Progressive Web Apps: Leveraging Interactive Mobile-like Experience

Progressive websites are rapidly gaining popularity to build applications with the same level of performance and usability as native applications. Through PWA, you can install the app from the browser window, and works as a native application on your phone and works offline as a native application.

According to Google research, around 53% of users leave sites with more than 3 seconds of loading time.

What Are PWAs In Layman Term?

This is not a new structure or a new technology. This is a result of consistent efforts to make a web application function the way as a desktop or mobile application works. The intention is to offer an experience so perfect and refined that the user cannot even sense the difference between the native mobile app and progressive web app.

Why Are Progressive Web Apps Set To Replace Native Apps Soon?

• It compatible with almost all mobile and desktop devices and browsers
• Adjusts all screen and shape factors with responsive design
• Takes advantage of service worker to facilitate offline connectivity, where HTTPS is mandatory
• Offers an experience similar to an application that uses re-engagement tools, such as push notifications
• Deploys a web application manifest to describe the features used

Further, let us get through some of the characteristics of PWAs,

Important Characteristics Of PWAs

By definition, a progressive web application should work on any device and improve over time, taking benefit of all the features available on the user's device and browser.

Another feature taken from websites is that an elegant webpage must make use of URI to direct the current state of the application. This allows the web application to maintain its state or reload when the user marks or shares the URL.

Since a progressive web application is a website, it should get identified on search engines quickly. This is a notable advantage over native apps, which lag behind sites in terms of search.

A progressive web application should be built on the application's shell model and depict a native app. Also, the page refresh ratio should be minimal.

It should also function seamlessly with low internet connectivity or offline.

Mobile app users are more likely to use their apps again and again, and progressive web apps aim to attain the same objectives via push notifications like features.

And last but most crucial, it should be easily installable on the device home screen.

How Industry Players Are Coping With PWAs?

It would be a challenging decision to adopt newly emerging technology for an organization. It is vital to mention that Progressive Web Apps appear to be getting strong support leading tech giants such as Microsoft and Google in terms of developer assistance. Recently available iOS updates have made the PWA experience smoother on Apple devices. Framework tools like create-react-app and angular-cli make it easy to start a PWA-ready project from scratch.

Manifest File follows defined standards to ensure a consistent experience across all devices. This file contains settings such as the icons, theme color, and other metadata required for unified integration amid diverse platforms. One of the important benefits of PWAs is its capability to send real-time alerts for active user's engagement.

Some of the leading players in diverse segments gaining notable traction through PWAs are Twitter, UBER, Instagram, Forbes, Pinterest's, Financial Times, and many others.

In a Nutshell,

With growing acceptance and support, Progressive Web Apps appear to be an attractive choice for new projects. An application that can be primarily revealed and gain access over the Internet before it is installed on a mobile or desktop computer has an excellent capability for improving conversion rates. The added benefit of a single code base and language base team building and facilitates project management and ensuring low costs. If your project requirements match the robust capabilities of PWAs, this is a technology to consider.

Panacea Infotech is a leading IT service provider with over a decade of experience in mobile app development. Staying in sync with emerging technologies, we offer a wide range of tech-driven solutions for businesses looking to tap futuristic opportunities.

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