What are Progressive Web Apps and why are they trending in the web world?

“Google has started replacing some of its Android apps in Chrome OS with Progressive Web Apps!”

This news on the famous American Technology and Science-News brand, ‘The Verge’, has put light on why Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) have gained so much popularity recently. PWAs have gained more attention after the announcement of Apple to support Safari with the help of Service worker and Web Manifest. In the mobile technology, native apps are considered to be most sought after apps because of the experience they provide, however with the advent of digitalization, PWAs also are equally making mark and have come up as a cost effective way by providing a great web experience with native features. Google and Microsoft are also pushing PWAs for ensuring that businesses provide an improved web experience.

This article is a summary of what are Progressive Web Apps and their key benefits. Let us have a look at how they are gradually becoming a hot trend for start-ups as well as small and large enterprises.

What are Progressive Web Apps?

PWA is a web based application having look and feel like a native mobile app.  As these are web apps they can be run from anywhere on the internet making it platform independent. The PWAs have extra features than the regular web pages, due to which they provide an exemplary user experience. They are developed using modern APIs for delivering native-like capabilities and reliability. With a single codebase, these apps can reach anyone and anywhere, on any device with ease.

In some cases, PWAs are even faster and more functional than their native mobile app counterparts. They are built using HTML, CSS and JavaScript and run on top of a script named a service worker. Chrome and Firefox are the best browsers to support them.

Here is a glimpse of the giant companies using PWAs:

• AliExpress, a famous e-commerce site owned by the Alibaba Group
• Forbes, a top U.S. business magazine
• Pinterest
• Twitter Lite
• Flipkart, largest e-commerce site in India
• BookMyShow,  India’s largest ticketing company
• Lancôme, a French luxury cosmetics brand
• Settled.co.uk, a renowned real-estate firm 

Features of Progressive Web Apps

There are several features and capabilities of the Progressive Web Apps which are contributing to providing an amazing web experience to the users. These features enable the PWAs to behave in the same way as a native mobile application.

• PWAs can send push notifications like native apps.
• They can work offline as well.
• They have access to hardware features like microphone, webcam, battery status, Bluetooth, payments, biometric authentication, compass, accelerometer, gyroscope and even sensors.
• They can be shared easily via URLs.
• They can be used on full-screen mode.
• Search engine indexing is possible with PWAs.
• They have access to the file system.
• They have clipboard access.
• They have background sync support 

Key Benefits of Progressive Web Apps

Improved Performance:

They can be quickly installed and can load instantly. PWAs cache and serve images, text and other content efficiently, which enables faster working of the apps. They are highly secure and reliable for continuous use. They provide a smooth and immersive experience to the users. PWAs don’t require a ton of a space like the native apps. They don’t need much storage on the device as well. Also, they use lesser data as compared to the native apps. As a result they give a better performance.

Enhanced Security:

As PWAs work on HTTPS protocol, they provide safe data and reduces the risk of security issues. This protocol prevents tampering of content and snooping.

Custom offline page:

PWAs can seamlessly work in offline mode thereby giving a better native like experience rather than navigating the user to default offline page of browser. It runs flawlessly in poor internet connectivity conditions as well.

No updates required:

PWAs do not have to be explicitly updated unlike native apps as they get updated automatically when connected to the internet. They are updated the moment they are loaded in the browser. This also saves the data to a large extent. So, there is no need for approval from the play stores, unlike the native apps.

Enhanced market reach and SEO friendly:

Since PWAs are accessible everywhere, they can reach a wide range of audiences at once. The business owners don’t need to launch mobile apps on different platforms like Android and iOS. They can be accessed on both Android and iOS devices through a browser. PWAs help to boost the page views. They enhance the mobile traffic, increase the engagement of the users and also hike the conversion rates. They lower the bounce rates. They enhance the accessibility and search ability of the app. 

Final Thoughts:

The future of Progressive Web Apps is bright. PWAs are time-saving and cost-effective options as the developers don’t need to write three code-bases for iOS, Android and the Web separately. They eliminate the need to install or download an app from the play stores while saving the efforts of the users. They are responsive to any screen sizes.

With so many practical benefits to offer, more and more companies are moving towards progressive web apps development. There are some challenges too, but their benefits surpass these challenges.

Develop your progressive web app with Biz4Solutions, a reliable technology partner. It is a leading Texas-based web and mobile app development company having 8+ years of experience with global clients. Get in touch with us to know more.

Digital Transformation and Its Growing Importance in the Business World!

The world has gone digital. Nowadays, we hear a lot about digital media, digital technologies, digital data, digital marketing, etc. The speed of digital processes is considered to be way faster than the traditional processes. Many businesses have already started investing in digital transformation to stay competitive in the market. Let’s explore its benefits in detail.

What is digital transformation?

The implementation of digital technology and IT solutions in all areas of a business to enhance the business process and deliver value to customers is called digital transformation. It is needed in the organizations to meet the changing market and business requirements. Digital transformation services are playing a vital role in improving customer experience and business models.

The growing importance of digital transformation

If a business isn’t online today, it is like it doesn’t exist. In any business, the customers and even the potential employees benefit from digital advancements. Its significant advantages are mentioned here.

Enriched customer experience:

Customer satisfaction is the primary focus of all the businesses and digital services are playing a crucial role here. Customers are looking for valuable and easy solutions to their problems and they want it fast. With the use of social media, businesses can gather feedback and improve their products and services. Likewise, digital products like smartphones, iPads, etc. are used for targeted marketing, resolving complaints, etc. 

Smooth collaboration across departments:

Digital transformation makes more data available to the businesses and they can analyze which processes or techniques are more efficient. Implementing these efficient processes enhances productivity of the staff. It also allows open and smooth communication between different teams and departments. It improves performance management and strengthens teamwork. Digital advancement leads to a better communication with the clients which helps in gaining their trust and ensure client satisfaction.

Data-based insights:

Digital technology allows tracking the metrics accurately and improves transparency. Using these insights, businesses can optimize their processes and strategies for getting better results. They can document everything and maintain records for better planning of strategies.

Enhanced profitability and reduced costs:

What do businesses crave the most for? Reduced costs and higher profitability! When the technology and operations of a business are digitalized, it helps in better savings and increased sales. Since digital technology reduces manual interventions, the processes become faster and error-free. Thus, implementing IT solutions in the organizations is very beneficial.

Better agility and innovation:

As technology advances, customers demand better services. Digital technology provides a supportive environment for agility and innovation in work and meeting customer demands. So, the businesses need to approach digital transformation services and stay updated.

Improved skillsets and knowledge of the staff:

As technology continues to bring new tools and devices to the market, the staff members of any business need to remain updated. Integrating digital transformation in businesses helps to improve the skillsets of their staff as they can conduct online training sessions for them. It is a smart investment to improve the knowledge of the employees.

Enhanced market penetration:

With the use of digital technologies, unexplored markets can be penetrated and newer customers can be targeted. The market penetration process becomes more effective as the efficiency of business increases. It helps to expand the customer base and improve the loyalty of the customers as well.

Informed decision making:

When there is the availability of sufficient data, businesses can make robust decisions that impact work efficiency, success rate, and brand awareness. Digital transformation helps in understanding customer behaviour which enables making sound business decisions. This improves the chances of achieving the business goals in the long run and leads the business towards success.

Conclusion:

A strong digital workplace can revolutionize any business. So, adapting quickly to digital technology is becoming crucial for the organizations to stay in the race. Today, all the business domains are experimenting with digital transformation using mobility, social media, big data analytics, and cloud computing.

If you want to be on the top of your competitors’ list, you should consider going digital. Biz4Solutions is a digital transformation service and consulting company having expertise in providing cutting-edge services to diverse clients. We use advanced technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT), Robotic Process Automation (RPA), Digital Marketing and Cloud Solutions to digitalize businesses and help them boost their profits. Contact us to know more.