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Progressive Web Apps (PWA) Overview
Progressive Web Apps (PWA) Overview

What are Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) and how can you benefit from them? Check out this video and article to find out.

Tim Tietz avatar
Written by Tim Tietz
Updated over a week ago

Did you know there is a type of app that works for all operating systems and is easier for users to access? 

They are called Progressive Web Apps, or PWAs, and they are reliable, fast, and engaging.

PWA for the Win: Twitter Lite

Twitter is one of the biggest PWA success stories. They decided they needed an app that worked on every device, loaded quickly, and gave their 380 million users the experience they were used to. 

The resulting PWA, Twitter Lite, delivered on its promise:

  • Pages per session increased 65%

  • Tweets sent increased 75%

  • Bounce rate decreased 20%

  • User data consumption decreased as much as 70%

  • Average load time decreased 30%

  • Average boot up time is under three (3) seconds

In fact, it was so successful that as of now, Twitter Lite is the default experience for all mobile users.

So what exactly is a Progressive Web App?

PWAs are mobile apps that are initially accessed or downloaded through the web, and work across all platforms and devices, as opposed to an operating system specific (sometimes called native) apps, which is a self-contained program that lives on a smartphone, and works on only one type of operating system.

A word about PWAs and iOS: As of November 2017, Apple’s iOS mobile operating system does not support push notifications, but the good news is that their development is currently underway to do so. 

PWA Advantages

That being said, PWAs have a number of huge advantages. Some of the biggest ones are:

Direct Deployment
Send your app directly to your user’s phone, instead of forcing them to download it from an app store. This will reduce the number of steps it takes for the user to download your app.

Plus, since you’re not distributing it through the App Store,  you’re not tied down to Apple’s guidelines.

Access Anywhere
Load instantly on any operating system, and on any device.

Promote with SEO
PWAs are searchable through Google and other search engines, so you can use SEO to help your prospective users find them.

Easy Updates
Instead of going through the resubmission and review process, you can push out updates and new versions of your app with the click of a button.

Safe and Secure
Provide the familiar app experience users demand without sacrificing performance or security.

Future-proof
Progressive Web Apps are future-proof because they adapt easily and evolve quickly as technology improves.

Have any questions? We’re here to help you understand this new field of mobile app development, and explain how it might benefit you.

Let’s build something great together!

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