Updated August 2021
There is an app for literally everything nowadays, from reminders to hydrate yourself to banking. In the past 5 years, there has been a huge increase in mobile application development with the total number of apps on the Google Play Store alone crossing 2.8 million. But with so many applications in the market, and so little storage space on the phone, how does one determine which ones to keep? That’s where Progressive Web Apps (PWA) come in handy. These are web pages that are not only lightweight but when loaded on your browser act exactly like an app. Some of them load faster than an app, use less space and data, and a few can even work offline.
How do Progressive Web Apps work?
Progressive Web Apps use JavaScript and that’s a big reason why the user experience is very smooth when using them. JS typically loads only the necessary resources when a user interacts with a UI element. Another feature of JS is it allows PWAs to work offline and loads the website much faster than native mobile apps.
So, why aren’t they being used far and wide? The technology and the concept have been around for quite some time, 2005 to be exact, but recent innovations with HTML5 have made it far easier to build or convert your website into a PWA. Let’s also not forget that Google talked about PWAs at Google IO 2017. A lot of developers started making robust Progressive Web Apps since then.
Where PWAs are better than native mobile apps
There are many reasons why a PWA is just so much easier to develop and use than developing a native app. For example, if you had to build a native app, you’d have to build it for 3 of the popular mobile operating systems, which are Android, iOS and Windows. With a PWA you’d just have to build one. It takes about 6 clicks to install a native application and it is estimated that you can potentially lose 20% of your users with each click. But these are not the only advantages that PWAs have over native mobile apps. Here’s a few more:
- Search engine compatible
Search engines can crawl PWAs, which can be quite useful. Ever look for something to buy on a native application and it doesn’t show up? Well that won’t happen with a PWA. Because if you can find it on a search engine, you can get results from inside your progressive app as well. - Allows web notifications
Now that browsers can send notifications, PWAs also support them. Those small clickable pop ups that appear on your web browser or mobile device when you’re online can be used for the progressive app you’re working on. Here’s another reason why PWAs are catching up with native applications. - Download and Installation
When it comes to native apps, storage is not a problem these days, to be fair. With network problems, large native applications are a hassle to download. Progressive apps do away with the frustration of installation. This in turn guarantees more downloads for progressive applications. - You never need to update it
A progressive app will automatically update in the background with minimal data usage. You won’t have to worry about auto-update settings like you do for native apps. It’s always up-to-date. - Inexpensive to make
If you’re a business owner looking to build a mobile app, and you are not able to spend a lot of money, a PWA is a great alternative. You don’t have to worry about porting your app to other operating systems. Their development cost is lower and you don’t need to invest too much money into developing a mobile solution using PWA. To find more information on how you can hire a mobile app development service, contact us today: Get A Free Consultation.
Does your business need mobile app development services?
If your business is looking for custom web application development or mobile app development services then we can help.
Here are some of the questions asked to us by startup business owners:
Q: How will my business benefit from a mobile app?
A: Our transformational mobile app development projects provide technological and business advantages to every business we work with. Our New York-based app development team is equally adept at building standard features in apps such as push notifications, social integration, location services and mobile purchases as well as advanced features like QR/Barcode scanning, advanced analytics and augmented reality. With vast experience in mobile application development and a versatile portfolio, our development company takes a holistic approach, employing web, mobile and cloud solutions to solve our customers’ application needs.
Q: How much does it cost to have a mobile app developed?
A: The time and cost it takes to complete a project varies from one project to another, as each client’s requirements are unique. In some cases, depending on the nature and complexity of the project, a detailed discovery phase i.e.; requirements gathering phase is required in order to assess the total effort (time, money and resources) for project completion. Our costs scale based on the size and the end goal of the project.
Q: Will your mobile app comply with our standards and security policy?
A: At Asahi Technologies, we ensure the code of your software is secured and follows all of your strict business guidelines.
Let the established software development team at Asahi Technologies help you with your next custom app development project for your business.
Want to read some of the 5-Star Reviews of our application development services?
Contact us today for a free consultation.
