(PWA) Progressive Web Applications Are Conquering in 2021

📅 2021.05.12 - 👤 Borbély Viktor

PWA works well in nature too, offline.source: Unsplash.com / Nature Mobile

Progressive Web Application, PWA for short, is a solution that sits between a webpage and a mobile app. It partially contains the functions that a mobile app can do, but is more convenient than a webpage. In this article, I have collected the details of this.

What exactly is a PWA?

A PWA is nothing more than a mobile application built on website (HTML, CSS) technology. Of course, there’s more to it than that!

The previous thought is a simplified interpretation, but undoubtedly this is the basis. Alex Russell and Frances Berriman formulated the 9 criteria that a PWA must be able to do.

  1. Responsive: looks good on any screen
  2. Connection independent: can be used without internet connection
  3. App-like usage: we can navigate in it in the way we are used to in mobile apps
  4. Up-to-date: a so-called Service Worker automatically monitors that we always use the latest version
  5. Secure: uses TLS connection, which ensures that traffic cannot be intercepted
  6. Easily discoverable: a properly filled so-called Manifest describes the content that search engines can quickly find and index
  7. Engagement: has access to the operating system’s re-engagement helping settings, e.g. Push Notification
  8. Installable: Can be pinned to our mobile’s home screen to be handy for the next use
  9. Linkable: accessible via a link for first use, therefore easily accessible, shareable with others

Where can a PWA be useful?

In 2020, we moved into the online space in one fell swoop. Webshops opened daily (at first only out of necessity). Those who didn’t have a store or business until then also recognized the power of online shopping. This amplified further expansion of online shopping.

Not every webshop was prepared with mobile-optimized solutions, which means quick page abandonment in favor of the competition. From this it was visible that physical stores almost completely disappeared, those who didn’t have an online solution got into serious trouble (very many closed permanently).

A PWA can improve mobile user experience:

  • Sending Push Notifications and alerts
  • Quick login with Facebook or Google account
  • Shopping without internet, collecting in the cart
  • Custom analytics tracking
  • Simplified mobile payment methods

A PWA can be a good entry point if we don’t want to force the user to install another app, but we want to boost our business.

A hairdresser or nail artist appointment booking is simplified. Everyone can handle it themselves, comfortably. The hairdresser doesn’t have to arrange phones with hair-covered hands, delaying their client. Instead, they see a calendar, whoever wants to go can specify the hairstyle type, so time can be estimated based on this. It’s enough to arrive at the appointment, which reduces queuing.

Tourist apps enjoy unbroken success. Due to limited travel, hikers require other, previously unknown solutions.

Webshops have already been discussed, their advantages are clear.

You must appear in the online space, otherwise there is no business that doesn’t do so. The time of simple, informational corporate websites has expired.

Companies are set up for hybrid work, wanting to provide new services to the workforce. With the spread of Home Office, this goes far beyond simple working time registration. A task manager easily keeps track of who-when-does what? Employees can be notified about company events. Ask for feedback from users, to mention just a few examples.

The above emphasized mobile phone use, but there is one more important area: desktop computer use. An office system, a webshop administration interface can be designed just as well with it as a mobile app. It protects against unexpected internet connection loss, and we can continue working with the program.

PWA disadvantages

Because we don’t install them on our phones from app stores (Google Play or App Store), we lose the ability to measure and reveal our target audience. These can be somewhat mitigated with other analytics solutions. Essentially, it may not be important to us when they installed it and who, but whether it actually brought traffic growth. In any case, this is a factor worth considering from an SEO perspective.

Although a PWA better utilizes a mobile’s capabilities, we may not have access to certain functions. Such can be Bluetooth connection or GPS data. Especially Apple restricts their installation on iPhones. It must be considered whether we really need the above functions, and if it’s really indispensable, then choose a native solution that solves this.

Basically, the browser on our phone sets a barrier to utilizing the functionalities available on the phone, but with a few tricks these can be expanded to some extent. However, it must be considered that if a special capability is needed from our phone, then the PWA will be narrow after a while, and we need to move in the native direction.

What do we get for our money?

Those are good solutions that are implemented with foreseeable investments, keeping return in mind. A good aspect is if we start small and can develop the product as needs grow.

Today there is an opportunity to get from a prototype (Figma) through a PWA to a native app. Meanwhile, development doesn’t have to always start from scratch. If the same team can continue later from where development stopped, a lot of time and money can be saved.

Solutions

Flutter’s Web solution offers a PWA solution that can later be expanded into native Android or iOS applications. On top of this, the program is completed for both platforms simultaneously. I previously wrote about the Flutter framework, which offers a very good solution for releasing a PWA or SPA (Single-Page Application).

If you’re not sure which direction to go, contact me with confidence to discuss your personalized solution!

It’s worth reading my other articles about Flutter.

For writing the article, I picked from a similar post on www.coredna.com.