An Introduction to the World of Progressive Web Apps

Nowadays, availing of any kind of service requires the user to download and install an application.

From ordering food to taking the help of government services, apps help to solve problems and make life convenient for the end user. This is why businesses gravitate towards them and choose to communicate with the end audience through the help of a convenient icon on the mobile screen.

However, apps are native applications, they are built for a particular environment like the Android or iOS environment. They have the look and feel of the particular platform that they are developed on. They can be pretty expensive to maintain and small businesses may lose out when trying to serve their clients through an app.

Enter the hybrid PWA, a website that feels like an app, to solve this problem for businesses.

Prominent web development services in India have been using native apps for a long time, however, now they are slowly transitioning to the world of progressive web apps or PWAs. Some examples of businesses transitioning to PWAs are Twitter, Uber, Spotify, and Pinterest.

So, what are these PWAs? Are they traditional websites or are they traditional apps? Let’s delve deeper into the world of Progressive Web Apps and seek to understand this unique offering.

What are Progressive Web Apps?

A progressive web app is a type of application that acts as a website and as a native app. It is built using web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. There are plenty of advantages of a PWA since it combines the features of a website with the features of a native app. The PWA solves many problems like poor mobile UX and poor conversion rates on online stores.

Characteristics of Progressive Web Apps

• PWAs are developed using web technologies like JavaScript, HTML, CSS, etc. Hence, they can run on multiple platforms and operating systems and devices.

• These can be installed directly from the web or from an app store like Google Play Store. One can install it like a platform-specific application while customizing the installation process. An app icon is downloaded the same as a native application.
• Post the installation of a PWA, it can be launched as a standalone application rather than as a website.
• A progressive web app can work offline and when the application is in the background.
• The PWA can also respond to push messages from the server.

Most of the web development services in India are quite familiar with the working of a PWA. However, what is the impact of a PWA on the ranking of a site? Is there any advantage?

Let’s take a look at what SEO genius Google’s John Mueller has to say. 

Search Engine Ranking and the Progressive Web Application

Mueller categorically stated that there is no advantage of a progressive web application over an HTML site. He did however say that if a business made a better site using PWAs that were cleaner, faster, and gave an overall better experience, then rankings would automatically improve.

It depended on the route that the business wanted to take. If it believed PWA was right for it, it could go ahead and invest in it.

Keeping all this in mind, we should also discuss some of the benefits of PWAs that make them so popular for big businesses.

1. PWAs are compatible with any device and operating system making them a good solution for every environment.
2. PWAs also allow for faster page loading which is a significant ranking factor in SEO.
3. The user interface on a PWA adapts to any screen size and has a near-native look and feel, delivering a consistent experience across devices.
4. PWAs also function well when they are not connected to the internet. The User Experience is considerably improved when there is no internet connection.

These benefits make the PWA a framework that every web development service in India should have in its repertoire.

Wrapping Up

The PWA market is expected to reach 10.77 billion dollars by 2027. From Youtube to Sephora to Starbucks and Flipkart, businesses in India and abroad are seeing the benefits of migrating to the PWA framework.

Only the future will tell whether the PWA framework has what it takes to get ordinary businesses interested in it. Is it worth the price? Is it worth the effort? Reach out to a premium web development service in India to know more.