Progressive Web Apps

Step Dorogov
CimpleO
Published in
3 min readJul 6, 2021

What is Progressive Web Apps?

Progressive Web Application is a technology that allows customers to install your site on a smartphone as an application. There is no need to create a separate website, an app for iOS and Android, it is enough to have and maintain only a website.

We use PWA-based applications more often than meets the eye.

Brands Twitter, Pinterest, Uber, Telegram, Starbucks, Forbes, AliExpress, Aviasales use PWA-based applications as the main or in addition to the mobile application.

What tasks does PWA solve?

  • Promotes repeat sales.
  • Simplifies the search for a company. Access to services with one click on the screen.
  • Build brand awareness. The icon (logo) of the company is always visible to the user.
  • Increases the average bill by upselling products using push notifications.
  • Stay in touch with the client. Send notifications from PWA to the client that the goods have arrived at the pick-up point. Or that the item will be delivered today.
  • Save on advertising. Now you don’t need to set up catch-up ads with a new promotion. It is enough to send a notification that your customers will notice.
  • Get rid of competition in search results. Your customers contact through an application that has no competitors, in contrast to the search results.

PWA is right for you if your business area is:

— Online store.

  • PWA is indexed by search engines and improves SEO performance.
  • The cross-platform design makes development cheaper since you need to create one application on Android and IOS.
  • It is possible to view products without the Internet and update the list automatically when it appears.
  • Notifications work like in regular applications — notify about promotions and order statuses.

— News portal.

  • Indexing by search engines, which increases the frequency of visits.
  • Instant page loading, just like in a web browser.
  • Shows only pages of your site, which does not allow you to go to the news of competitors.

— Restaurants, cafes and delivery chains.

  • Ordering or booking a table in 1 click.
  • The customer will use loyalty cards if they are linked to the application.

Benefits of progressive web apps

You find yourself in a zone of lower competition. When you create a mobile app for your business, you automatically enter the fray with the two million apps already built by iOS and Android. Progressive web apps support the ability to navigate from search results or social media pages. The chances of being noticed increase significantly.

Instant installation and minimal space requirements. In practice, this means a larger number of installations and, as a result — users. Many smartphone owners refuse to install an application precisely because of the slow download speed or unreasonably large occupied space.

PWA works on any platform. Therefore, you no longer need to invest in creating solutions separately for each platform. For business, this is not only savings but also the widest possible reach of users, regardless of the devices they use.

This is a solution that suits any type of business. If earlier analysts racked their brains over whether to create a mobile application and on which platform to focus, now everything has become easier. Progressive solutions work regardless of the platform, Internet speed of the user, the device he uses. And even the niche in which the business operates is no longer so important since PWA can be successfully implemented for retail business and social networks and entertainment.

What technologies do we use?

  • React.js is a framework for developing fast and scalable applications.
  • Node.js is a software platform for project implementation.
  • DRF (Django Rest Framework) is a programming language that gives a variety of software architecture.
  • JavaScript is the most popular web programming language.
  • Angular.js — allows you to work with code directly in HTML. Easy work with the framework allows you to quickly write code and test it.
  • Service Worker API is a browser script that passes all requests through itself, ensuring the conversion of the site into a progressive application.
  • HTML5 / CSS3 is a hypertext markup language that determines which elements and how should be placed on the page.

Drop us a line — hello@cimpleo.com

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