Services
Progressive Web App Development
Native app performance, with the reach of the web. Supporting advanced features such as Push Notifications and offline use, Progressive Web Apps are the future, now.
Progressive Web App Development FAQs
Google describes a Progressive Web App as ‘A new way to deliver amazing user experiences on the web’ and as ‘user experiences that have the reach of the web’.
A Progressive Web App is a web app but with additional technology and design principles applied. Features usually associated with native apps are also possible, such as the ability to work offline and Push Notifications. The goal is to give any user the best experience possible, irrelevant of their device or network conditions, this is achieved with powerful technology and techniques such as progressive enhancement and art direction.
Progressive Web Apps must be:
- Reliable - Load instantly and never show the downasaur, even in uncertain network conditions.
- Fast - Respond quickly to user interactions with silky smooth animations and no janky scrolling.
- Engaging - Feel like a natural app on the device, with an immersive user experience.
We are one of the leading PWA development agencies in the UK, and are happy to discuss Progressive Web Apps with you in order to determine if it is the best solution for your project.
The concept of a web app has been around for some time now, over recent years they have become increasingly powerful as web technology, mobile devices, and network/internet infrastructure has improved. Progressive Web Apps aim to build on this and deliver native app performance and features to the web browser.
The concept of a Progressive Web app was created in 2015, and in the last couple of years support and traction of the technology has exploded dramatically. Many companies are starting to build Progressive Web Apps due to the incredible power and user engagement they achieve.
The full set of PWA features are not yet fully supported, however most projects can leverage Progressive Web App functionality to some degree, even the simplest website can take advantage of features such as the ability to work offline, or add to a user's homescreen.
Some projects are destined to be built as a PWA, whilst others are not, it's a complex decision to make with many factors to consider, luckily we have a lot of experience in helping people across the globe in making this decision.
Progressive Web Apps tend to cost more than a web app but less than native apps. The cost of building a PWA depends on the project and its functionality. Features such as AMP, Location Services, ability to work offline, Push Notifications, and Payments will all add cost to a project. Features like Push Notifications also have additional infrastructure to consider, this would be the same for a native app. The best way to determine the feasibility of a PWA and to get an estimate is to get in touch with us and discuss your project.
More About Progressive Web App Development
High Performance Specialists
We are incredibly excited about Progressive Web Apps and the impact they will have on the web, which is why we have positioned ourselves as experts in Progressive Web App development, and why we are actively pushing their adoption.
The PWA technologies and design principles can be applied to any website, existing or new. This will have a huge impact on the web, developers, businesses, and end users. Progressive Web Apps require HTTPS, we are already seeing a shift in websites starting to use HTTPS, but a huge portion of the internet is still not secure. This requirement will mean more websites will be encouraged to move to HTTPS, better securing users online. ARIA is another technology often overlooked, Progressive Web Apps will inspire a wider adoption in the usage of accessibility practices online, which is a positive step for the web.
Given PWAs are a Google created and supported technology, you can be sure they pay attention to your sites performance when ranking your site, a PWA is therefore a great way to get on top.
What Can A PWA Do?
In order to qualify as a Progressive Web App, a website or web app must meet certain accessibility standards. This emphasis on accessibility means websites or web apps built as a PWA offer enhanced experiences for those with accessibility requirements.
Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) is a web technology framework designed to improve the load time of web pages, particularly articles on mobile. Individually, PWAs and AMP are incredibly powerful and result in very fast load times, but together they produce lightning fast websites.
A Progressive Web App can prompt a user to ‘Add To Home screen’ on Android devices, becoming an icon on their home screen that can then be launched like a native app. When launched in this way the PWA can show a launch screen, and will not show the browser tool/search bar.
The App Shell model is an architecture pattern designed to improve the initial load time of a website or web app. Progressive Web Apps can utilise this practice to enhance performance. The App Shell is a container, this loads instantly and is then populated with content after. This technique gives a perceived performance, which results in users being much less likely to bounce.
Augmented Reality (AR) is the technique of placing virtual objects in the real-world, augmenting a user's perception of the real-world.
With a Progressive Web App updates are downloaded whilst the website or web app is being used, and then made active the next time the app is launched. Unlike native apps, an update can be for a small part of the app, meaning only the part of the app that needs to be updated is downloaded and installed. This non-intrusive approach reduces the amount of data that needs to be downloaded, and doesn’t lock the user out of the app whilst it’s being updated.
Progressive Web Apps are now supported across all devices and browsers. Most features are now functional on mobile, tablet, and desktop, resulting in a fast, reliable and engaging experience for all users, with just one app.
Progressive Web Apps deliver incredible load times on first use, and exceptional load time performance on subsequent load. When a user first visits a PWA files are downloaded from the server and cached for later use. On subsequent loads files are served from the advanced cache, meaning they load instantly, no matter what a user’s network connection is like.
A PWA can be configured to launch in a number of different modes. The fullscreen mode enables a Progressive Web App to appear like a native app on a users device, launching with a launch image, and running in fullscreen without the browser window and it’s tool/search bar.
Progressive Web Apps must be served over HTTPS. This requirement and focus on security means that a PWA is typically more secure than a normal website or web app.
Like on Android, on iOS (Safari) a user can select ‘Share’ and ‘Add to Home Screen’. This will add Progressive Web App as an app on the user’s home screen, alongside their favorite and frequently used native apps. This shortcut will launch the PWA just like a native app, with a native launch image and without the browser window and it’s tool/search bar.
Many websites now ask to use your location, just like native apps. Progressive Web Apps can utilise this Geolocation technology to create a more personalised and engaging experience.
Just like a native app or advanced piece of software, a PWA can be built to use Machine Learning techniques to deliver high performance, and a personal and engaging experience for users.
The web now supports Web Payments, designed to simplify the checkout process on mobile devices. When combined with a Progressive Web App the user experiences a fast and reliable checkout process, resulting in higher conversion rates.
When added to the user’s device home screen, a PWA can be launched just like a native app. Progressive Web Apps support rotation lock, different display modes, and colour theming to deliver a rich and native like experience.
A Progressive Web App can remember where you left off. If you were last using the PWA with certain filter settings, or features such as dark mode activated, this state will be saved for the next time you launch the app.
On most devices a PWA can send a user Push Notifications, just like a native app. Push Notifications deliver a high amount of engagement and keep customers returning.
Progressive Web Apps are designed to work across all devices, so they are naturally designed and built to be fully responsive. This results in a seamless user experience no matter what their device or browser.
Unlike native apps, a Progressive Web App earns its place on a user’s home screen. Whereas a user has to search for and download a native app, a Progressive Web App can be customised to prompt to be added to a user’s home screen at a determined time, this could for example be after 3 visits.
As a Progressive Web App will be installed on a user’s device, there is a focus on security. All PWAs must be served over HTTPS and meet minimum security and data privacy requirements.
Progressive Web Apps are still basically websites, this means they are completely SEO friendly and indexable with search engines just like a normal website.
Progressive Web Apps support the Web Share API, this can be used to prompt the device’s native sharing capabilities. This method delivers richer and more engaging sharing process.
The Credential Management API delivers a much improved and seamless sign-in process for users across devices. User’s can be automatically signed in, sign in with one tap, and sign ins can be synced across devices.
Virtual Reality (VR) experiences can be delivered across all devices with a Progressive Web App.
Progressive Web Apps used advanced caching strategies to store certain content on the user’s device. This means some or all of the PWA can be made to instantly load, even if the user doesn’t have a network connection.
In order to qualify as a Progressive Web App, a website or web app must meet certain accessibility standards. This emphasis on accessibility means websites or web apps built as a PWA offer enhanced experiences for those with accessibility requirements.
A Progressive Web App can prompt a user to ‘Add To Home screen’ on Android devices, becoming an icon on their home screen that can then be launched like a native app. When launched in this way the PWA can show a launch screen, and will not show the browser tool/search bar.
Augmented Reality (AR) is the technique of placing virtual objects in the real-world, augmenting a user's perception of the real-world.
Progressive Web Apps are now supported across all devices and browsers. Most features are now functional on mobile, tablet, and desktop, resulting in a fast, reliable and engaging experience for all users, with just one app.
A PWA can be configured to launch in a number of different modes. The fullscreen mode enables a Progressive Web App to appear like a native app on a users device, launching with a launch image, and running in fullscreen without the browser window and it’s tool/search bar.
Like on Android, on iOS (Safari) a user can select ‘Share’ and ‘Add to Home Screen’. This will add Progressive Web App as an app on the user’s home screen, alongside their favorite and frequently used native apps. This shortcut will launch the PWA just like a native app, with a native launch image and without the browser window and it’s tool/search bar.
Just like a native app or advanced piece of software, a PWA can be built to use Machine Learning techniques to deliver high performance, and a personal and engaging experience for users.
When added to the user’s device home screen, a PWA can be launched just like a native app. Progressive Web Apps support rotation lock, different display modes, and colour theming to deliver a rich and native like experience.
On most devices a PWA can send a user Push Notifications, just like a native app. Push Notifications deliver a high amount of engagement and keep customers returning.
Unlike native apps, a Progressive Web App earns its place on a user’s home screen. Whereas a user has to search for and download a native app, a Progressive Web App can be customised to prompt to be added to a user’s home screen at a determined time, this could for example be after 3 visits.
Progressive Web Apps are still basically websites, this means they are completely SEO friendly and indexable with search engines just like a normal website.
The Credential Management API delivers a much improved and seamless sign-in process for users across devices. User’s can be automatically signed in, sign in with one tap, and sign ins can be synced across devices.
Progressive Web Apps used advanced caching strategies to store certain content on the user’s device. This means some or all of the PWA can be made to instantly load, even if the user doesn’t have a network connection.
Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) is a web technology framework designed to improve the load time of web pages, particularly articles on mobile. Individually, PWAs and AMP are incredibly powerful and result in very fast load times, but together they produce lightning fast websites.
The App Shell model is an architecture pattern designed to improve the initial load time of a website or web app. Progressive Web Apps can utilise this practice to enhance performance. The App Shell is a container, this loads instantly and is then populated with content after. This technique gives a perceived performance, which results in users being much less likely to bounce.
With a Progressive Web App updates are downloaded whilst the website or web app is being used, and then made active the next time the app is launched. Unlike native apps, an update can be for a small part of the app, meaning only the part of the app that needs to be updated is downloaded and installed. This non-intrusive approach reduces the amount of data that needs to be downloaded, and doesn’t lock the user out of the app whilst it’s being updated.
Progressive Web Apps deliver incredible load times on first use, and exceptional load time performance on subsequent load. When a user first visits a PWA files are downloaded from the server and cached for later use. On subsequent loads files are served from the advanced cache, meaning they load instantly, no matter what a user’s network connection is like.
Progressive Web Apps must be served over HTTPS. This requirement and focus on security means that a PWA is typically more secure than a normal website or web app.
Many websites now ask to use your location, just like native apps. Progressive Web Apps can utilise this Geolocation technology to create a more personalised and engaging experience.
The web now supports Web Payments, designed to simplify the checkout process on mobile devices. When combined with a Progressive Web App the user experiences a fast and reliable checkout process, resulting in higher conversion rates.
A Progressive Web App can remember where you left off. If you were last using the PWA with certain filter settings, or features such as dark mode activated, this state will be saved for the next time you launch the app.
Progressive Web Apps are designed to work across all devices, so they are naturally designed and built to be fully responsive. This results in a seamless user experience no matter what their device or browser.
As a Progressive Web App will be installed on a user’s device, there is a focus on security. All PWAs must be served over HTTPS and meet minimum security and data privacy requirements.
Progressive Web Apps support the Web Share API, this can be used to prompt the device’s native sharing capabilities. This method delivers richer and more engaging sharing process.
Virtual Reality (VR) experiences can be delivered across all devices with a Progressive Web App.
Tools We Use For Progressive Web App Development
