The Appinop Blog

World connectivity has been on the rise with the evolution of smartphones. These are here, there and everywhere. We cannot imagine our lives without one! With the increase in the number of mobile devices, progressive web apps are the way to connect websites to mobile phones and hence are the perfect place to invest in.

 

More About Progressive Web Apps (PWA)

 

Progressive web applications are those that run using the mobile browser. Though they do not have some native applications, they almost replicate native applications, only that they run on the browser. The term “progressive” has been included in the term to indicate a betterment on user engagement while at the same time keeping the user interface simple and user-friendly. Google was the first company to begin the process in the year 2015 actively, and it was formally launched just two years back. The freshness of this aspect makes them very interesting for future users and developers. Progressive web applications are better than both the native apps as well as websites. On the first-hand websites are much slower on mobile gadgets, and on the other, the native apps require a plethora of plugins and installation for becoming fully functional making them space-consuming and bulky.

 

The Benefits of Progressive Web Apps

 

Progressive Web Apps have several salient features, which make these apps much better and more efficient. Some of the benefits are as follows:

 

 

1. PWAs Can Work Offline

 

Progressive web applications are beneficial when you do not have internet or prolonged internet connection because these can work fully functionally even with slow or no internet. These apps load instantaneously and automatically save the information from when you had last accessed to these apps. So, imagine you are on a deserted road without any internet connection and hence cannot access Google Maps! However, with progressive web apps, this won’t be a problem for you at all! The reason why these apps can work even when offline is because of service workers, these are middlemen who work bridging the gap between the browser, the network, and the app. This basically helps to resolve the issue with connectivity and provides an efficient connection to the site even when a connection is low or flaky.

 

 

2. These are Easy to Build and User-Centric

 

PWAs are extremely easy to Develop. Primarily, App development company can develop a progressive web application for your business seamlessly. This is because it does not require them to build a new tool or even for them to change the web network. All that is necessary is JavaScript, and you are good to go. In a simple comparative study of a peanut M&M to Progressive Web Apps, you can consider these following points for better understanding the system:

 

● The peanut which lies in the inner core is the Web HTML page content.

● The middle chocolate layer is the CSS presentation layer.

● The outer candy layer is compared to the CSS presentation layer.

● The different colors in a single packet of M&M are the various browsers that support the working of a PWA.

 

Even if you want to develop a PWA on your own without the help of a professional, a simple lesson in JavaScript will provide you with reliable knowledge and information to do the deed. In fact, it is also effortless to take your site that already exists and turn it into a PWA without much hassle.

 

 

3. Leverages Features of Website and Mobile Application

 

Progressive web applications are the best for both worlds, as not only do they encompass the fluidity that you find in mobile apps but at the same time integrate the best features of a traditional website. These are a number of web pages just like a website and are also present on a web browser like Google Chrome, and use either JavaScript, CSS3 or HTML5. These apps may sometimes also use API integrations, which are typically used in mobile apps.

 

PWAs, as already mentioned, have some of the best features of a website, although these are not limited either by the device or the browser. PWAs provide a number of a website like features like quick loading speeds, instant access to pages using a browser, and the contents are shareable and can be categorized.

 

On the other hand, Web application development services frequently use the React Native Framework which provides them with the opportunity to have differential web functioning like splash screens, offline content, full-screen functionality as well as push notifications.

 

Many brands have already amalgamated these features so that users receive push notifications when the price of merchandise has dropped. At the same time, they can shop even without the internet by using PWA. One tip is pre-caching, which keeps the PWA up to date, which helps you to reach the freshest content to your user base as soon as the app is opened.

 

 

4. No Need of Storage Space

 

One of the most frequent complaints of any mobile gadget user is the unavailability of space because of the bulky apps that take up so much space that they become burdensome, which forces the user to uninstall the app ultimately. Unlike traditional apps that you have to install and use, PWAs are nothing like these. These are exclusively hosted on web browsers like any other website, so these apps do not take up any space on your phone. You basically can use these apps without installing them. PWAs provide you with the feel of a native app without the problems you face with an app. You do not need to download the app, but at the same time, you can save the app on your phone with the help of an icon that comfortably sits on your home screen, making the app exceedingly accessible. You do not need to type the name every time you access the app! You can avail of this opportunity for both Android as well as iOs devices.

 

 

5. PWAs Are Linkable

 

PWAs are much like website in essence that they are incredibly linkable, which will help you to build a channel or network that are interconnected. Did you know that every belonging to a PWA has a unique URL, much like a website? What makes this a huge success is a fact that because each of the pages can be opened in a new browser, they can also be bookmarked and shared on social networking sites. Each page in a PWA is just like a website, but on totality, these feel like an app!

 

 

6. These Apps Don’t Have Any Restrictions Like Apps on App Stores

 

Another reason why PWAs are so easy to develop and are also so easy to use is that app developers do not need to create two separate versions for Android or iOS users. The reason why this is not necessary is that PWAs are hosted on web applications, so web developers can easily skip the step that requires them to build two versions of the same app, trying to make them compatible with both Android and iOS. What is even better is that they update automatically, sparingly the user the hassle of doing it manually. This simply means that these have better download and are not only more comfortable to use but also very easy for a developer. So, those iOS or Android users who always crib about not being able to access a particular app because they are not available for their version can throw such worries away because PWAs are available for one and all. It has been continuously noticed that most people hence prefer these in place of the native apps. In fact, with the development of web apps, people replace native apps with the PWAs.

 

 

7. PWAs are Easily Indexable

 

PWAs are highly indexed by the search engine, making these apps very easy to discover. The reason why these apps possess this ability is that these are websites on some level! These apps use HTML for most of the preloaded content, as well as meta tags. For this reason, these can be read by the search engine bots, which then categorize them and provides an index, making merely much easier to find and use! This is one of the most significant advantages of PWAs, these are not only easy to find, but the user-friendly interface makes them even more attractive and hence are used more frequently by users.

 

Closing Words

There is a high possibility that you have been using one or more progressive web application without even knowing it. These are so user-friendly and are so much like websites but also combine the best features of apps; they make the best platform for all apps and websites. There are substantial business chains as well as smaller entrepreneurial enterprises that have now taken PWAs under their wings. This is because of the ease of developing and at the same time because of the advantages that these apps provide to the users!