In a world increasingly dominated by mobile devices, building an online experience that adapts to phones and tablets has never been more essential — this is what Progressive Web Apps (PWA) are here to do. And, if you’ve been in the app development space long enough, you’ve heard about the advent of PWA to bridge the space between websites and native applications.
The word “progressive” is key to understanding how this technology works — it takes the best of both worlds and improves it to create a more functional and frictionless user experience. PWAs are generally built in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, like a regular website, but with the look and feel of a native app, including features such as a homescreen icon, push notifications, offline support, and more. Ultimately, users will feel like they’re handling a native app, even though it’s a hybrid of a website and an app.
For developers, building PWAs will involve more web app knowledge and expertise in areas like JavaScript to create a more robust product; simple web apps feel limiting, while native apps might be too complex. This is a healthy middle. Let’s explore the advantages of PWAs, reasons to build them today, and how you can do it with Appli.
Key Advantages of Progressive Web Apps
Have you ever wished your website could do more? This often drives developers to build a web app, which reacts like an app on mobile devices, but at its core, it’s still a website users must open through a browser. PWAs are quite similar in the sense that they’re still accessible through a URL, but they don’t stop there.
PWAs can do most everything a native app can: integrate geolocation features, access a device’s camera, microphone, and file system, connect to Bluetooth, enable complex touch behavior, and be downloaded into a device’s homescreen without going through an app store, and more. However, because it’s technically still a website, it can be discoverable through search engines and leverage SEO to generate organic traffic that a native app can’t create on its own.
This technology also refines aspects where websites generally fail. For instance, PWAs can work offline because they use service workers that cache data in the background and keep everything running seamlessly. This also makes them lighter and more responsive than a static website, and allows for push notifications.
Why Should You Build a Progressive Web App Today?
If devs aren’t starting from scratch, transitioning a website or native app into a PWA might take more work at first — yes. Developers might face challenges depending on which end of the spectrum they’re coming from, but the payoff can be completely worth it.
That being said, it’s important to note that progressive web app development services are best suited for certain use cases, such as commerce-first applications, and hold their ground more strongly for those looking for cost-effective solutions, such as early-stage startups just entering their market.
For instance, at a time when companies are prioritizing cost savings and efficiency, PWAs offer the advantage of lower maintenance efforts, and therefore costs, since they don’t require separate iOS and Android apps to run. It’s just a URL. Devs do need to bear in mind, however, that mobile OS support can be volatile, so it’s key that they regularly test key features such as push notifications to ensure their PWA is working as it should across both ecosystems.
Similarly, this tech is designed to adapt to any screen, whether it’s a desktop monitor, a tablet, a phone, or anything you can think of. As such, their adaptability makes for more streamlined development that doesn’t need to consider all of these design tangents. The experience for devs, although new and different, will be much less complex than dealing with a web app or native app. For small teams and solo devs, it can be magical.
Famous Examples of Progressive Web Apps
To paint a picture of what you should be looking at, here are some real-life examples of PWA that might surprise you.
Canva
Although Canva is now equipped with an app of its own, both for PC and mobile, it also runs entirely through the web with full offline support and equal capabilities as the native app version. By running it online rather than downloading the app, users can save that little extra space on their desktops and mobile devices.
Forbes
Next time you lurk around the web looking for entrepreneurial news and stumble upon Forbes.com, you’ll be entering a PWA. From your phone, you’ll notice the intuitive navigability between the publication’s sections. Beyond its main purpose to read articles easily, this website also allows you to create an account, sign in, and receive notifications, the way you would for a native app.
Spotify
Spotify is known as the trailblazer of modern music streaming. For those who wish to use it but don’t have enough space on their devices — you’re in luck. Spotify is also a PWA, allowing people to run the app entirely through a URL without losing any of its functionalities. In fact, many may say the website version’s design is much sleeker than that of the desktop version. You can give it a try and judge for yourself.
Other Notable Examples of Progressive Web Apps
Amazon’s cloud gaming site, Luna, is a prime example of a PWA. Because app stores are usually stringent about cloud gaming apps, Amazon decided to build its gaming service entirely as a PWA that runs independently from a URL, with the option to display a homescreen icon, rather than going through app store approval.
Pinterest, everyone’s favorite moodboard platform, also remains a useful PWA outside its mobile app. When opened on a desktop, the website adapts to the new screen size and allows users to log in and continue researching and curating boards, just as they would in the native app, but via a URL.
Building a Progressive Web App with Appli
Although not necessarily a one-stop-shop solution for PWA creation, Appli’s low-code/no-code features offer valuable tools that turn any app into a PWA, especially for those who already have a static website and wish to transition to a progressive alternative that gives a native app feel without the technical drawbacks and complexities of the app store approval process.
For instance, our Browser element lets users embed a webpage into their app, scaled throughout the screen as they see fit. With this in mind, people can embed their website and add elements for any extra features. The website itself will be readily available as soon as users load their app through the Appli Player.
Features like camera, map, additional buttons, dropdowns, and more are available for you to infuse a native app-like feel to your Appli app, giving you tons of flexibility if you need to quickly deploy an experience similar to a PWA.
Technology has evolved to the point where the perfect app means different things for different developers and industries. For specific use cases such as e-commerce and overall customer-facing apps, a PWA can be the right call for smaller teams looking to reduce maintenance time and costs while offering an outstanding experience.
Are you ready to give your PWA a go with Appli? Download the Appli Builder and start developing your app with low-code/no-code today!
