Progressive Web Applications

April 1, 2021, 12:13 p.m.

Picking a solid platform for your business’ app is a complicated decision. Many app developers get stuck with a platform that requires undesirable maintenance effort, and falter on delivering new features. We know that not all ideas are good for the mobile apps environment and with the recent stats on app usage it is clear that native applications are not the only solution, here’s why:

In 2007 with the launch of the iPhone, Steve Jobs announced the use of progressive web apps as a standard for iPhone apps. This was later switched to the App Store, however with the latest browser technology, PWA’s have recently surged in popularity partly due to the following factors:

Why PWA's are essential in Africa:

1. Reduced Development Time & Cost – Development time and cost is greatly reduced because developing a single web app hosted on the internet is much faster than having to develop and deploy on an app store such Google Play and/or Apple Store (Android and iOS etc.)
2. Platform independent – PWA’s work for any user regardless of the browser they use. This is great for lower end devices, where storage of a native app is not possible.
3. Responsive – Progressive web applications work across all screen resolutions – desktop, mobile, tablet, and potentially any browser based form or resolution in the future.
4. Faster – After the initial load of the PWA, content and page elements do not need to be re-downloaded unless they have been updated. The app uses intelligent service workers, to determine whether content needs to be updated or left as is, greatly speeding up the app compared to a conventional web app or mobile app.
5. Offline Capabilities – PWA’s allow offline usage, or usage on low bandwidth networks. This is perfect for the African or South African environment for use in rural environments.
6. Fresh & Up to date – They are always fresh and up to date, as they use service workers which are continually checking for the latest versions of the app and its content.
7. They are app-like – These apps have the usability and navigation aspects of a native or hybrid mobile application. PWA support features such as push notifications, offline modes, and home screen shortcuts, unlike traditional Web apps. Progressive web apps support features such as push notifications, offline modes, and home screen shortcuts, while traditional web apps do not.
8. Search Engine friendly – Progressive web apps are search engine friendly as they have a web friendly URL structure. The content within the app can be indexed on the search engines, unlike a standard mobile app.
9. Secure – They are served via HTTPS protocols to prevent snooping and to ensure the content is not compromised. They are also served over TLS with no mixed insecure content. With a green padlock verifying a secure app.
10. Linkable & Installable – As progressive web apps are web-based they have a web URL where you can easily link to them. This means the content and the apps are easily shareable. PWA’s can also be installed to the home screen of your mobile device via a home screen icon, with no app store listing or user installation required.

Benefits

We stated earlier that if you have a website, and it is in any way tied to the success of your business – you need to build a PWA. That may seem like a bold statement, but it’s the truth. Why? In a nutshell, by not building a PWA you are likely leaving customers, revenue and growth on the table. As Pete LePage and Sam Richard from Google’s web team put it:

The numbers don’t lie! Companies that have launched Progressive Web Apps have seen impressive results. For example, Twitter saw a 65% increase in pages per session, 75% more Tweets, and a 20% decrease in bounce rate, all while reducing the size of their app by over 97%. After switching to a PWA, Nikkei saw 2.3 times more organic traffic, 58% more subscriptions, and 49% more daily active users. Hulu replaced their platform-specific desktop experience with a Progressive Web App and saw a 27% increase in return visits

This just scratches the surface. There are many companies who have benefited from shifting to PWA’s in both growth and revenue.

Conclusion

Progressive web apps are the best-in-class web experiences. Not only are they the best web sites, they offer user experiences in parity with native app counterparts. Ever wish websites behaved like native mobile apps? Progressive web apps (PWA) can make that happen. That’s why PWA has become more popular among brands.

If you want to target a larger mobile audience on Android and iOS, a PWA may not be a good option due to limited browser, software, and hardware support. However, if your budget is limited, your users are in places with flaky Internet access and you want your mobile Web experience to be as appealing as a mobile app. A PWA can be a solution.

Will PWAs replace native apps entirely? PWAs are great as a lightweight offering, but given that they currently predominantly focus on replicating existing sites and services, they won’t replace native apps.