Progressive web app: accuracy, speed, professionalism
The latest trend in the IT world is the progressive web app (PWA), a transition between native apps and websites. This hugely popular app type could bring a new dynamic to the world of applications. In this post, we have gathered what a PWA should know.
What's wrong with mobile apps?
While apps are hugely popular, it's not easy for those looking to break into the market with a new app. The product pool is huge, which means that users must be selective about what they download and what they don't. Overall, they choose to download fewer mobile apps than before.
A progressive web app offers the solution to this problem – it doesn’t need to be downloaded, but can be used in a browser while looking and feeling exactly like a native app.
Why PWA?
Progressive web apps are characterized by the fact that they blend the features of native apps and websites, forming a transition between them. What this means in practical terms is that, while they have the best features of mobile apps, they are built on a foundation of HTML and CSS.
So, in essence, PWA is a very sophisticated web page that tries to meet the need for users to be able to browse websites with the best possible user experience. Since apps are the kings of user experience, it makes sense that websites are also increasingly evolving in this direction.
It is not platform-dependent, so once an app is built, it can be used anywhere and anytime, without the need to narrow it down to iOS or Android. This can save significant costs and increase the number of people reached. Not to mention that a progressive web app is responsive, so it shows its best face on any screen.
What should a PWA know?
A feature of PWA is that it does not need to be downloaded, but this does not limit its use. Thanks to the fact that the app can be fixed on mobile, it behaves in the same way as a native version but is much more flexible.
The way this works in practice is that, based on the frequency of page views and the quality of the page, a browser such as Chrome can offer to install the application, i.e., fix it. This process becomes automatic, and the PWA will open as an app, meaning that the user will not be able to navigate away from it, but will be able to leave the app at the end of his work.
For the browser to do this, a few conditions need to be met. Let's look at them!
HTTP is a thing of the past
Both native and web apps use push notifications to reach users. To do this, the website mustn't run in HTTP but in HTTPS. The disadvantages of the former include, for example, that notifications cannot be used because they do not meet the security criterion, while HTTPS is shielded.
Progressive web app and flexibility
Web apps can be developed without the need to download, thanks to the fact that a link is enough to take the user to the destination. This also means that there is no need to update, as the latest version is downloaded by default. This is a great advantage, as it does not cause any disruption or difference in the user experience, as different versions can do different things and are at different levels of development.
PWA can help companies to tailor applications even more to the needs of their audience. Because they are very flexible (and you don't have to download them), developers can make improvements based on user feedback. This way, they can improve the app indefinitely and keep up with changing needs.
Native app deployment is often delayed because there is not enough space on the user's phone and deleting existing apps is a hassle and inconvenience. With PWA, this problem does not occur for the reasons mentioned above.
Anywhere, anytime
These types of apps can work without the internet, so you don't need a stable internet connection to use them. Even though internet coverage is not bad, there can be situations when it is not strong enough, bandwidth is low, there is no signal strength, etc. In these situations, PWA can work and perform at the same level.
Immediately or at least within 3 seconds
It is easy for users to fall for the good stuff. That is, if they are comfortable with having everything right in front of them, they are not willing to wait for a single web page to load. The average time a user is willing to wait before navigating out is 3 seconds, after which the number of users who persist drops significantly. Time is a huge asset that no one is willing to waste. Thanks to the speed of PWAs, losing users can be avoided!
The popularity of PWAs is increasing year on year, thanks to their advantages, such as not requiring the user to download the application, and their flexibility to meet all needs. It is also important to note that the development costs of progressive web applications are much lower than those of native applications and that the maintenance costs are more favourable as well. These are very important factors for a profit-oriented company and can be decisive.