12 Steps to Building the Perfect Progressive Web Apps

Efe Dickson
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Jul 06, 2022

The concept of progressive web apps is very important to understand in light of current web development trends. Progressive web applications sit somewhere in between ordinary web apps and mobile apps in that they can offer certain features that conventional web apps cannot.

PWAS were created to deliver mobile application features through a web browser. Progressive web apps give users a native mobile application experience by utilizing web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JS.

Progressive web applications are able to function offline and load incredibly rapidly, making them different from ordinary web apps (and more similar to native mobile apps). This is partly due to improvements in current browser sophistication since websites can now store significant amounts of data offline with the help of the application cache function.

Because they can be used without an internet connection, progressive web applications include features seen in standard native mobile apps, like push notifications, native video and audio capture, and native video playback.

Progressive web apps don't need to be downloaded or installed, just like regular web apps. They appear to provide the best of both worlds in many respects. PWAS are responsive, connectivity-independent, app-like, fresh, secure, discoverable, re-engageable, installable, and linkable online experiences.

Using a progressive web app has many advantages.

1.Quick and trustworthy

Normal web applications rely heavily on network bandwidth. Regardless of the network's condition, progressive web applications are small and load quickly. Thanks to pre-caching, PWAS is able to stop depending on the network. Google has a concept called "Service Workers" that incorporates a background script that operates separately from the webpage. The developers now have total control over everything, even offline experiences.

2. Experience the native web without downloading.

Although the number of smartphone users and mobile app downloads is significantly rising each year, most consumers are hesitant to acquire new apps that are not used often. Social media, music, and games make up the majority of the applications used, accounting for around 50% of all usage.

They have the choice to use an online app without needing to manually download it on their device thanks to progressive web applications.

Cost of development

PWAS employs a single codebase, making development simpler and scaling easier. It is recommended to design your mobile applications on a native platform when they are performance-driven. As a result, they must be built specifically for each platform where they are to be presented. A mobile app's development and maintenance costs are higher than those of a PWA, even if they are created on a hybrid platform.

3. Refreshed in real-time

PWAS are updated in real-time, unlike mobile applications, which need users to visit the app store and download the update. As a result, as soon as the developer sends an update, it is instantly reflected for all users. This makes it possible to regularly update functionality and features without requiring users to take any action. The issue of any underlying platform being out-of-date or end-of-service for any simple reason is solved by doing this.

Using a progressive web app has drawbacks.

1. Increase battery use.

Because progressive web apps are built in high-level code, their interpretation uses a lot of resources. The power consumption while using PWAS is noticeably greater than when using native mobile apps since they are not customized for specific hardware or software.

2. A little offline functionality

Even though PWAS offers offline execution, the options for execution are quite restricted.

3. Use of device hardware is restricted.

PWAS are far less flexible than native apps when it comes to utilizing the hardware and APIs of the target device. This restricts the application's capabilities.

Here are 12 Steps to Building the Perfect Progressive Web App.

1.KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid)

A smartphone screen is around 3-5 diagonal inches, whereas a desktop screen is 20–30 inches, to put things in context. Also keep in mind that the processing capacity of a mobile device is substantially lower than that of a desktop computer.

Keep in mind that your main goal should be to assist the consumer, not to wow them with your design. Consider doing away with a PWA element entirely if it has less engagement than other elements.

2. Make navigating easy.

In terms of user experience (UX) and technology, a PWA should operate more like a website than a mobile app. The same principles that apply when creating a native app also apply when creating a PWA.

Avoiding web-based interaction components like footers entirely is an excellent place to start. There are no browser functions available while a PWA is running in full-screen mode to assist the user.

3. Employ basic typefaces

As was discussed in point no. 1, it is usually preferable to use basic fonts on PWAs, as this will speed up loading.

Additionally, optimizing the app's typography to match the user's operating system and stacking all the fonts that a contemporary platform makes use of can hasten the loading of your PWA.

Because they are accustomed to the typefaces, users of your PWA will easily switch between it and your app. On iOS and Android, respectively, the default typefaces are San Francisco and Roboto.

4. Cross-compatibility

The ability to augment and polyfill a variety of functionalities when the browser is unable to natively support them is one of a PWA's primary advantages.

5. Establish an offline mode.

Making all of your PWA's capabilities accessible to your users, regardless of whether they have a strong internet connection, is part of designing your PWA.

The solution here is to substitute the loading spinner with something useful, like a little game the user may play while the information loads.

Make it easily accessible.

Consider keeping certain elements of a standard website in mind while creating PWAs, such as making the PWA discoverable and SEO-friendly.

7. It accepts any form of input.

Users should be able to choose from a range of input options while using your PWA, including the keyboard, mouse, touch, and stylus. Screen size shouldn't determine the kind of input.

It's also a good idea to make input-specific capabilities like pull-to-refresh available to improve user experiences.

8. Enhanced load performance

The PRPL concept can significantly improve the performance of PWAs.

Push: Preload the most crucial resources by pushing them. This fetch request instructs your browser to retrieve the requested data as rapidly as feasible. Your PWA may now prioritize resource loading thanks to this.
First Path or Enhancement: This refers to defining the first path or enhancing First Paint, or the time it takes for a user to view their first meaningful piece of content. First Paint is enhanced by HTML file server-side rendering.
Pre-cache: The user experience is significantly improved if the server loads as many of your requested assets as possible before the session starts.
The term "lazy load" refers to a strategy where resources are loaded only when the user really needs to view them. You can delay loading a picture till the very end, for instance, if it is one that the viewer must scroll down to see on your website.

9. Steer clear of scrolling bugs

Designing a PWA necessitates considering the user's perspective heavily, which calls for doing several tests to simulate every conceivable usage scenario.

Implementing the gesture of scrolling in a PWA is challenging. An endless scroll or a vast feed on a website typically causes unpleasant scrolling bugs.

This issue may be resolved by employing a virtualized list that displays items to users based on where they are currently scrolling.

10. Use "push notifications" with caution.

Push notifications were first intended as a way to inform our end users of our newest features and content. However, when developers and website owners grew more avaricious, an increasing number of websites began requesting users' permission before sending them push notifications, which made them irritating.

However, push notifications are an effective way to spread your message since they provide you with the freedom to distribute any material you want, whenever you want.

11. Strive for improved UI

The way your end-user interacts with your PWA may be significantly enhanced by keeping in mind that, even if it runs in a browser, your PWA should always resemble your native app.

The first crucial step in enhancing your PWA is to strive for uniformity in your graphic components. Making a solid first impression is facilitated by maintaining visual standards for your foundational elements, such as typefaces and app icons, so that they resemble those in your operating system.

12. Reduce Friction

Friction reduction is crucial in order to convert casual browsers on your PWA into paying clients.

Lightning-fast loading times can assist in reducing this friction, but if the consumer must then go through a drawn-out checkout procedure, there is a good risk that they will opt-out, negating all of your efforts.

In addition to verifying your PWA, utilize Google Lighthouse, an open-source website auditing tool introduced by Google at the beginning of 2018. A website is ranked from 0 to 100 using a set of five criteria. Google Lighthouse utilizes PWA as one of the categories to classify your website.

Conclusion

The ordinary user is surrounded by alternatives at every turn in a fast-paced world where there are many options for everything under the sun, from insurance coverage to a simple coffee at Starbucks (there are 80,000 possibilities to pick from).

The users of your PWA should receive the information they need as quickly as feasible while utilizing it. You may tilt the scales in your favor by minimizing text, minimizing the number of clickable buttons, and explicitly stating the goals of the PWA.

Remember that the consumer has many options for finding a solution to his issue, and it is your responsibility as a PWA designer to turn a casual browser into a paying client.