The Rise of Progressive Web Apps: A comprehensive Mobile Solution

Over the last few months, we’ve put a lot of focus on the rise of Progressive Web Apps (PWA) by outlining the many advantages they bring to the mobile industry. As it stands, these hybrid apps are rapidly catching up with native mobile apps in terms of functionality and are helping to provide an even more accessible and comprehensive solution for mobile users.

So, what are progressive web apps?

PWA are web-based mobile apps which are accessed by users through mobile browsers. They are designed to feel like native mobile apps while requiring much less time to acquire and use. The gestures and navigation you would typically find in a native app are identical to those in a PWA thanks to the use of app-shells which provide a sleek and simplistic user experience. They can be launched from an icon on the device’s home-screen in the same manner but do not need to be downloaded or installed. Thereby saving storage space and speeding up the process.

Since our last post on this subject, PWA have continued to advance and more applications have been found for the new technology. Here, we take a look at the recent developments and how they can benefit your business.

Eazi-Apps prides itself on providing quality web-apps that resemble native apps in appearance and utilise a similar dynamic interface. Small businesses have benefitted greatly from this option provided by our international partners over the last 5 years. However, some of our technology’s most important features were not supported by browsers in web-app format. Driven primarily by Google, the progressive web technology now emerging has enabled PWAs to catch up in terms of implementing the advanced functionality found in native apps and thus becoming the most important mobile solution for small and medium-sized businesses.

IMPORTANT ADVANCEMENTS

1. Native-App Features

Perhaps the most significant improvement we have implemented in the transition from HTML5 mobile websites to Progressive Web Apps is in native features and capabilities. The way in which users engage with functions on a native mobile app can now be experienced fully in a PWA. Not only are gestures and interactions such as slide-out menus and icons the same, but functions such as loyalty programmes, review campaigns and m-commerce are now included. Once the app has been launched, the user will get the same experience they get while using native apps.

2. Faster Than Ever

One of the common concerns about PWAs relates to a potential lack of internet connection and the problems it could cause for users within a PWA. In order to compensate for this and to ensure a rapid response time between clicks, we have increased the speed performance of our PWA by 400%. This along with the ability of PWA to pre-load information means that they can be used in areas of low network coverage.

3. Supporting Push Notifications

Push notifications have seen ground-breaking progress recently as we can now confirm that they are supported by the Chrome, Firefox and Opera browsers. Safari is likely to support push notifications for PWAs in the imminent future as we await Apple launching service workers. Watch this space!

4. PWA-Focused Marketing Materials

Here at Eazi-Apps, we are committed to helping businesses benefit from mobile technology and we are excited to be a part of these developments. For this reason, we have created beautifully designed marketing tools to empower our partners in passing on positive information about PWAs. Our resources include presentations, video tutorials, brochures, flyers and illustrative app galleries focused on Progressive Web Apps.

5. Desktop View

In order to provide a complete solution for this product, you are now able to view your PWA in desktop and tablet layouts. This means that the app may be implemented as both their main and their mobile website also. The digital presence of a business using their web app centrally in this way would appear consistent and unified. The PWA only has to be built once and it will be automatically created in its corresponding desktop format which means less work and even more benefit!

6. Global Performance

In order to ensure that our international partners enjoy the same level of efficiency when using our Progressive Web Apps, we have been working to optimise performance. PWAs can be accessed and utilised using standard cell connectivity from anywhere in the world.

7. Use a Custom Domain

Instead of redirecting your Progressive Web App to our URL, you can now map to any domain. One option is that you use your current desktop or mobile website URL and replace it with the new PWA. Alternatively, you could create a unique, custom domain to point your PWA to. This new development adds to the professional image of the business’ digital presence.

LOOKING AHEAD

The future of mobile for businesses is looking very exciting and we are delighted to be a part of these innovative developments. Over the past year, the basic web app has become a comprehensive and progressive solution for mobile. Our PWA is an ideal way for businesses to revolutionise how they position themselves in the mobile world, transforming the way their customers engage with them and prising open new revenue channels.

PWAs are the best of both worlds; sharable like a mobile website whilst incorporating the functionality of native apps. Eazi-Apps is dedicated to advancing progressive technology into the future in order to provide the maximum possible opportunity to businesses to compete in their respective industries. Exciting times ahead.