can function in offline mode too, providing a stable experience to the users. Imagine your e-commerce PWA faced with low connectivity issues on your user’s device. Your user won’t lose all the browsing progress just because the internet stopped working. The PWA will keep working while the internet resumes.
It’s secure and promising.
PWAs have SSL certificates and ensure user information is secure. Data security is everything these days to earn the trust of your users, and PWAs are secure, reliable, and credible.
It’s quick and lightning.
PWAs employ caching through service workers for a fast and quick experience. Users these days want a no-lag experience while exploring products and services. This specification ensures the best user experience.
It engages customers.
Customer engagement is the key to customer retention. Brands spend a lot of money acquiring new customers, and it’s a loss for them to face rapid attrition. A streamlined digital experience is the first step toward customer loyalty.
It works offline too.
As mentioned above, PWAs work greatly in offline mode too. Users can save PWAs on home screens for faster loading and access them anywhere without losing their browsing progress.
Top Reasons You Must Invest in Progressive Web Apps
Imagine building one app that can work on Android, iOS, and web browsers too, at the cost of one application. It’s a win-win situation for any business. PWAs are a cost-effective alternative to all development and maintenance challenges. Unlike native apps, progressive web app development follows one mantra—code once, use everywhere. It also offers cross-platform compatibility and reaches a wider audience. Here’s how PWAs look to a business owner in terms of benefits.
- Cost-effective
- Customer retention
- Cross-platform compatibility
- Broader audience reach
- Faster development and deployment
- Offline accessibility
- Reduced dependency
- Better SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
When Should You Use Progressive Web Apps?
Below are the scenarios where building a PWA is more beneficial for businesses.
You’ve a Limited Budget.
Small businesses or startups run a limited capital, often lowering costs while following digital trends. For example, a local boutique that deals in homemade products must go for a PWA to create a marketplace to reach a wide set of audiences without going overboard with the costs of developing separate versions for Android and iOS.
You Need a Rapid Entry to Market.
Usually, apps take time to develop, and the QA phase delays market entry. When time is the deciding factor and businesses want to establish a digital presence without delayed development cycles, PWAs emerge as winners. For instance, if a newly launched reading place wants to make a quick entry into the market to deliver engaging content, it should opt for PWA to avoid
You are Looking for Search Engine Indexing.
Online visibility and discoverability have become top priorities for businesses because their target audience spends the most time on the internet looking for products and services. An e-learning platform wants to attract an audience from across the globe. They might want to use a PWA to foster cross-platform compatibility.
You want to reach a wider audience.
Businesses that want to reach a wider audience base should go for PWA. For instance, a news media brand needs a large user base and doesn’t want to get caught up with Play Store approvals.
You want to roll out a compatible app.
There’s a lot stored on users’ devices, taking up a lot of space and affecting device performance. Users in regions with limited storage capacity on their devices, where downloading multiple native apps may be impractical.
A travel agency providing itinerary planning tools may choose progressive web app development, allowing users to access the service without consuming significant storage space on their devices, encouraging adoption in regions where storage is a concern.
You might want to launch frequent updates.
Businesses require agility in rolling out updates and features without relying on app store approval processes.
For instance, a social networking platform looking to quickly introduce new features and improvements may opt for progressive web app development, enabling rapid updates and iterative development cycles for enhanced user engagement.
Partnering with an expert tech partner is the key.
Investing in progressive web app development is crucial for the future of web browsing and customer experience in the e-commerce sector. With advantages ranging from simplified development to improved SEO and user experience, developing a progressive web app can be a valuable investment for businesses. Clavax is a reliable PWA app development company with years of experience in progressive web app development.
