Welcome to the world of Progressive Web Apps (PWAs), where the boundaries between web and mobile apps blur. PWA represents a strategic approach to web development that combines the accessibility of a web app with the functionality of a mobile application. Blending the best of both worlds, PWAs deliver an immersive user experience, characterized by fast loading times, offline functionality, and device-specific adaptability.

The biggest advantage of a Progressive Web App, though, seems to be its profitability. PWA will make your product available for both web and mobile users with a single codebase. This unified approach eliminates the need to develop and maintain separate native apps for different platforms, significantly reducing development time and costs.

In this article, we’ll delve into the essential attributes of Progressive Web Apps, discussing their architecture, features they offer, and real-world examples that demonstrate their effectiveness.

What Is a Progressive Web App (PWA)?

Before jumping straight to the PWA definition, we need to answer the primary question – What does PWA stand for? As you can see in the headline, PWA is an acronym for Progressive Web App, where “progressive” indicates employing a method of progressive enhancement to ensure basic web functionality for everyone while incrementally adding richer features for users with advanced, modern browsers.

Now, for those not yet familiar with what Progressive Web Apps are, the simplest explanation is that it’s a type of application software delivered through the browser intended to work for both desktop users and mobile devices.

The core appeal of PWAs lies in their ability to mimic app-like features. They are fast, engaging, and reliable, even on a slow internet connection or offline. Outside of that, Progressive Web Apps operate directly through a web browser and, unlike native apps, don’t need to be downloaded and installed on a user’s mobile device. Yet, an icon representing a Progressive Web App can still be added to the user’s screen, like in the case of a native mobile app.

Long story short, PWAs use modern web capabilities to deliver enhanced performance and user experience that rivals native mobile apps.

Introduction to Progressive Web Apps

A Progressive Web App is undoubtedly a groundbreaking solution. It offers the accessibility of a traditional web page combined with the robust features of a standard mobile app. To better understand how this technology works, we’ll dive into its history and provide some insights into its inner workings.

History of PWAs

PWAs became popular within the past decade. The concept was coined in 2015 by Google engineers Alex Russell and Frances Berriman. These two men introduced a solution that addressed some of the most significant limitations of mobile web experiences at the time, particularly regarding speed and the lack of a native app-like feel.

Since then, PWA development has gained significant momentum, demonstrating a compelling alternative to native app development. This development approach offers several benefits, including ease of coding and maintenance, reduced costs, and improved user engagement.

How Progressive Web Apps Work?

PWAs deliver a native app-like experience on mobile devices by taking advantage of modern web capabilities. Some of the key components of this system include:

Service Workers: These are scripts that run in the background and enable features such as push notifications, background data syncing, and offline functionality.
Web App Manifest: This is a JSON file that allows developers to control how their app appears to the user and how it can be launched. The Web App Manifest defines the icons, page navigation, and what the application will look like when it’s launched from the home screen.
Application Shell Architecture: This model ensures PWA users have a smooth, app-like user interface with robust performance. The shell is cached on the user’s device upon the first visit, enabling instant, offline-capable future interactions.

Why Use PWAs?

Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) offer several advantages that make them a strategic choice for businesses aiming to enhance their online presence. Here are some key reasons to consider using PWAs:

Improved User Experience: PWAs deliver a fast, smooth, and app-like experience on the web. By design, they work seamlessly across all devices and mobile platforms, with a consistent user interface and functionalities. This goes a long way in improving user satisfaction and retention.
Cost-Effective Development: A Progressive Web App is generally cheaper to build compared to native apps. You get to use a single codebase with standard web technologies, which works seamlessly across all the platforms you’re building for. This helps to cut both development and maintenance costs.
No App Store Dependencies: Progressive Web Apps do not need to be downloaded from official app stores or marketplaces. They can be easily discovered and shared via a URL. This helps developers circumvent the complex approval process, updates, and fees associated with app store uploads, so they can get to market faster while spending less on distribution.
Push Notifications: PWAs support push notifications. It’s an important feature that allows businesses to effectively re-engage users with personalized content and updates.
SEO Benefits: Since PWAs are part of the web, they are indexed by search engines. This can significantly improve your visibility and drive more organic traffic compared to traditional native apps that reside on users’ mobile phones.

How to Build a PWA?

The process of building this type of web app is more similar to traditional web development. However, it also involves a few other considerations to ensure the app delivers a native app-like experience. The basic steps to create Progressive Web Apps are summarized below.

Planning: Define the purpose and main functionality of your PWA. This depends largely on the problem you’re trying to solve, your target audience, and their unique needs.
Development: PWAs are built using common web technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. You also need to implement a service worker for handling offline work and background tasks.
Manifest File: Create and link a web app manifest file. This specifies how your app will behave when installed on a user’s device.
Testing: Test your PWA on various devices and under different network conditions to ensure it is responsive and reliable.
Deployment: Deploy your PWA on a secure server. After deployment, you need to monitor its performance and user engagement, making iterative improvements as required.

Key Progressive Web Apps Features and Characteristics

Above, we mentioned some of Progressive Web Apps’ capabilities. Now, let’s discuss them in more detail to fully understand how they make PWAs an attractive option for developers and businesses alike, especially in comparison to native apps.

Offline-First App

A PWA is designed with offline capabilities. This means the app works seamlessly without a network connection. This is made possible due to the use of service workers that behave like proxies between the user’s tab and the internet connection.

A service worker is a small script that can handle offline mode for previously visited web apps. Actually, mobile and web browsers run it separately from the main thread, intercepting network requests, caching, and retrieving resources from the cache. Additionally, service workers are responsible for delivering push notifications. This makes it possible for a Progressive Web App to send timely and relevant updates to users just like a native mobile app.

Users can add the app icon to the home screen of their desktop or mobile device, from where they can open it anytime. The app loads on their mobile browser and is updated automatically in the background, unlike traditional mobile apps, which often require manual updates from an app store. The ability of PWAs to work offline increases availability and ease of use, leading to more traffic and higher profits for businesses with this app.

Native Components

A Progressive Web App is an advanced piece of technology that incorporates features similar to those of a native application. A typical PWA has buttons, animations, and other elements designed to resemble their native counterparts. These apps are also able to tap into the hardware features like Bluetooth, accelerometer, gyroscope, and so on. This allows them to deliver an experience that mirrors that of a native mobile app.

A Progressive Web App is an advanced piece of technology that incorporates features similar to those of a native application. A typical PWA has buttons, animations, and other elements designed to resemble their native counterparts. But while PWAs can access some device hardware features through modern Web APIs, such as geolocation, camera, and microphone, their access is generally more limited compared to native apps. For instance, direct access to contacts, calendars, or advanced telephony features might not be possible.

Mobile-First Approach

Progressive Web Apps are built with a mobile-first approach. This is prompted by the switch in user preferences towards mobile devices. Statistics show that the majority of internet traffic now comes from mobile devices. Consequently, Google and other search engines have been ranking web pages with dedicated mobile versions or using technologies such as RWD or PWA higher than those that don’t. Conforming to this regulation makes it more likely for your site to appear higher in search engine results and, consequently, gain traffic. With a Progressive Web App, you can reach both desktop and mobile users effectively with just one solution.

Optimized Loading Time

In addition to supporting offline capabilities, the Service Workers allow these apps to retrieve resources and data for previously visited sites from the cache. This function reduces the amount of time required for the rendering of the page content. Faster loading times make it more likely for users to stay on your site or return in the future, preventing the loss of prospective customers.

Strict Security Standards

PWAs are protected by HTTPS, an advanced security protocol that ensures the confidentiality of personal data shared between users and the site. In fact, HTTPS is a mandatory prerequisite for PWAs because it is required for service workers to operate securely. This standard is crucial for protecting user data and building trust.

Best Progressive Web Apps Examples

Now that we have covered all the key features and benefits of Progressive Web Applications, let’s take a closer look at specific examples of apps built with this mechanism that have achieved immense success and popularity over the years.

X (Previously Twitter)

The X PWA, initially launched as Twitter Lite, is a leading example of the technology’s success. It provides a fast, data-friendly experience with offline access to cached content. The implementation led to significant user engagement improvements, including a 65% increase in pages per session, a 75% increase in Tweets sent, and a 20% reduction in bounce rate.

According to Nicolas Gallagher, an Engineering Lead for Twitter Lite, “it is the fastest, least expensive, and most reliable way to use Twitter [now X]. The web app rivals the performance of platform-specific apps but requires less than 3% of the device storage space compared to Twitter for Android.”

AliExpress

AliExpress is an e-commerce platform used to sell products internationally. The platform has about 150 million active customers worldwide. A PWA version of the marketplace was developed to ensure the best mobile experience for users.

This step resulted in a 104% increase in daily active users. The amount of time spent in the online store also increased by 74%, while the number of pages visited by one user during a single session doubled across all browsers. These stats once again show the immense impact of PWA technology.

Forbes

The global media company embraced PWA technology to revamp its mobile experience for users. The Forbes PWA aims to significantly improve loading times and user engagement, particularly for mobile users who like to access content on the go. In their case, implementing a Progressive Web App resulted in a 43% increase in sessions per user and a 100% increase in engagement.

LV BET

Currently considered one of the fastest-growing brands in the sports betting industry, LV Bet decided to create a PWA for its sports betting platform. The technology allows LV BET customers to bet anywhere and anytime using all the features of a standard betting platform, such as a match tracker, fast deposits and payouts, cash-out options, pre-match and live bets, as well as virtual sports betting.

What is important in a sports betting app development is high performance, determined by the huge amount of data that needs to be processed. This includes live odds, rates, and wager calculations, and statistics in relation to multiple sports simultaneously. The security of sensitive data, such as payment details, credit cards, and personal information, is a critical requirement for such a platform as well. LV BET’s PWA application meets both of these criteria.

CasinoSinners

Although Casino Sinners is a relatively new company in the iGaming industry, it has already gained many fans. The rising popularity of this gambling platform is partly due to the launch of its new Progressive Web App, which has increased speed and security, the two vital elements that an online casino app requires. Casino Sinners’ PWA technology ensures that users can play whenever they want without glitches and delays in loading time, irrespective of device and browser.

Fantom Wallet

An e-wallet that allows users to store and transfer FTM cryptocurrency between accounts also took steps to enhance the comfort of its users by developing a PWA app. This move has positively influenced user experience by providing secure transactions, easier access to the wallet from the home screen, and the storage of relevant data for repeated visits. This shows the relevance of PWA technology in FinTech services development.

Starbucks

The coffeehouse chain launched its PWA to offer customers a seamless ordering experience, whether online or offline. The Starbucks PWA allows users to browse the menu, customize their orders, and add items to their cart even without an internet connection. Once online, users can view the location of nearby stores and place their orders. Starbucks reported that the PWA is 99.84% smaller than its iOS mobile app, making it significantly faster and more accessible. This led to a doubling of daily active users.

Benefits of PWAs

By building web apps with the use of PWA, you may seriously hit the jackpot. Progressive Web Application technology offers immense opportunities, particularly for businesses looking to boost performance while minimizing costs and expanding their reach. The list of benefits could be long, but to give you a hint of its capabilities, we would enumerate:

Low Development Cost
SEO-Friendliness
Cross-Platform Compatibility
Offline Accessibility
Fast Time-to-Market

For a deeper understanding, explore our informative article on the benefits of Progressive Web Apps.

PWA Technology Requirements

Progressive Web Apps use traditional web technologies to deliver a native-like experience directly in the user’s web browser. For anyone thinking of building one of these apps, you need to understand the tech requirements to bring your ideas to life. The most important web technologies used in this type of app are highlighted below.

Service Workers

As explained above, a service worker works behind the scenes of a Progressive Web App to deliver capabilities like offline access, background syncing, push notifications, and so on.

Web App Manifest

This is essentially the PWA’s ID card. It’s a simple JSON file that provides web browsers with all the information about the app, such as what it should look like on the device’s home screen and how it should be launched.

HTTPS

Using HTTPS is standard security practice for PWAs. This technology ensures that all communications between user browsers and servers are encrypted and secure. It’s essential for the smooth functioning of the service workers while also protecting sensitive information on the site.

Responsive Design

Progressive Web Apps are designed to comply with standard principles of progressive web design. They have features like flexible layouts and media queries, which automatically adjust the web app based on the screen size and orientation. This ensures that they deliver a seamless app experience regardless of the device, browser engine, or operating system.

Push API

The push notification capabilities of Progressive Web Apps are achieved through advanced web APIs that work alongside service workers to send notifications to users across multiple platforms. It’s an efficient feature to keep users engaged with personalized alerts and relevant information.

IndexedDB

Progressive Web Apps use IndexedDB to store data on the user’s browser. This is a low-level API that stores user settings and app data for efficient offline access. It is a cornerstone of the PWA’s ability to work offline.

PWA Architecture and Development

If you go further into details concerning PWAs, you will discover that these apps are developed according to two different architectural styles. They can either render content on the client side or on the server side, depending on the architecture. Each of these approaches has its advantages and challenges, and by selecting the appropriate rendering method, developers can optimize both performance and user experience in their PWAs.

Server-Side Rendering (SSR)

With the SSR rendering approach, most of the heavy lifting happens on the server. This includes generating the dynamic content and assembling the HTML page that will be sent to the user’s device.

One major advantage of this approach is that it ensures compatibility across different browsers and is highly beneficial for SEO, as search engine crawlers receive a fully rendered page. Server-side rendering is particularly favorable for content-heavy apps or sites that are updated less frequently.

However, a downside of this approach is that the process tends to be slower on subsequent navigations since page requests have to make a round trip to the server to return a complete page.

Client-Side Rendering (CSR)

In client-side rendering, a skeletal HTML page is sent to the user’s device based on the initial request. The page’s dynamic content is then populated directly in the browser using JavaScript. With this approach, the server isn’t involved in page rendering after the initial load.

The benefit of this rendering method is that the page loads faster and more efficiently during subsequent user interactions. It is perfect for interactive applications that deliver dynamic or constantly changing user experiences, like e-commerce sites or social media platforms. However, sites like this will have trouble loading correctly on browsers with JavaScript disabled and can present challenges for SEO if not implemented carefully.

Progressive Web Apps vs Native Apps

What should I choose, PWA or custom mobile app development? – It’s one of the most frequently asked questions, and we agree that it’s always a tough decision, but it’s crucial from your product’s perspective. To make it easier for you, we resolved the Progressive Web Apps vs native battle in our other article.

PWAs in Official Marketplaces

Although Progressive Web Applications are installable, a vast majority of customers don’t have a clue that such a feature is available in the first place. This is a serious drawback from a marketing point of view. Fortunately, there is a way to publish the application in official marketplaces like Google Play and Apple’s App Store.

Google Play

In 2019, Google announced a Trusted Web Activity concept. This feature makes it possible for developers to publish web content in the Google Play Store so Android users can download it like a regular Android app. TWA wraps the PWA application into an Android app container (activity) and displays a full-screen Chrome browser inside of an Android app without browser UI elements, like a well-known URL bar.

TWA gives you one more feature: transitions between the web and native content are between activities. This means you get an app that uses PWA features only for selected views. The whole process of creating a TWA application is clearly described in the official Google docs.

The only requirement to publish your app this way is that you must confirm that you’re the owner of the website you want to wrap into a TWA. This is what “trusted” means in the context of a TWA.

App Store

The process of publishing a Progressive Web App on the App Store is a lot less straightforward due to Apple’s stringent requirements. To optimize your PWA for App Store publishing, you have to wrap it in a WebView. However, Apple’s App Store Review Guideline 4.2 states that apps that are simply a repackaged website or web content will be rejected. Therefore, your PWA must offer additional native functionality or a more integrated, app-like experience to be accepted.

Microsoft Store

Official Microsoft documentation indicates the possibility of publishing PWAs on the store. This is achieved by using an official Microsoft tool known as PWA Builder, designed to transform progressive web apps into native platform-specific apps. A PWA app packaged this way runs in a lightweight native wrapper instead of the Microsoft Edge browser window.

Huawei AppGallery

To get your PWA on Huawei’s AppGallery, you need to convert the app into something called a Quick App. This can then be uploaded to the Quick Apps section of AppGallery. You can find step-by-step instructions on their official website.

The State of PWA

Summing it all up, Progressive Web Applications merge the best features of web and mobile capabilities, offering an optimal solution for companies looking to enhance their digital presence. The technology provides the accessibility of the web alongside the rich functionality and superior performance of native applications.

PWAs are widely regarded as a straightforward entry point into the mobile realm thanks to their cross-platform compatibility and ease of deployment. For businesses considering this approach, consulting with a specialized PWA development company like CrustLab can be a wise move. We’ll help you tailor a PWA strategy that aligns with your specific business objectives, ensuring a smooth and effective implementation.

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