A Progressive Web Application is a collection of web apps that work offline and grow performance. Besides, they help build websites that work well on mobile devices. If you want to dive into the depth of Progressive Web App, keep reading this blog. Here you will get almost all your answers about PWA (Progressive Web Application).

What are Progressive Web Apps?

A Progressive Web App (PWA) is a type of application software designed for standard browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari. A PWA looks like a "regular or normal" app that you may download to your tablet or phone. However, since they are accessed from the browser, they are developed using CSS, HTML, and JavaScript rather than traditional app development languages such as Kotlin and Swift. As you may imagine, browser-based web applications have some significant drawbacks, such as the requirement to stay connected to the internet. PWAs permit developers to overcome a few of these disadvantages to create apps that combine the ease of web applications with the seamless experience of installed native apps.

What is the difference between a Web App and a Progressive Web App?

There are so many differences between Web apps and Progressive Web apps. Here we will discuss more differences between Web apps and Progressive Web Apps. So, stay tuned with us.  Differences between Web App and Progressive Web Apps (PWA)

  • Web apps can't be installed on our phones as they run with a web browser. On the other hand, if we talk about Progressive Web Apps, they can be installed and easily accessed on our mobiles.
  • In Web Apps, the user experience is not satisfactory or up to the mark, while Progressive Web Apps provide the user experience of native apps.
  • If we talk about Web Apps, they can't be installed because it is difficult to access, whereas PWAs are more lightweight than Web Apps and use extraordinarily little space (few KBS).
  • Web Apps' loading process depends on how responsive the site is, but Progressive Web Apps use cache data that helps to make the loading procedure faster.
  • Push notifications are not allowed, and it's restricted in Web Apps. But in PWAs, you may use device features such as push notifications regardless of the website browser.
  • If we discuss real-time data access of both apps, Web Apps are reflected automatically whenever the web updates. On the other hand, Progressive Web Apps always remain accessible and fresh.

These all are the difference between Web Apps and Progressive Web Apps. I hope you have got enough instructions about them.

Will PWA (Progressive Web Apps) replace native apps?

Yes, Progressive Web Apps can easily replace native apps. One of the main reasons behind it, PWAs may do most things that Native Apps can do. Various Native apps could be replaced by Progressive Web Apps easily. Advancements in web technologies, features, and growing capabilities of PWAs-progressive web apps make the mobile web a viable replacement or alternative for apps. After hearing this fact, one question will surely rise in your mind, Why PWAs the future? So, the answer is that Progressive Web Apps are more intuitive, faster, & provide an experience like Native Apps that outperforms mobile web.

What is an example of a PWA?

The best way to understand how Progressive Web Apps differ from traditional responsive websites is to look at some good examples of PWAs. Here We have mentioned a list of impressive examples of PWA- Progressive Web Applications from various industries. So, you may experience the new latest web technology for yourself.

Starbucks

Starbucks introduced its Progressive Web Apps in 2017 to offer quick, responsive customer service. They created an application-like solution with smooth animations, offline accessibility, and images. Customers may browse the menu and nutrition details & customize their orders without an Internet connection. Starbucks has already got excellent results by launching the new ordering Progressive Web Apps. The PWA is 99.84 percent lightweight or smaller than the existing iOS application of Starbucks, making the web application a favorite among its users. Consequently, they doubled the number of web users who place orders for their items daily, with desktop users now making orders at almost the same price as mobile users.

Twitter

The Twitter app launched its PWA in 2017. 80 percent of their users were mobile phones, so they were required to provide a more engaging experience with less data usage or consumption, especially for visitors with weak Internet connections. At 600 KB, Twitter Lite is much lighter than the corresponding heavyweight Android application (almost 23.5 MB). This Progressive Web Application (PWA) provides an "Add to Home screen" prompt, website push notifications, and offline browsing temporarily. Consequently, Twitter gained a 65 percent increment in pages/session and a 75 percent increase in tweets sent. Besides, they got just a 20 percent bounce rate.

Debenhams

You can not miss out on Debenham when discussing brands turning their shopping experience into the fashion industry. This well-known UK brand found that mobile conversion rates were not growing despite increasing mobile traffic to its previous website. Therefore, they concluded that it was time for digital transformation. Otherwise, their digital and general growth would quickly slow down. The brand was looking for a solution to provide users with a smooth experience, especially on mobile devices. Progressive Web App was the significant answer for Debenhams Team. After converting their old existing website into a Progressive Web App, their hard work paid off. They have grown the experience of customers by eliminating blocks on a customer journey- difficult-to-navigate structure, slow pages, & complex checkout procedures. Debenhams saw a 20 percent increment in conversions and a 40 percent growth in mobile revenue.

Soundslice

Soundslice is the web's most advanced music education software, revolutionizing how musicians learn and practice music. The company uses its Progressive Web Apps to provide the best music-making and fantastic learning experience. The Progressive Web Apps-based software makes learning music more efficient and easier for self-taught musicians with creative music players. Soundslice Player lets you learn music while reading and listening to music on any device, including mobile phones and large-screen desktops. Additionally, music teachers can use this tool to make interactive music lessons. With a concentration on learning from recordings, Soundslice also has a shop that sells transcriptions and lessons. With the help of PWA, everything has become so easy for Soundslice.

MakeMyTrip

The site of MakeMyTrip is one of the most fantastic examples of Progressive Web Apps. India's leading travel agency's website receives approximately 8 million monthly visitors on their site, two-thirds of which come from mobile traffic. As mobile became the preferred channel for booking among customers of MakeMyTrip, they built their PWA that led to a quick, reliable, and elegant mobile web experience. The new Progressive Web App experience reduced page load times by 38 percent and tripled conversion rates. Compared to the previous mobile site, MakeMyTrip saw a 160 percent increase in user sessions and a 20 percent decrease in bounce rate. As you may see, Progressive Web App solutions offer many benefits to their owners. Some Progressive Web Apps can help businesses increase conversions and customer retention, while others can help personalize the customer experience and reduce bounce rates. These are a few significant examples of Progressive Web Apps.

Are Facebook, Google, and Instagram progressive web apps?

Yes, Facebook, Instagram, and Google are Progressive Web Apps because these apps are websites that use the latest website development framework to provide offline capabilities. These all bridge the space between native and web applications.

Why are Native apps better than PWA?

Native apps are created for specific OS, offering more powerful performance and better user experience than Progressive Web Apps. Additionally, Native applications could be downloaded from a mobile application store, making them available to a broader audience than Progressive Web Apps, which are commonly booked or reserved for existing employees or customers.

Conclusion

We know many required details about Progressive Web App from the above data. PWAs are easy and flexible to use and can be installed directly on the device via the website. It's also available with the application's features such as offline functionality, add to the home screen and push notifications. It helps to give users a more Application like experience on their mobile without any lengthy procedure.