Progressive Web Apps(PWAs) – Features, Benefits

What are Progressive Web Apps?

Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) are web applications that offer a native app-like experience in a web browser. PWAs are designed to work offline or on low-quality networks and can be installed on a user’s home screen without going through an app store.

PWAs use modern web technologies such as Service Workers, Web App Manifests, and HTTPS to deliver fast, reliable, and engaging experiences to users. They can access native device features such as the camera, microphone, and GPS, and can receive push notifications even when the user is not actively using the app.

Some of the key features of Progressive Web Apps include:

• Responsiveness: PWAs adjust to any form factor, such as desktop, tablet, or mobile, delivering an optimal experience for each.
• Speed: PWAs are designed to load fast, even on slow networks, using techniques such as lazy loading, code splitting, and resource optimization.
• Offline capability: PWAs can still function without an internet connection and can display cached content.
• Discoverability: PWAs can be discovered through search engines and can be shared via URL.
• Installability: PWAs can be installed on a user’s home screen, providing an app-like experience without requiring an app store.
• Engagement: PWAs can use features such as push notifications to keep users engaged.

PWAs offer a more native app-like experience to users while still retaining the accessibility and reach of a website.

Benefits of PWA in web development

Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) bring a number of benefits to web development, including:

1. Increased User Engagement: PWAs provide a more app-like experience to users, which can lead to increased engagement and usage. Features such as push notifications and offline functionality can keep users coming back to the app, even when they are not actively using it.
2. Better User Experience: PWAs use modern web technologies, such as Service Workers and Web App Manifests, to deliver fast and reliable experiences to users, even on low-quality networks. They also offer an adaptive and responsive design that adjusts to different form factors, such as desktop, tablet, or mobile.
3. Improved Performance: PWAs can use techniques such as code splitting, lazy loading, and resource optimization to deliver fast-loading experiences, even on slow networks. Service Workers can cache resources for offline use, improving the app’s performance and reliability.
4. Lower Development Costs: Developing a PWA can be less expensive than developing a native app, as it uses web technologies and can be deployed directly from a website, without the need for app store approval or distribution.
5. Increased Reach: PWAs can be discovered and shared via search engines and URLs, making them accessible to a wider audience than native apps, which are only accessible from devices on which they are installed.
6. Easy Maintenance: PWAs can be updated automatically, without the need for app store approval or user intervention. This makes it easier to deliver new features, bug fixes, and performance improvements to users.
7. Cross-Platform Support: PWAs can run on any platform that supports a modern web browser, including desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. This allows developers to reach a wider audience with a single codebase, rather than having to develop separate versions of the app for each platform.

Progressive Web Apps offer a number of benefits to web development, including increased user engagement, improved user experience, better performance, lower development costs, increased reach, easy maintenance, and cross-platform support. These benefits make PWAs a compelling option for businesses and organizations looking to deliver engaging and performant mobile experiences to their users.

Progressive web apps vs native app

Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) and Native Apps are two different approaches to delivering mobile app-like experiences to users. While both PWAs and native apps can deliver similar functionality and user experiences, they differ in several important ways, including:

Development: Native apps are developed specifically for a particular operating system, such as iOS or Android, using platform-specific programming languages and tools. PWAs, on the other hand, are developed using web technologies, such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, and can run on any platform that supports a modern web browser.

Deployment: Native apps must be submitted to app stores, such as the Apple App Store or Google Play, for review and distribution. Progressive Web Apps can be deployed directly from a website and do not need to go through an app store review process.

Installation: Native apps require users to download them from an app store, while PWAs can be installed directly from a website with a prompt to the user’s home screen.

Updates: Native apps must be updated through an app store, while Progressive Web Apps can be updated automatically, without the user having to take any action.

Accessibility: PWAs are accessible from anywhere with a web browser, while native apps are only accessible from devices on which they are installed.

Performance: Native apps can take advantage of device-specific hardware and software to deliver fast, responsive experiences. PWAs can be slower due to the overhead of running in a web browser, but can still deliver fast and responsive experiences using techniques such as Service Workers and Web App Manifests.

Cost: Developing a native app can be more expensive than developing a PWA, as it requires platform-specific development skills and resources. Progressive Web Apps can be developed more inexpensively, as they use web technologies and can be deployed directly from a website.

In short, the choice between a PWA and a native app will depend on the specific needs and requirements of a particular project, including factors such as budget, development resources, deployment and distribution, and user experience. While PWAs can offer many of the benefits of native apps, native apps can offer more control over the user experience and access to device-specific features and capabilities.

Some examples of Progressive Web Apps

Here are some famous examples of Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) that showcase the capabilities of this technology:

1. Twitter Lite: Twitter’s PWA is a fast and reliable mobile-first version of the popular social media platform. It offers a clean, simple, and lightweight experience, even on slow networks. Twitter Lite also supports push notifications and offline functionality, making it an engaging app that users can use whenever and wherever they want.
2. Alibaba: Alibaba’s PWA is a fast and convenient mobile shopping experience that offers the convenience of a native app and the reach of a website. It supports features such as offline access, push notifications, and homescreen installation, making it easy for users to discover and purchase products, even when they are not actively using the app.
3. Flipkart Lite: Flipkart’s PWA is a fast and lightweight mobile-first version of India’s largest online marketplace. It offers a simple and intuitive shopping experience, even on low-quality networks, and supports features such as push notifications and offline access, making it easy for users to stay engaged and up-to-date with the latest products and deals.
4. Lancome: Lancome’s PWA is a fast and engaging mobile shopping experience that offers the convenience of a native app and the reach of a website. It supports features such as push notifications, offline access, and homescreen installation, making it easy for users to discover and purchase beauty products, even when they are not actively using the app.
5. Trivago: Trivago’s PWA is a fast and convenient mobile-first travel search experience that offers the convenience of a native app and the reach of a website. It supports features such as offline access, push notifications, and homescreen installation, making it easy for users to find and book hotels and other travel accommodations, even when they are not actively using the app.

These are just a few examples of the many Progressive Web Apps that are transforming the mobile web experience. By delivering fast, reliable, and engaging experiences, PWAs are helping businesses and organizations reach new users, increase engagement, and improve conversions.

Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) supported browsers

Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) are supported by most modern browsers, including:

1. Google Chrome: PWAs are fully supported in Google Chrome and have been since the browser’s inception. Chrome has long been a strong supporter of PWA technology, and it provides a rich set of features for developers, including service worker support, push notifications, and web app manifest support.
2. Microsoft Edge: Microsoft Edge, the default browser for Windows 10, fully supports PWAs. It offers features such as service worker support, push notifications, and web app manifest support, making it easy for developers to create PWAs that work well on Windows-powered devices.
3. Mozilla Firefox: PWAs are supported in Mozilla Firefox, and the browser provides a set of features for developers, including service worker support, push notifications, and web app manifest support.
4. Apple Safari: PWAs are partially supported in Apple Safari, although the browser has been slow to adopt PWA technology. Safari currently supports some key PWA features, such as service worker support and web app manifest support, but it does not yet support push notifications.

These are the most popular browsers that support Progressive Web Apps, but there are many other browsers that also support this technology. PWAs are designed to be cross-platform, so they can run on any browser that supports modern web technologies, including service workers and web app manifests.

What are the PWA requirements?

To create a Progressive Web App (PWA), you will need to meet certain technical requirements. These requirements include:

1. HTTPS: PWAs must be served over a secure connection, using HTTPS. This is to ensure the privacy and security of users, as well as to enable features such as service workers and push notifications.
2. Service Workers: Service workers are JavaScript scripts that run in the background of a web app and enable features such as offline access and push notifications. Progressive Web Apps must have a service worker installed in order to be considered a PWA.
3. Web App Manifest: The web app manifest is a JSON file that provides information about the app, including its name, icons, start URL, and display mode. PWAs must have a web app manifest in order to be installed on a user’s device and to be eligible for display in the app store.
4. Responsive Design: PWAs must be designed to be responsive, adapting to different screen sizes and orientations. This allows the app to work well on any device, from desktop computers to mobile phones.
5. Performance: PWAs must be fast and reliable, providing a seamless user experience, even on slow networks. This requires careful optimization of the app’s code, images, and other assets, as well as use of technologies such as service workers to cache content for offline access.

These are the core requirements for Progressive Web Apps, and meeting these requirements will ensure that your app provides a fast, reliable, and engaging experience for users. However, there are many other best practices and optimizations that you can use to enhance the performance and functionality of your PWA, and it is important to stay up-to-date with the latest advancements in PWA technology in order to build the best possible app.

Wrapping Up

Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) are a new way of creating web-based apps that provide a native-like experience to users. PWAs have several benefits over traditional web apps and native apps, including better performance, offline access, and the ability to be installed on a user’s device. Progressive Web Apps are supported by most modern browsers, including Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, and Apple Safari (partially). To create a PWA, you will need to meet certain technical requirements, such as serving the app over HTTPS, using a service worker, having a web app manifest, designing the app to be responsive, and optimizing its performance. By meeting these requirements and staying up-to-date with the latest advancements in PWA technology, you can create high-quality, engaging apps that provide a seamless experience for users.