Progressive Web Apps: The Next Stage of Responsive Design

BluEnt weighs in on the movement towards progressive web apps and how it will reshape how we think about app development.

Toronto, ON – December 26th, 2016: Progressive web apps (PWA) is a new concept that has emerged to combine the best of websites and mobile apps. As a leader in web application development, BluEnt weighs in on the benefits of this new source of innovation to inform our services and readers alike.

According to Google Developers, the user experience of PWA’s encompasses three main attributes:

• Reliable: Loads instantly and never show error pages, even in uncertain network conditions.

• Fast: Responds quickly to user interactions with smooth animations and scrolling.

• Engaging: Feels like a native app on the device with an immersive user experience.

There’s a reason this trend is taking hold of online business. Google found that the quality improvement in customer experience helped increase AliExpress’ conversions for new users by 104% and 82% across all browsers and on iOS respectively. By harnessing the advantages of both web and mobile UX & UI, progressive web apps are paving the way for improved brand interactions, enhanced engagement and higher conversion rates.

Let’s take a closer look into Google’s three qualifiers for PWA’s.

Reliable

When a user has no internet connection, progressive web applications enable them to load custom offline pages rather than error screens. These could include anything from simple brand information to advanced interactive features.

This has enabled e-commerce sites like Konga to send up to 63% less data for initial page loads and 84% less data in order to complete the first transaction.

By giving visitors offline access to product catalogs and purchasing activities, enterprises will have another tool at their disposal for customer retention. This is especially useful in countries where data usage comes at a high price, since sites that allow offline browsing is another incentive for them to shop on your PWA rather than with a competitor.

Fast

A recent study from DoubleClick by Google revealed that the average load time for mobile sites over 3G is 19 seconds, and 53% of mobile site visits are abandoned after only 3 seconds. For a web application development company, this means that lightning fast speed on mobile is an undeniable priority.

Progressive web apps are built to work significantly faster than alternatives thanks to a technology called “service workers”, which request only raw data and no style or layout information to load.

Engaging

The user interface (UI) of PWA’s are often designed to look and feel just like custom mobile apps, but embrace the full functionality of websites with database access and dynamic data. The fact that users see the icon for the site right on their mobile home screen as a reminder of your products and services every time they take out their phone is in itself a valuable form of brand awareness.

One of the biggest advantages of going with progressive web application development services is that they are installed live on the user’s home screen, without the need to download them from an app store. They can even re-engage users with the help of web push notifications to offer an engaging experience both in-app and off.

As a result of web push notifications, eXtra Electronics reported to Google that their user engagement increased by four times, accompanied by twice as much time spent on the site. This is huge news for e-commerce sites, since mobile push notifications are now being read far more often than email newsletters and social media app status updates.

BluEnt’s Response

As a complete digitally run IT company that specializes in both web application development services and mobile app development services, BluEnt is in a position to lead the transition to progressive web apps in the Canadian market.

Our team of developers have spent years honing in on the latest technological innovations that maximize technical performance and user experience at an affordable cost. Whether our clients are looking for a custom, readymade, or hybrid software platform, we create solutions maximize their operational efficiency so their organization can think beyond the daily grind of routine.

About Us:

Formed in 2003, BluEnt specializes in proving custom websites, mobile apps, e-commerce, and internet marketing services for companies running an online dependent business or looking to develop tools to efficiently automate and monitor active processes in their organization. With 11 growing offices situated around the world, BluEnt is respected globally for its consistent quality of services and timely delivery of projects. We use our experience across industries and software applications to help enterprises derive maximum value out of their resources and investments.