Why Choose Progressive Web Apps? 2 Progressive Web App Examples
WHAT ARE PROGRESSIVE WEB APPS?
A progressive web app (PWA) is a type of application software delivered through the web, built using general web technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. It is compatible with almost all platforms that use a standards-compliant browser.
WHY DEVELOP PROGRESSIVE WEB APPS?
Some of the benefits of developing a highly efficient progressive web app include:
- Works incredibly well regardless of the network conditions
- Increased engagement
- Gets your users’ home screen real estate
- Improved conversions
According to Google, Alibaba increased conversions on the mobile web by 76%, with 14% more monthly active users on iOS and 30% more on Android. Similarly, AliExpress improved conversion rate for new users by 104% across all browsers, with 2x more pages visited and 74% more time spent per session.
FEATURES OF PROGRESSIVE WEB APPS
Fast
PWAs respond incredibly fast and also renders smooth animations so that your users will be getting a seamless app experience.
According to Uber, it’s PWA was designed to be fast, even on 2G. The core app is only 50k gzipped and takes less than 3 seconds to load on 2G networks. Also, according to Google, 53% of visitors leave a mobile page that takes more than 3 seconds to load.
Reliable
PWAs are reliable even under uncertain network conditions. It allows the users to browse the loaded page and never shows the “There is no Internet connection” page.
According to Google, Trivago saw an increase of 150% for people who add its PWA to the home screen. Increased engagement led to a 97% increase in click outs to hotel offers. Users who go offline while browsing can continue to access the site and 67% continue to browse the site when they come back online.
Engaging
With immersive user experience, PWAs offer an incredible user experience that feels like using a native app.
According to Niemanlab, Forbes’ PWA test saw a 2x increase in average user session length, 6x completion rate, and 20% more impression. Loads in 0.8 seconds down from 3 to 12 seconds.
ADVANTAGES OF PROGRESSIVE WEB APPS OVER NATIVE APPS
Offline mode
It is obvious that under uncertain network conditions websites are limited to display information properly. But, with PWA in offline mode, you can store the information offline during their last online session.
Low Data Usage
Progressive Web Apps consume only a little amount of data when compared to native apps. Moreover, PWAs can be added to the home screen directly from the browser. Hence, they occupy significantly lesser device storage space. As a result, the end-user saves a lot of ROM and contributes to enhanced performance on their smartphones.
No Updates Required on the User-End
Unlike native apps, updates on PWAs happen on-the-go when the user starts to use it. It is much similar to viewing a modified/updated website as it loads on-demand. Hence, the update process is also fast and it doesn’t require App or Play Store approval.
No app store submission
You can roll out new updates and don’t have to wait for the approval. It helps you to roll out updates on a regular basis which is currently not possible with conventional mobile apps. Whenever your user relaunches your app, all your available updates are automatically downloaded and updated.
POPULAR REAL-TIME PROGRESSIVE WEB APP EXAMPLES
According to Google’s Dev Channel, Pinterest rebuilt its mobile site as a PWA and core engagements increased by 60%. They also saw a 44% increase in user-generated ad revenue and time spent on the site has increased by 40%.
According to Google, Twitter Lite saw a 65% increase in pages per session, 75% in Tweets, and a 20% decrease in bounce rate. Twitter lite loads in under 3 seconds for repeat visits even on slow networks.
Hence, progressive web apps have simplified user experience and routine tasks such as app updates. Considering the advantages in terms of development and end-user points of view, progressive web apps are the next big thing you should focus on.
We, at TechAffinity, have expertise on diverse technologies and have built a wide array of progressive web apps. Line up your queries to media@techaffinity.com or schedule a meeting with us and share your requirements.
Originally published at https://techaffinity.com on January 14, 2020.
