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progressive web apps

Which One to Choose: Native Apps or Progressive Web Apps?

Today mobile applications are one of the optimal methods to promote your online business. However, when it comes to development of web apps, the developers have got a couple of options within their reach. They can choose either of the two to develop a high responsive app, which can literally satisfy the needs of their clients. The two methodologies include: Native Apps Progressive Web App (PWA’s) So, you must be pondering which better option is; obviously at the end of the day you want to build app that gains maximum traffic and downloads. This calls for a battle where we will compare both on various parameters and observe the end result as to who wins this competition. Let’s begin with the Native Apps The native applications are built with the specific mobile application platforms including both for the Android as well as the iOS. You need to have particular knowledge about the programming language such as Objective-C and Swift, Java for different operating systems. By having access to this low-level programming, you can actually bring a lot of improvement in the performance of the apps and also reach out APIs. However, comparatively it is costlier in terms of development. The Wow Factors of Native Apps But it will be viable to first look at some of its pros. First and foremost, it is known for its optimum performance. In fact, this is one area where they have been able to outperform progressive web apps or hybrid apps. Their loading speed is also very high and because of this quality, they won’t eat much of your phone’s battery. The customers are able to devote more time into apps. According to a statistics posted by comScore, 87% of the internet data gets consumed on mobile apps. Their performance is also up to the mark because of low-level programming. The native apps can also help in securing the data based on the storage capacity of the mobile device. The mobile phone or the device does not require interpreting the codes in the case of native apps, while writing the language of the program. But this facility is absent in PWAs. The native apps provide the customers access to most of the device functionality such as Bluetooth, NFC, and others. Well, this is again missing in PWA, where these features are not properly developed. As a result, the users don’t have to go to the web browsers. The apps are readily visible on the mobile screen as soon as you download and install it. The Ouch Factors of Native Apps One of the major drawbacks related to native apps is regarding the distribution friction. This means it is very tough to attract new users. People don’t download any app very easily. It is mainly because they have to follow various steps such as visiting the app store, finding the app, accepting the terms and conditions, waiting to get installed etc. And you are aware that people don’t have time and patience. The result, as a research indicates, 20% of users pull away after every step. However, Google, who has developed PWA, has come up with the idea where you can install an app with just one click. As mentioned earlier, both Android and iOS are developed on separate platforms, so the developer has an access to one single platform for building a native app. You cannot use Android codes for iOS and vice versa. Apart from that, another problem which props up here is that you need to hire different app developers for developing Android and iOS apps. In case of PWA’s you get the website and apps all at one place. Another disadvantage with the native apps is that they are costlier and also consumes lot of time to build. This is mainly because of the fact that native apps have low-level programming where you need more people to develop app. This is not there in PWA which has automated development process. The cost of building a native app is somewhat around $20,000 to $80,000, wheras for PWA, you only need to pay $6,000 to $20,000. Native Apps cannot be upgraded easily. If you are fixing a bug or launching a newer version, then you have to first submit the new version into the app store and then hope that your users will update the app. But contrary to that it does not happen in most cases and there is a apprehension of losing the customer base. On the other hand, PWA offers smooth updates. Now the Progressive Web App (PWA’s) The Progressive Web App or simply the PWA is new in the context of web development. It was launched by the Google a couple of years ago (in 2015). It was released and brought into the market with the intention of providing unmatched quality services as far as the mobile apps are concerned. Google wanted to improve the user experience especially that of the native apps. With a wide range of exciting features such as faster navigation, quick updates, push notifications sending, offline working mode and so on, it is gaining the public attention after its inception. The Benefits of Progressive Web Apps One of the biggest advantages that PWA offers is low friction because it is a web based product. This means you don’t have to open the web page and the app separately. This can be done by just one click on the board. With PWA it is optional whether you want to see the notifications or not. The installation procedure is simple and you can add it into your home screen. It has greater potentiality to draw customers and therefore, is used by a number of corporate houses. It has been mentioned earlier that PWAs are comparatively much budget friendlier and quicker to develop in comparison to the native apps. It also supports multiple platforms. This feature is a blessing for the new business owners. Moreover, PWA developers earn more income in comparison to native app developers. A

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Progressive Web Apps – An Explicit Guide You’ve Been Looking For

The mobile app industry has become a platform of scintillating trends in the last few years. Experts have landed in many such debates where different opinions are presented to offer a decent user experience. With that said, here we were thinking of chatting about exploring this new trend that has taken over the heat in the last couple of years: Progressive web apps. It’s debatable whether PWAs (progressive web apps) are better than mobile applications, as many of them out there support mobile apps and many are influenced by mobile web experience. The worldwide users of smartphones are 6.5 billion; today everything from grocery shopping to medicine, flight tickets to movie tickets, these apps are all that manage our schedules. So we must know about their every facet. What progressive web apps have got for us is something we are going to learn about. Well, PWAs have got the key to a smooth user experience to offer you. As the technology has just stepped into the mobile industry, it’s a prerequisite for the users to dig into the roots of PWA and gain an in-depth understanding of this concept. Let’s begin: What are Progressive Web Apps? Progressive web apps are all about offering features similar to those of typical native applications on a browser. It’s an application that works on the web browser. If we take a look from a technical perspective, PWAs grant access to open web technologies in order to render cross-platform interoperability. PWAs provide the audience with an app-like functionality and experience that’s customized for their devices. The idea behind the concept of progressive web applications is to provide users with access, be it any device (as they are using it on a browser). Moving on to learn more surprising facts about PWA in the upcoming segments. Popular Companies that are Using Progressive Web Apps What Transformation Have PWAs Brought After Their Evolution? The worldwide progressive web application market size was USD 1.13 billion in 2019 and it is expected to reach USD 10.44 billion by 2027, at a CAGR of 31.9% during the forecast period. So, it’s clearly indicative that the use of progressive web applications is on the surge. The outcomes businesses noticed adopting PWA In addition to a 150% increase in user engagement, Trivago reported a 97% increase in clicks to the hotel offers with its PWA. Hulu replaced the platform-specific desktop experience with PWA. They have witnessed more than a 27% rise in their return visitors. BookMyShow’s progressive web application is 54x smaller in size than their Android app & 180x more lightweight than their iOS app. Users’ engagement overview Ola says that their PWA in Tier 3 cities has a 30% greater conversion rate than native. Pages per session increased by 65% and the bounce rate dropped by 20% on Twitter Lite. Zee5, a streaming network, introduced a PWA to increase its audience. The PWA reduces buffering time by 50% and is three times quicker. Conversion rate and revenue The PWA for BookMyShow loads in less than 3 seconds and has over 80% higher conversion rates. After the implementation of PWA, Flipkart witnessed a 70% rise in conversions. With the rise of user engagement and conversion rates, PWAs are helpful in SEO as well. We must discuss this aspect in detail! Well, these are stats that present you with an overview of progressive web applications and how they are performing for these popular labels, along with many other ventures in the count. Let’s head further: How Progressive Web Apps are Different from Native Applications? Native applications are self-contained programs that stick with smartphones only. Progressive web applications are websites with the look and feel of an app to offer a bespoke experience to the users. When we think of a native application; for instance, consider thinking about a Microsoft application. When you think of PWA, consider thinking about Google Docs. It’s pretty simple! Now that we have talked about some of the interesting facts, it’s also vital to understand what makes PWA a PWA; how are these very web applications different from the mainstream native applications: Responsiveness Progressive web applications run on the browser, and the browser can be accessed from every device, be it a smartphone, desktop, tablet, iPad, and all others. So, when the progressive web app is developed, the matter of responsiveness is taken on a prior note so that when the user is trying to access your PWA from any device, he is having a smooth experience. Well, the development team ensures that there is no back and forth in the UI of the application; the app’s design fits perfectly according to the device. Flexibility What is the point of having a progressive web application that is lacking nothing but flexibility? The most important factor of progressive web apps is that their margin is not up to smartphones, they are accessible on every platform. That is the reason progressive web applications are a secret sauce for increased user engagement as they have a forte to be able to function on all types of browsers or operating systems. Keeping the flexibility and progressive factors at the core is what has to be taken care of, the development team needs to make sure that the web app is able to run on every browser that users opt for. The factor of connectivity When it comes to the website, it’s pretty obvious that you cannot explore the website when the internet connection is down. But some native applications allow users to use them regardless of low connectivity at times. But progressive web applications, despite running on the internet browser, allow users to explore the same with the app independent of the connection. This is possible by caching the app data ahead of time. This process is implemented with service workers. The service worker offers a programmatic way to cache resources (we will be learning more about the same further.) So, while developing a PWA, the factor of internet connectivity has

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How to Create PWA With React Native?

It was the summer of 2008 when the Apple App Store made its debut with 500 applications. In just one week, the App Store saw more than 10 million apps downloads. The tech slang ‘App’ became so popular that it was voted as the ‘Word of the Year’ in 2010 by the American Dialect Society. This sums up the user’s preoccupation with apps since they entered the digital landscape. Today, the developments in mobile technology and the prevalence of high-speed mobile internet have fueled a whole new level of app innovation. One such innovation is the introduction of a new web app development methodology called Progressive Web App or shortly PWA. Introduction to Progressive Web Apps Who wouldn’t like to add a website to the home screen at the click of a button? And browse its content even you do not have internet? A progressive web app makes all this possible. It allows you to install a mobile app from the browser window without the need to visit the app store. Once you install the app, you can now access it like a native app on your mobile, both online and offline. While the web app development practice came into the limelight just recently, it soon became a widely used strategy. PWAs combine the features of mobile applications and regular web pages, which results in web apps similar to mobile apps. It provides a seamless experience identical to a native mobile app with features like background sync and push notifications. For an app to be a PWA, it must meet certain guidelines and principles as provided by Google. Reliable: The web app must be reliable and accessible even when the device is not connected to a network. PWAs use service workers to ensure offline connectivity. Engaging: A PWA provides a delightful user experience. It makes use of push notifications to engage users and keep them informed. Fast: A PWA benefits from quick page loading times and responds quickly to user input. Integrated: PWA is integrated with the users’ device and uses all its capabilities to render an improved experience. Installable: A progressive Web App should be installable even without visiting the app store. PWAs are usually added to the users’ home screen as they click the ‘Add to Home Screen’ banner that pops up on the browser windows. How to Build a Progressive Web App using React Native? PWAs have rapidly been growing in popularity due to the benefits they bring to the table. However, to make an app progressive, there is no need to rewrite the entire application. Here we will explain the method and minimum requirements for developing a progressive web app using React Native. Secure your network connection HTTPS adoption went from 45 percent to over 90 percent when Google started marking the standard HTTP web pages as insecure. It is an essential checklist for a PWA because it adds security to your app and builds trust among your users. HTTPS comes in handy when using service workers in PWAs and allowing the option of home screen installations. Implement ‘Add to Home Screen’ experience After serving the web app on HTTPS, you should make sure that there is an ‘Add to Home Screen’ option for the users. It enhances the user experience as well as the conversion rates for brands. This option can be achieved by adding a Web App Manifest or manifest.json file to your progressive web application. Web app manifest Including the manifest.json file in the app’s root directory makes your application installable on mobile devices. It contains a name, description, icons, and a splash screen for the app. The manifest.json contains the metadata in a public folder and controls the appearance of your app and how it looks on the user’s home screen. You can either write the manifest file yourself or use a tool to do it for you. Here is a preview of the code. Below is a brief analysis of the code: Short_name: It is the name of your app (‘Visor’ in this case) when it is added to the user’s Home screen Name: This is the name that the browser used to prompt the ‘Add to Home screen’ banner. It looks something like, “Add Visor to Home Screen.” Icons: It is the icon of the app displayed on a user’s home screen Start_url: This specifies the URL where the PWA starts Theme_color: This controls the toolbar color of the browser Background_color: Here you can change the background color of the splash screen when the app is launched Display: This allows you to tweak with the browser view. You can make the app run on a full screen or a separate window. Implement a custom splash screen When a user launches a PWA, the android displays a white screen until the app is ready. Unless you have implemented a custom splash screen, a user may see a white, blank screen for longer than necessary. A custom splash screen allows you to use a custom background and icon for your PWA, which gives it a native app-like feel. Service Worker A service worker is a script that runs in the background without interacting with the actual app. It intercepts background network requests and cache information for offline usage. It controls activities like push notifications, installations, caching, and other tasks. Audit the Code with Lighthouse Lighthouse is Google’s open-source, automated tool that allows you to monitor the performance of your web app. Lighthouse conducts a series of tests against a web page and generates a report on how well it performed. The generated report looks something like this. The results help the developers improve the weak areas of their progressive web apps. It gives insights into four key areas of the web app. They are: Progressive Web App Performance Accessibility Best Practices Each section expands into sub-sections, and each sub-section breaks out technologies that you can modify to improve the performance of your app. Lighthouse not only tests your app but also

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