The web has come a long way, especially in the past decade. Today the web platform features parity with native application capabilities, just without the app store hassles so many businesses complain about. Instead of outsourcing your success to Apple, Google or Microsoft, a progressive web application puts you in charge of your ability to reach your audience, reengage them and improve your business processes. A progressive web application (PWA) is a software application built with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to run within and depend on a standards-compliant web browser. PWAs exploit their reliance on these browsers to overcome conventional web browsers application development challenges, such as browser-compatibility and feature availability. Google defines progressive web apps as cross-platform, responsive, and engaging experiences that bring together the best of apps and the web. In simple words, progressive web apps make use of modern web technology to bring an immersive, app-like experience to users, right in their web browsers.
The thing about progressive web apps is there is so much more to the approach than just adding a web manifest file, registering a service worker and using HTTPS. It is about creating a great online experience. The success stories of PWAs include increased sales, reduced overhead and higher engagement rates. Engagement is a key factor because it tends to measure repeat visits, which means more visitors move through sales funnels.
In this article, we will discuss the benefits of utilizing a Progressive Web App (PWA). It all starts with that first step. It is a chance for you to take a journey to what the web should be and is, if you take advantage of the PWA benefits available to you today.
No Installation Required
The main challenge with mobile apps is you need to download and install them on multiple devices, which may consume a lot of storage space. In fact, 25% of app users say they delete an app because they need more storage space on their smartphone. With progressive web apps, you don’t need to go through all the hassle. They work just like apps, but you access them through a web browser on any device. This cuts down on tedious download times and storage limitations. Users also can pin them to their mobile device’s home screen for easy access.
Improved Performance
More than half of users (53%) leave a website if it takes more than 3 seconds to load. The reason why progressive web apps skyrocket conversions and deliver such incredible user experiences is because they dramatically decrease load speed. The use of service workers enables dynamic caching and makes progressive web apps connectivity independent. This means they can help create great user experiences on even the flakiest networks. Most progressive web apps have instant page load times and optimized images that work smoothly on any device.
Less Data Use
Because progressive web apps consume less data than traditional websites, they work well even on networks. The current mobile environment includes users that belong to developing countries with low-quality and relatively expensive internet connections. Most of them access the web through 2G or 3G networks, and heavy, slow-loading websites make for poor browsing experiences. Progressive web apps can help your business expand its user base to more countries and deliver an overall better mobile web experience.Those cached assets on the visitor’s device mean those requests do not hit your server. This means you can reduce your need for server capacity, reduce your bandwidth costs and reduce your visitor’s need to consume their data plan. The key here, is the fastest network request is the one never made. But you still need to determine what should be cached, how long it should be cached and how it should be invalidated. This is why having an experienced service worker developer on your team means you can craft an optimized caching strategy.
Less Disk Space
Well designed websites are small. Not counting images or possibly videos used by a site, they can easily be under 100kb. You can optimize your image file size and use responsive images.Responsive images are a way of telling the browser what image versions are available. Your goal is to have an array of image options starting with thumbnails up to large screen versions. This means a phone won’t download a 2000 pixel wide image to render on a 400 pixel or less wide screen.HTML, CSS and even JavaScript is much smaller than compile applications. Most PWA adopters report disk space requirements of 5-20% of their native applications. Many are phasing the native options out and going 100% PWA and this is a common reason why.
Engaging, App-Like Experience
Consumers find mobile apps much more engaging than websites, and progressive web apps offer app users the same immersive, user-friendly experience as native mobile app – right in their browsers. Progressive web apps incorporate app-like features, such as push notifications and updates, to re-engage users and keep them coming back.
Discoverable by Search Engines
Progressive web apps look like apps, but work like websites. This means they are accessible through a URL and can be found by search engines such as Google and Bing.You can also optimize progressive web apps to rank higher in searches, just like a website. In fact, progressive web apps inherently come with SEO benefits. They are fast and engaging – two factors that are rewarded highly by search engines.
Cost Less Than Mobile Apps
Companies that want to invest in a mobile app need to consider the cost of developing an app for both Android and iOS. Building an app that’s compatible on both Android and iOS requires a hefty budget. Progressive web apps are cross-platform, responsive, and accessible through the web, which means they cost less to develop than mobile apps. They are great for businesses who don’t have the budget to invest in a mobile app but want to give their users an engaging, app-like experience.
Now that you know some of the key Progressive Web Application benefits, all it takes is for you to start your journey. It is not a sprint nor a race but a journey. You can start small and update features for later bearing in mind the goals you want to achieve for your business. The main takeaway you should realize is progressive web applications are not a magic bullet to online success, they are an approach that will improve your online presence and give you the tools and channels to engage your audiences.