How Progressive Web Apps can promote your Business Ventures

What are Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)?

Progressive Web Apps (PWA) play an important role in the future of mobile web applications – one of the most trending concepts currently. The concept was launched by Google in 2015, however, it gained momentum once companies like – Starbucks, Pinterest, Forbes, Instagram, Twitter, and Uber started rolling out their PWAs in 2017. PWA is a perfect blend of the native web app and responsive website. To be more specific, a progressive web app can send push notifications, set an icon on your phone, and work offline. For example, Uber’s PWA just takes 3 seconds to turn interactive on a 2G network. This is specifically beneficial when a user is trying to hail an Uber in a sub-zero weather condition or when there is no WIFI.

The biggest challenge faced with the native mobile application is the limited space issues on smaller screens. With PWAs, designers have created a refined user interface, which offers enhanced user experience, irrespective of the user device. This gives progressive web apps the advantage of offering an unparalleled experience for both mobile and desktop apps.

Understanding the concept of Progressive Web Apps

So, what do Progressive Web apps offer? And how different are PWAs from Native Apps?

Progressive Web Apps offer great benefits for both the developer and the final app user. The biggest advantages of PWAs come from the visibility, design, performance, and engagement that impresses users and enhance businesses. By gaining higher visibility and user engagement on a multi-platform level, the businesses save time and has higher ROI. Being adaptable to any device and any screen size turns out to be a major advantage of PWAs. While developing native apps, a separate app must be done for both iOS and Android, which affects the cost factor; however, the cost of developing PWA is much less when compared to a native app. Yet another benefit from this is, Progressive Web Apps run on web browsers, which are available in all devices like – mobiles, tablets, and desktops. This, in turn, streamlines your app development cost further down. User engagement and feedback can be executed much easier in a PWA than native apps. Unlike native apps, push modifications can be instantly done based on user feedback. One can carry out user tests, analyze user stats derived, and figure out solutions easier and faster in PWAs.

Progressive Web apps are easier to promote and hence they gain higher visibility. The SEO techniques play a vital role in the promotion and visibility of the app since the content developed for PWAs are indexed by various search engines. From organic indexing to sponsored links to retargeting are all done with the available marketing tools, just like promoting a website. With the help of referral links, directory participation, email campaigns, and social media posts promotion, the PWA’s URL is circulated and promoted among users. Progressive Web Apps achieve an average of 3 times higher visibility than native apps.

Progressive Web App users get an unparalleled app-like experience since they imitate the native app navigation style by offering smooth interaction with the user. Keeping a higher user expectation in mind, PWAs offer enhanced performance and faster display of key elements for recurring users.

Progressive Web Apps do not need a pre-installation to be viewed. This allows your users to visit various and updated content instantly and easily without having to download an app. PWAs are installed directly and instantly on the user’s home screens and not on device memory, without having to download or visiting any app stores.  This in return gives the user a hassle-free device storage concern, not worrying about their phone memory. A Progressive Web App takes 200 times less device storage space than a native iOS app.

Dynamic content updates are one of the biggest benefits of PWAs that helps the user to always access the most recent content updates. Progressive Web Apps are capable to run JavaScript code without having them in the foreground, or even without any open web page in the browser. The app performance is enhanced since both static resources and full pages are loaded.   

Progressive Web Apps have the ability to function even without a stable internet connection, and this is counted as their biggest advantage when compared to native apps. When a user runs a PWA, all or parts of the content is locally stored by the cache system. This allows the user to access this content and navigate through all the pages of the app during their next visit, even without an internet connection.

What are the challenges faced during developing a Progressive Web App?

For a Web application to be termed as a Progressive Web App, certain criteria need to be met – PWAs should provide incomparable user experience, which is a key characteristic feature. PWAs should work uniformly to all users, regardless of the browser used.  Compatible and responsive to all devices and screen types at the same time. There should be no strain on the network used, a PWA must work with or without the internet connectivity. It should provide the same user experience as that of a native application. There should be a regular content update for the user. Progressive Web Apps must be served in HTTPS to ensure no data exchanges between the client and the server are tamper-proof. The app must be indexed by search engines and has to facilitate user engagement. The progressive web apps need to be installed on the user home screen and must hold a simple URL, for an easy sharing purpose.

Why Toobler promotes Progressive Web Apps for your Business?

At Toobler Technologies, we understand and value your business growth and at the same time, we promote on keeping up with the latest technologies. Progressive Web App is the new way to deliver incomparable user experience on the web. It offers features that were reserved only for native apps so far. Based on the report, the mobile usage is forecast to grow from 2.1 billion in 2016 to around 2.5 billion in 2019, however, 57% of web surfers browse through a mobile device and the numbers will further rise in the coming years. With Google’s recent algorithm modification that favours mobile website versions, the demand for Progressive Web Apps will rise further.

Apart from understanding the user engagement and necessity, more businesses are taking forward the PWAs trend, due to functionalities that add on to business profit. As we see it, we are now witnessing a major trend shift that’s going to revolutionize the web usage.  To keep up with this, we highly recommend joining the bandwagon for promoting your business.

We will take you forward in this trail on Progressive Web Apps, where we will discuss various PWA Tools, PWA for various business sectors and more. Stay tuned to this Progressive Web Apps series to know more ..!!