What makes progressive web apps a trend to follow in 2022

Progressive web apps in 2022

Although mobile apps are increasingly being used to work, play, and socialize, numerous companies still fail at providing favorable and consistent user experiences across different mobile devices. They either take a long time to load, comprise unresponsive pages, offer unfriendly navigation, or have elements that have not been optimized for touch.

With different users using different devices and operating systems to access websites and apps, a progressive design approach to development ensures the website or app behaves and functions properly – and as seamlessly as native apps would. Being highly responsive to various form factors, they adapt quickly and properly to various screen sizes, paving the way for an enjoyable app experience – regardless of the device or OS.

The recent collaboration between Microsoft and Google has caused an uproar in the web development space, aiding developers to publish Progressive Web Apps in the Google Play Store. Microsoft’s PWABuilder and Google’s Bubblewrap are working together to makes Progressive Web Apps easier and package them for distribution in app stores. So, what makes Progressive Web Apps a trend to follow in 2022?

Platform independence: Through platform-independent design, the Progressive Web App approach allows developers to develop and deploy apps on different platforms using a single codebase. Moreover, since they are discoverable by search engine indexing, they facilitate fast and accurate information retrieval while prioritizing the website in search results.
Look and feel like native apps: Progressive Web Apps today offer the same look and feel like native apps and have a similar effect on user experience. They are quick to install and provide the same level of responsiveness and a range of comprehensive capabilities similar to modern websites with seamless database access.
Simplified app development: Because Progressive Web Apps enable platform coverage using a single codebase, they simplify app development to a great extent. Such simplification ensures seamless rollout on multiple platforms and reduces the time and resources needed to get an app to the market.
Intuitive user experiences: Platform independence combined with the inherently installable nature of Progressive Web Apps makes the user experience seamless and intuitive. Being extremely responsive and lightweight, they adapt to evolving platforms and screen sizes and deliver a consistent user experience.
Quick deployment: Progressive Web Apps is great for startups who want to get an MVP into the market as soon as possible and for companies who want to get an app in the hands of users quickly and affordably – and with minimal resources. Instead of using a different browser each time to access an app or website, users can download and install them on their devices.
Seamless support: Progressive Web Apps also offer the ability to work everywhere while providing seamless cross-device support to users who often switch between devices. Such support ensures user needs are constantly met and that their experience with the app is always up to the mark.

Best practices to embrace

Riding on the Progressive Web App wave and making the most of the latest innovations can lead to the development of highly advanced and intuitive apps. Here are some best practices you should embrace:

Make sure to incorporate elements of native apps, so your Progressive Web App offers an experience similar to a native app.
Consider offering the “add to home screen” option to make it easier for users to access your app and deliver frequent push notifications to improve engagement and conversion
Offer offline mode support to allow users to continue enjoying a seamless app experience – even in the event of poor or no connectivity
Use enhanced caching strategies to reduce network traffic and decrease page load times.
Inform users about all the latest updates via custom in-app banners or periodic notifications, prompting them to update the application
Ensure all the latest versions of your app offer backward compatibility, making the experience just as seamless for users using old versions of your app
Invest in advanced testing tools and make it a point to thoroughly test the code across different devices and platforms to avoid installation delays or the app from crashing

With new approaches to web development continuously emerging, Progressive Web Apps offer a great way to build and deploy platform-independent, intuitive, and high-quality apps – quickly and efficiently. The collaborative efforts of tech giants like Google and Microsoft further boost the future of Progressive Web App adoption. In addition to that, improvements such as the introduction of support for new features including native app shortcuts and advanced Android features make this approach to app development extremely attractive. Have you adopted this trend yet?

This article was published here.