PWA for Your Business in 2022: Should You Invest in it?

Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) have been making a lot of noise in the digital realm lately and understandably so because they are basically websites that look and feel like apps. Yet, companies find themselves contemplating the choice between PWAs and native apps. To address this confusion and help you make an informed decision, here is a quick look at the key differences between PWAs and native apps.

1. Cross-platform: While native apps are meant for use on just the platform for which they have been designed, PWAs are only an advanced version of a standard web app. This is why PWAs are naturally cross-platform in nature.

2. Access in-built features: In this context, native apps decidedly have the upper hand because they have the ability to access the device’s in-built features, such as GPS, camera, etc. This is not the case with PWAs. Hence, native apps are able to offer more functionalities and are generally potent than PWAs.

Time to see why it makes sense for businesses to invest in PWA development.

1. Ease of development: One of the best things about PWAs is that they can be built using run-of-the-mill technologies and tools that are already being used for web development. As a result, you do not need developers with experience in languages such as C++, Swift, Java, etc. that are typically used for building native apps.

2. Performance: Some of the key benefits of PWAs are that they are lighter as well as faster almost from the get-go. This is because PWAs are able to store content in advance and load it right away even when accessed offline. However, if users decide to access the PWA via a browser, the PWA leverages its lightweight foundations to ensure a much quicker loading time.

3. SEO: Unlike native apps, PWAs do not have to be installed on a device but that means they can be easily indexed by search engines. As anyone even vaguely familiar with the internet will tell you, a good SEO ranking means your content is that much easier for your target audience to discover. Consequently, the website’s popularity grows along with the traffic increases to the website while still offering users the full experience and advantage of a full-fledged app.

Now, we have a fairly good idea about what PWAs are all about, but the question about the use cases for PWAs still remains. Simply put, if you are looking to establish a huge reach albeit, within a shorter time span, PWAs are for you. However, it must be noted that PWAs are suited for a business which already has a substantial audience base with which the company is able to reach via existing distribution channels. In such cases, one has to just send out the link to the PWA. Another scenario where PWAs have proven to be mighty useful is when the entity is a startup or a relatively new entrant in the business world and is looking for a straightforward app to drive user engagement. To cut a long story short, PWAs are ideal for when the company needs an elementary app which can be accessed on a variety of devices running different OS platforms. 

So, go ahead and start looking for a trusted progressive web app development services company right away.