Despite creating Progressive Web App (PWA) has recently become a hot topic which many people are still unaware of it. We will provide you with succinct, realistic, and straight-to-the-point answers to all of the frequently asked questions based on our extensive knowledge and experience in building PWA websites.
General Understanding
What is PWA?
PWA is an acronym for “progressive web application” which is a mix of a website and a native app, to put it simply.
Websites integrated with PWA are fast, stable, sensitive, and cross-browser compatible.
What are the underlying technologies of PWA?
PWAs depend on three key tasks which are:
- Web app manifest: To display all app-including features like an app icon on the home screen.
- Service worker: For background tasks and offline support.
- Shell architecture: For rapid loading with the service worker, the application shell architecture is used.
What is the purpose of PWA?
For PWA users:
PWA is such a reliable tool because it can load instantly every time the users visit the websites.
Another beneficial point that PWA aims to bring about for users is the “fast” speed. The loading speed of the page is no longer a problem. Moreover, smooth transitions replace jerky scrolling and a slow-to-respond interface when using a website with a Progressive Web App.
Additionally, Progressive Web App offers excellent shopping opportunities to its users. Offline mode, push notifications, a shortcut on the home screen, and a quick loading speed is just a few examples.
For PWA website owners:
PWA has lots of advantages in terms of the traffic to the website integrated with this technology.
PWA is searchable, linkable, and shareable, making it ideal for SEO. Because of its high speed and mobile-friendliness, Progressive Web App is easier to rank on the first page of Google than a traditional website.
Furthermore, being a good Progressive Web App example will help business owners in a variety of ways such as improving reputation.
10 FAQs of Progressive Web App
What are PWA’s core features?
Progressive Web Applications have a number of outstanding characteristics such as:
- Add to home screen: PWAs have a feature called “add to home screen”. This sets them apart from other websites and mobile apps. It enables users to “install” Progressive Web App on their smartphone with just a few taps.
- Push notifications: This feature is known to exist in native apps. Merchants can now integrate this feature on their website using Progressive Web App. It gives business owners the ability to send whatever message they want to their customers’ mobile devices.
- Offline mode: When the Wi-Fi mode is turned off or the Internet connection is lost, users can still open those sites. Hence, it is noticeable that Progressive Web App users would only be able to access previously loaded pages (rather than all pages, as many people believe) in low-quality or even without an Internet connection.
- Background sync: In simple terms, users recover their behavior on the web before the disconnection occurs thanks to PWA Background Sync.
How to add PWA to the home screen?
On Android devices: For devices using Android, a popup appears to recommend that users add PWA to their home screen. PWA is immediately installed on the devices after tapping the popup, and the user can access it anywhere.
On iOS devices: You need to press and hold the “Share” button, then select “Add to Home Screen’’.
How to enable offline mode?
The users will only be able to access pages that have already been loaded.
The first time users enter a website, the data will be saved.
Then, when they return to the website for the second time, the page content will be shown regardless of the network connection.
How fast is PWA?
The loading speed of Progressive Web App websites can be 2 to 3 times faster than that of traditional websites, and be equivalent to a native app.
How to update a PWA?
For users: To update a Progressive Web App, users need to refresh the pages only.
For website owners: They can update the code and release the new version of the Progressive Web App anytime they want. In comparison, the owners must get approvals from the app stores to update the latest version of native apps.
Can PWA be sent to app stores?
No, not on Apple’s App Store, but Google and Microsoft’s respective app stores do allow progressive web apps to be launched. PWAs can still be downloaded from the browser and used on iOS devices.
Who are using the PWAs?
Some outstanding Progressive Web App examples of small-to-large businesses that jumped on board with the trend early on are Lancome, Alibaba, Puma, Pinterest, BMW, and so on.
Which PWA features are missing on iOS?
PWA features are striking for both website owners and users but it still lacks two following features for iOS devices:
Add to the home screen: which needs to do manually.
Push notification: Since this feature has not yet been introduced in Safari, iOS users are now unable to be notified.
How much does it cost to build a PWA?
Progressive Web Apps have a much more reasonable cost compared to other native apps. While a native app can charge the owners more than $10,000, PWA’s cost starts from $500.
Should we choose PWA or native app?
We should choose PWA over native app due to the following reasons:
First, Progressive Web App has a favorable building and maintenance cost. A PWA is much less expensive to develop than a mobile native application because it uses a single codebase that is compatible with all operating systems. Moreover, the PWA’s owner is only responsible for the app’s operating costs and does not have to pay any other fees to third parties.
Second, PWA has a shorter development time than a native app does. Creating a Progressive Web App takes just a few months or weeks if you use Progressive Web App templates. Meanwhile, not only is it prohibitively expensive, but creating a mobile app takes months, if not years.
Third, PWA has easier installation without download on app stores. When they visit the website, an invitation will appear on the page, and they will just need to click that pop-up to install.
Fourth, another aspect that has led to a recent preference for PWA is its ability to consume memory. PWA always stays at KBs which will not cause the device to run out of battery faster, particularly if multiple apps are running in the background.
Last but not least, Progressive Web App is more SEO-friendly. Each page on PWA has its own unique URL, which can be indexed by Google or other search engines. As a result, the PWA site can achieve a higher rank and its traffic unquestionably.
Wrap up
By offering its unique advantages, PWA has effectively attracted consumers and improved user interaction. As a result, if your organization wants to increase interaction and have a faster shopping experience, PWA will undoubtedly help you.
With PWA, we have a new way of browsing the web while still feeling like we’re using an app. Also, there are no excuses to delay in this phase, and we strongly advise you to begin looking for a developer right away.