A Progressive Web Applications or PWAs has emerged as the ideal solution for the enterprises to mitigate their web and mobile app presence. PWAs can really shape the digital and web experience of consumers in more than one way. While you still develop a website, you can actually provide a fully-fledged app user experience to your target audience.
Here through the length of this post, we are going to explain the key features and strengths that can transform the mobile user experience. But before that, we must have a quick look at the definition of the progressive web application.
What Exactly Is Progressive Web App?
To describe and define in the simplest terms, a progressive web app is actually a mobile app that can be accessed through the web. In other words, a PWA is a website with an app like an interface and user experience. It is completely different
from regular mobile apps as you don’t need to download it from the App Store or Play Store. Progressive web apps or PWAs are great for startups as the technology helps them starting with something that delivers the best of both worlds, mobile apps, and the web while they only spend on a single project.
Most important aspect of PWA is that they are capable of running as self-contained applications in the web browser. With the help of the service workers, progressive web applications are loaded instantly irrespective of the loading speed. The app also stays up to date all the time thanks to the pre-caching. PWA offers a lean way to help users interact with the digital presence of a business.
Most Important Features of PWAs
PWAs come loaded with a bounty of helpful and effective features. Let’s have a quick look at these features.
1. Lucid and Native User Interface
Although users of PWA basically interact with websites, they enjoy a native app like a user interface. The advanced user interface helps with instant loading of links and buttons without requiring users to reload each new page.
2. Offline Access
PWAs allow customers to interact and get access to contents even when they lose internet connectivity. They can easily return to the previous page without an internet connection. This happens because PWAs can load quicker thanks to the Cache API and IndexedDB, both of which can store the resources of the app and data right on devices.
3. Easy Installation
Progressive web apps (PWAs) allow easy installation without needing to visit an app store. The installation is generally a lot quicker and easier in comparison to regular apps. Moreover, the installation can take place in the background.
4. Easy Access to Device Features
Just as regular mobile applications, progressive web apps allow easy access to device features such as camera, Bluetooth, microphone, calendar, battery status, etc. This helps in providing better user experience.
5. Push Notifications
Push notifications are always considered to be integral parts of mobile apps. Thanks to progressive apps, websites also can send push notifications for a variety of reasons including promotional offers, reminders or any updates.
6. Background Function
PWAs continue to load things in the background. In case poor connectivity is a problem, the users will still be able to use the app loaded with the help of pre-caching but as soon as connection is restored, the app will be updated in the background.
Most Important Reasons to Opt for Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)
PWAs stand as great solutions converging both the benefits of websites and regular mobile apps. Let us have a quick look at the key reasons for the businesses to opt for PWAs.
1. Cost Saving
It can be hardly denied that building a regular native app from scratch is expensive and a lot of challenges and cost factors involving monitoring, maintenance, improvement, etc are involved with an app project. In comparison, a progressive web app can save huge investment in two different ways. First of all, a great UX will help developers to finish an app project with less bugs and errors. Secondly, just because progressive web apps don’t need to go through any app store submission and as they can work in any browser and devices, they help save cost of building native apps.
Effectively, PWAs help achieve the same kind of output as traditional apps without requiring to build separate apps for web, iPhone, Android and Windows 10 platforms. This will actually help development projects to save a huge sum of money.
2. Optimum Customer Satisfaction
These days fast-paced mobile users expect a stellar and smooth user experience. Naturally, you can’t expect users to bear with frustrating app complexities, and uncalled-for behaviors. By adopting progressive web apps the companies can deliver for their users a satisfactory user experience that helps them build up a loyal base of customers who are respectful to the business brand.
PWAs typically fit into any app niche and offer all kinds of features and value additions like increased engagement, dwell time, loyalty, retention, clicks, subscriptions, cross selling, upselling, e-commerce features, etc. Many regular mobile apps who experienced a sharp dropout in their user base now get a rise of the user engagement thanks to their new PWAs. Alibaba, the retail giant from China is the latest example of this strategy.
3. Meeting the Competitive Challenges
As the number of apps in the marketplaces is continuously growing, becoming discoverable has become a challenge for the apps. While vigorous advertising or certain free services can allow better competitive lead, there is no alternative to organic user engagement. This is where PWAs easily excel thanks to superior user experience.
Users easily get attracted to progressive web apps because they deliver the ultimate user experience while remaining leaner compared to native apps. PWAs also because of the mobile-first approach offer a seamless user experience. Simply on account of this superior user experience PWAs enjoy a lead over traditional websites and native apps.
4. Boosting User Engagement
The principal focus of the web apps is to help their users get things done faster and access what they need without waiting much longer. This is exactly where PWAs enjoy a lead over traditional apps and websites. PWAs by providing more user centric navigation help getting things done quicker.
Moreover, PWAs simply fit into diverse user needs and as these websites can easily target search engine ranks, they enjoy better discoverability and user engagement. Irrespective of the browser or the device they are opened with, they offer instant access to content and functions.
Conclusion
From seamless offline access to smooth user engagement and easy access to contents and features to great native user experience to cost benefits for the app projects, PWAs come with a bounty of advantages for the businesses and development companies worldwide.
