Progressive Web Applications (PWA) can be considered a bridge between apps and websites. They merge together the best features of both types of software to create something new and exciting. Progressive Web Applications grant a much more comfortable and balanced user experience. And it is a very important aspect you need to pay attention to if you want to keep your customers satisfied and make them come back to you over and over again. In this article, you will learn more about what are progressive web applications’ qualities and advantages, PWA development and what is progressive web applications’ price.
What Is PWA And How Can It Affect Your Business?
In order to enhance and improve the UX of websites, developers turn them into indexable Progressive Web Applications. They do it by applying the newest web standards to be able to seamlessly install software on user’s device, which, in turn, opens a way to bring a complete app feel to the website.
In 2016-2018, there werea Progressive Web Application NYC Google workshops. During the productive discussion of this rising technology, a lot of its positive features were brought up. Among them were such features as:
- Accessible – anyone can use it, no matter the device or browser;
- Autonomous – thanks to helpful components, such as service workers, PWAs can function well with bad network connection or completely without it, and are regularly updated;
- App-like experience – app shell makes the Progressive Web Applications feel like an app to a user. Furthermore, search engines identify them as apps too, which means that they are really easy to find;
- Secure – thanks to the use of HTTPS protocol, any data you input is safe and the contents of the PWA cannot be accessed by a third party;
- Encouraging to return – push notifications work well as a reminder about the app, plus they’re able to set it on their homepage or as one of their pinned tabs to be able to come back to the PWA easily and fast.
Another thing that was analyzed during the Progression Web Application NYC meeting is the data about how people use apps and websites on their phones. According to it, users spend around 13% of the time in their browsers and the rest of the time they scroll through apps.
However, an average person can go months without installing new apps – which means that it’s highly unlikely for you to create an app that would compete with such giants as Facebook or Twitter. But, thanks to the features of Progressive Web Applications, you can build a PWA and get a much higher chance to engage users on a regular basis during their browser Internet surfing. So, if you want your business to be successful, you need to start the Progressive Web Application development process right now!
Progressive Web Applications: Manifesto And Development Stages
Let’s take a look at the development stages you’d need to go through in order to construct Progressive Web Applications.
1. Create a website
In order to make a quality PWA, first, you need to have a good website to modify. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve created it on your own or used a template, the main requirements are that it should work well on any device and any browser and you should impose HTTPS.
2. Build a file to create service workers
There are multiple tools for you to manage this point in the development process. For example, the Progressive Web Application React creation tool is fairly simple – it has this option as a default one. The Progressive Web Application Angular creation tool is said to soon become an included feature.
After creating the file, you can check the stability and quality of your application with the help of Chrome extensions (for example, Lighthouse).
3. Make a PWA manifest
Your app manifest should contain all the relevant data about your app. There are a lot of ways for you to create it. There are some specific tools made just for manifest generation, and some of the previously mentioned PWA creation tools generate the manifest automatically.
The answer to the question “What tools do you need to build Progressive Web Applications?” actually differs depending on the specifics of your website, your budget, and your qualifications. For example, you can use a Progressive Web Applications studio if you want to make your job a lot easier. One of the most notable cases is the Magento Progressive Web Applications studio. It is suitable for creating e-commerce PAWs (Progressive Web Applications). Although it is relatively narrow in terms of use, the tools it offers are convenient and allow a high level of personalization.
Another thing worth mentioning is that although PWAs are generally suitable for all platforms, Progressive Web Applications iOS support is relatively new. Recent iOS features offer more PWA functionality, like offline work. So, for a user to have a full experience of your app, his/her Apple device would have to be equipped with iOS version 11.3 or newer.
How Much Does It Cost To Develop A PWA?
PWA development prices vary a lot, and they depend on lots of different parameters. For example, if you don’t have enough expertise to create a website or to build a JavaScript file to turn it into the PWA, you would need to hire a professional. Progressive Web Applications developer salaries, on the other hand, differ based on the complexity of the project, the number of hours it would take to complete it, how many unique elements the developer would have to create from scratch, etc.
Overall, a quick Progressive Web Applications Google research shows that the absolute lowest price of the PWA development would be $1,000. This seems like quite a reasonable investment, especially knowing that it would pay off in the long run. Being able to download the data once and have access to it offline anytime you want is an attractive prospect that should be implemented much more often than it is right now. And, coupled with other PWA advantages, it will definitely make your user base bigger.
Final Thoughts
The use of extensive Progressive Web Applications’ features is a creative and innovative way to explore new possibilities for your business. They are relatively cheap and easy to make, and they are becoming more and more popular. So, if you want to follow the trend, enhance the UX of your product and expand your audience by doing that, start developing your own PWAs right now!
