Upon launching a progressive web app (PWA), Starbucks witnessed a spike in its daily active users, which doubled in number.
To streamline their ordering process, the coffee giant designed a Progressive Web App (PWA) that offers a comparable experience to its native app. The PWA allows patrons to peruse the menu, review prices of regional items, and enjoy other features, while taking up less storage space than the native app and operating seamlessly without an internet connection. Additionally, the PWA provides a host of other benefits.
While progressive web apps (PWAs) have been around for a while, they have recently gained significant traction. Companies such as Starbucks, Tinder, Pinterest, Uber, Twitter, and Forbes have expressed their backing for this innovative technology.
HubSpot has anticipated that web applications will eventually give way to Progressive Web Applications (PWAs). So, can we expect this transition to occur by 2023?
Unravelling the Concept of Progressive Web Apps
Back in 2023, Google’s Alex Russell created the terminology “Progressive Web App” to describe web applications that offer superior features. Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) deliver an extensive range of features and functionalities.
Web applications that make use of APIs and Service Workers to introduce novel functionalities offer greater capabilities than conventional web applications. They even allow users to access them locally on different devices without needing an active internet connection.
Progressive Web Applications (PWAs) are usable across multiple platforms and provide an experience that is equivalent to native apps. Accessible through web browsers, these apps can be downloaded and installed directly from the home screen of any mobile device.
7 Advantages of Progressive Web Apps
Easy to Build
Creating Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) is a hassle-free process, making them a preferred choice for developers who wish to bring their products to market swiftly. These apps can be built using a unified set of source code, and their ability to work seamlessly across various platforms is attributed to the progressive technologies underpinning them.
Creating such apps is quick and cost-effective, taking less time and money than launching a native app.
Native App-like Experience
Studies have revealed that people prefer the cleaner aesthetic of native apps over hybrid apps. The good news is that Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) deliver a native app-like user experience, but with fewer resources and at a lower cost.
Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) deliver the same set of features and similar level of performance, just like native apps, but they can be accessed from a browser on the user’s device, delivering a comparable look and feel.
Simple Set-Up Process
Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) can be downloaded and installed directly from the browser, making the process quicker and easier than downloading and installing a hybrid or native app. These apps run in a browser window and can be opened using various methods, including start menu, taskbar, hotkey, and more.
Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) boast of impressive user retention rates, making them a desirable choice for developers. As per research, approximately one-fourth of all smartphone apps are discarded after being used just once, making this aspect critical for businesses to consider.
Reliable and Work Offline
One of the best things about Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) is that they can work even in areas with weak internet connectivity. They are designed to operate separately from the internet, making them highly dependable in any scenario, even if there is no internet connection. You can rely on them to function seamlessly without any interruptions. Moreover, even if your network connection is unstable, data will be cached and can be accessed once the connection is re-established.
Temporary network loss will not affect your ability to access Progressive Web Apps (PWAs), giving developers an advantage in retaining their user base.
High Performance
Speed is a critical element when it comes to developing top-notch software. Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) play a pivotal role in delivering quick and seamless user experience, minimizing the time spent in the app. As a result, the enhanced performance results in heightened user satisfaction and increases user retention rates due to the app’s superior qualities.
Quick Response
The responsiveness of the design elevates the user experience. These lightweight applications are designed to adjust automatically to the device and screen size, making them compatible with Android, iPhone, tablet, laptop, and other devices.
The app is created to deliver a responsive experience, presenting the user interface in an uncluttered and simple layout with sharp graphics. This enables a uniform user experience that is advantageous in keeping customers engaged.
Easy to Find
Unlike other app types, PWAs are effortless to discover, available in app stores or through internet searches. Companies can enhance their SEO strategies by utilising specific keywords and creating comprehensive meta data and descriptions.
This offers the flexibility to customize the content to the preferences of the audience and the data they seek through search engines.
Since their debut, Progressive Web Applications (PWAs) have gained immense popularity and provide various benefits for both developers and users. Although it remains unclear whether they will entirely replace web applications anytime soon, it seems highly probable that this is a possibility.
