Improving User Experiences With Progressive Web App Development

We use different types of native mobile applications to conveniently achieve several day-to-day tasks. The popular mobile operating systems like Android and iOS have a huge collection of native apps, belonging to every imaginable category. We have been using these apps for quite a long time. However, despite the many benefits, they are close to reaching a saturation point. Progressive web app development provides a better alternative to mainstream native mobile apps with significant performance enhancements. 

PWSs are becoming increasingly popular because of their ability to deliver native app-like experiences on all types of mobile operating systems. As compared to their native counterparts, PWAs are faster, efficient, and more reliable. Furthermore, they provide several unique benefits over the native apps that may significantly improve user experiences across devices. In this blog post, we discuss the key enterprise benefits of progressive web apps over their native counterparts. At the same time, we talk about the possible setbacks of using PWAs.

What Are Progressive Web Apps?

A progressive web app (PWA) is a type of software application that provides the features of a native mobile app in a web interface. A PWA is developed using common web technologies like JavaScript, CSS, and HTML to provide easy access across devices. These applications adhere to a standard browser protocol and run seamlessly across all major operating systems. PWAs can be easily shared and accessed across a wide range of supported devices with minimal challenges. 

The PWA is essentially a webpage or website rather than a downloadable mobile application. Nevertheless, it works consistently well across a wide range of mobile devices while delivering a native app-like experience. Understandably, there is no need to download a PWA from a dedicated App Store. Users can access these apps anytime through their web browsers and perform various tasks with increased efficiency and better usability features. An apt example of a progressive web app is Twitter, an application that seamlessly handles millions of users and their daily activities. 

Better Accessibility

One of the main benefits of a PWA is that it is accessible across all major web and mobile operating systems. A typical mobile application requires you to download, install, and configure before start using it for the first time. Several native mobile apps have a more complex setup and initialization process, resulting in bad user experience. On the contrary, progressive web apps are pretty straightforward to use and access. All you have to do is launch your web browser and type in the website URL to access it. There is no additional complication and the process remains the same every time you use it regardless of the device type. In a nutshell, a progressive web app provides one-step access to all the app features without getting into complications.

Cross-platform Compatibility

A major setback with native mobile apps is that you need to develop the app separately for Android and iOS platforms. Progressive web app development mitigates these challenges as it provides multi-platform support. By developing a single app, you render support for all major web and mobile operating systems. It significantly reduces development effort and eliminates the requirement of multiple tools and programming languages. Understandably, developing a single application that works for all platforms is a better, efficient, and cost-effective way to engage your audience. 

Reduced Load Time

Most users these days prefer lightweight apps that are quick to load and easy to navigate. Contrarily, native mobile apps are generally heavier in size and thus take more time to load as compared to websites. In this context, PWAs are typically websites or webpages that provide the look and feel of a native mobile app. As a result, they are lightweight and load quickly than their native mobile counterparts. It significantly improves the overall user experience and maximizes user engagement across all supported platforms.  

Reduced Storage Requirements

As already mentioned above, native mobile apps are generally heavy in size. Evidently, when you install these apps on your smartphone, they may consume a considerable part of the available storage space. Nevertheless, you do not need to download or install the progressive web apps. Instead, you can access them anytime through your web browser. Therefore, you save a significant amount of storage space which also improves the speed and performance of your mobile operating system. 

Also Read: The Inevitable Need For Mobile App Quality Assurance

Potential Setbacks of PWAs

Despite the many benefits, there are a handful of drawbacks of progressive web app development that must not be overlooked. Below are the main potential setbacks of using PWAs:

• PWAs cannot operate in an offline mode, unlike their native counterparts. It means you must have a stable internet connection at all times to access these apps.
• With PWAs, you can use most of your smartphone features such as Camera, Bluetooth, Gallery, and Contacts. 
• You cannot monetize a progressive web app as compared to native apps.
• You get limited options for technology integrations that keep users devoid of many engaging features such as the use of proximity sensors.

Conclusion

We see how progressive web apps combine the features and benefits of both web and mobile applications and provide a simple, fast, and intuitive web interface. In this blog post, we have already discussed the main advantages and drawbacks of progressive web app development services. Evidently, PWAs are best suited for small businesses that have a limited audience and customers in a relatively small geographical region. As per their requirements, PWA app development provides a cost-effective solution to strengthen their business with multi-platform support. 

Avail The Benefits of Oodles’ Progressive Web App Development Services 

We are an experienced progressive web app development company that builds high-quality PWAs for cross-industry enterprises. Our development team formulates effective strategies to develop lightweight apps with intuitive interfaces that maximize user engagement across devices. We use agile development methodologies and the latest tools to build high-performance PWAs that enhance user experiences with effective audience engagement strategies.