Progressive Web Apps: Technology Bridging Web and Mobile

In the ever progressing web development world, there’s been PWA (Progressive Web Apps) that came as a powerful solution to the gap between websites and mobile applications (native apps), having the best of both worlds, using web reachability with native app functionalization and user experience.
I’ve been reading about this lately and I thought, why not? I should write little piece on it too. It’s simply “cool” and it can be “awesome” for us Developers but mainly Businesses/clients or Users. In this article we’ll explain PWA main features, build a simple one using React JS then see why it’s great for everyone not just Developers.

What Are Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)?

A Progressive Web App (PWA) is a web application that is designed to provide an experience similar to a native application.

• Reliable: Load fast and reliably, no matter what kind of Internet connection the user is on.
• Fast: Respond quickly to user interactions.
• Engaging: Provide features such as offline, push notification, app-like interactivity.

These are the main features of PWAs.

Service Workers

Service workers are scripts that run in the background, enabling offline functionality and caching. They act as a middleman between your app and the network, ensuring users can access the app even when offline.

Example: A weather app caches the latest forecast data, allowing users to view it without an internet connection.

Caching and Offline Capabilities

PWAs cache important files (HTML, CSS, JS) and data locally using service workers and cache APIs. This removes the dependency on the network, making them instantly loading.

Example: E-commerce sites like Alibaba use PWAs to allow users to browse products offline.

Responsive Design

PWAs are device agnostic i.e. they work well on every devices and give the same feel for the user, this means whether you open a PWA on mobile,tab or desktop you will get the same experience.

Example: Twitter Lite a complete PWA version of twitter gives interface similar on all the devices.

Installability

Users can “install” PWAs to their home screens directly from the browser, no app store needed.

Example: Visiting Pinterest’s PWA leads users to add it to the home screen; from there on, it’s indistinguishable from a native app.

Push Notifications

PWAs can send real time updates, re-engaging users even when app is closed.

Example: News platforms like The Washington Post use PWAs to deliver breaking news notifications.

Building a Simple PWA with React

Set Up Your React App

Start by creating a new React app:

Configure the Service Worker

React includes a built-in service worker setup. Open src/index.js and enable the service worker:

This allows the app to cache files and work offline.

Add a Web App Manifest

Create a manifest.json file in the public/ directory:

This manifest allows your app to be installed on the user’s device like a native app.

Test the PWA

Run the app locally:

npm start

Use tools like Lighthouse in Chrome DevTools to verify the PWA features.

Benefits of PWAs for Businesses and Users

For Businesses:

• Increased Engagement: PWAs like Starbucks have reported increased user engagement due to their offline capabilities.
• Cost-Effective: Building a PWA with a single codebase saves development costs in comparison to separate web and native apps.
• Improved SEO: Faster PWAs rank higher in search results, allowing you to be found in the noise.

For Users:

• Instant Access: No app store downloads required.
• Offline Functionality: Needed by users who do not always have access to the internet.
• Smaller Footprint: PWAs take up less storage when compared to native apps.

PWAs have already been proving their worth. Here are a few examples.

Twitter Lite

Twitter’s PWA reduced data usage by 70% and increased engagement by 65%. It loads in under 3 seconds on slow networks.

Alibaba

Alibaba’s conversion rate increased 76% while monthly active users rose by 14% after they upgraded their site to a PWA.

Starbucks

Starbucks’ PWA allows customers to browse their menu and customize orders offline, leading to faster checkout times and increased user satisfaction.

Conclusion:

Progressive Web Apps are the future of web and mobile development. They offer native app-like reliability, speed and engagement while reaching all users, no matter what kind of device they’re using to access your application. For developers, PWAs offer a new frontier in building fast, robust applications that scale across devices.

If you're an experienced developer or new to the field, you need to learn about PWAs. You can build applications that users love and that will meet your business needs using these techniques.