PWAs: The key to optimized and engaging mobile experiences

Crafting memorable mobile experiences is critical these days. You can no longer afford to build just any other application and launch it in the market.

These days, customers discard way more apps than they download or use if the app fails to make a genuinely outstanding impression. Look at how Uber, Instagram, Facebook, Amazon, Slack, Gmail, and a host of other brands have built their apps and never failed to update them.

Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) emerge as an excellent option for businesses that want the best of both worlds: The flexibility of the web and the functionality of the native apps.

This blog aims to shed light on Progressive Web Apps and, more importantly, why you should consider a PWA if User Experience is your top priority. First, let’s talk a little about PWAs.

An overview of PWAs

PWAs stand for Progressive Web Apps. These technologies have been around for many years and have evolved tremendously. By definition, progressive web apps are web applications built or developed using web technologies, such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, that combine the best web and mobile features.

One of the most compelling benefits of progressive web development is that you do not need to develop multiple apps to target multiple devices, screens, or operating systems. PWA development services allow you to write your app code once and run it everywhere, leading to minimal development time and costs.

In many ways, PWAs intend to bridge the gap between native apps and the web. And it’s not just startups that have leveraged progressive web app development; even the most prominent companies have accelerated their customer experience and engagement by hopping on the PWA revolution.

How progressive web apps improve overall user experience (UX)

PWAs or progressive web apps are built to improve user engagement. This is achieved through:

• Fast loading times: PWA development services lead to apps that load really fast, thanks to a slew of technologies such as service workers, caching strategies, lazy loading, minification and compression, etc. Fast loading leads to reduced bounce rates and engaged users.
• Offline availability: Like native apps, PWAs leverage a slew of technologies, such as service workers and caching strategies, to cache the resources and content assets locally so that the same resources or assets do not need to be fetched from the network. This ensures that users can access or interact with some parts of the application, even on low network conditions.
• Push notifications: Progressive web apps are designed to interact with the application's hardware and software and can thus send push notifications to users even when they are not interacting with the application. This leads to increased engagement and user awareness.
• App-like experience: Progressive web applications or PWA mimic the very look and feel of a native mobile or desktop application. More often than not, your users won’t be able to distinguish between a PWA and a native app. This kind of app-like experience is achieved with a host of features such as full-screen mode (PWAs be launched the way you’ll launch a native app on your phone or desktop), responsive design (which adapts to all screens, resolutions, and devices), smooth animations and transitions, and app manifest.
• Easy installation and improved performance: Your audience can install your progressive web app without visiting an app store. The app can be installed or added to the device’s home screen, ensuring seamless and easy access. Additionally, the improved performance of the modern PWAs, due to all the features we just explained above, leads to increased customer satisfaction and engagement.

These are just a few of the benefits of progressive web development. Progressive web apps are built with one single codebase that can run seamlessly across multiple devices, resolutions, and operating systems. This enables you to reach a wider audience while investing significantly less in app development.

Final thoughts

Progressive web application development services promise a host of capabilities to help your web app stand out from the competition. The PWA technologies pave the way for faster development lifecycles, cross-platform performance, reduced time to market, and minimal development costs.

You can speak with a reliable progressive web development company to explore whether your business challenges require a PWA solution. A web app development service provider can help you understand the pros and cons of PWA development services and whether you should consider them for your next development project.

Mike Kelvin is the business analyst at Kellton.