What Exactly Is a Progressive Web App (PWA)

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Image Source: FreeImages

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A Progressive Web App (PWA) is a kind of website that you can install directly on your mobile device and use as an app. Moreover, it’s also an upgraded version of your website which works faster, loads quicker, and provides the user with a better experience than standard static websites. PWA has many benefits for businesses. It is fast, reliable and can work offline, but most importantly - it is relevant for users. Let’s see what exactly is PWA and how to make your website become one!

What is a Progressive Web App?

A Progressive Web App (PWA) is a kind of website that you can install directly on your mobile device and use as an app. Moreover, it’s also an upgraded version of your website which works faster, loads quicker, and provides the user with a better experience than standard static websites. PWA has many benefits for businesses. It is fast, reliable and can work offline, but most importantly - it is relevant for users. Let’s see what exactly is PWA and how to make your website become one! Let’s break it down. The Progressive part means that it has its own timeline. It keeps evolving as the website owner makes improvements to it. The Web App part means that it has the functionality of a native application. You can install it on your device as an app so you can use it offline.

Why Build a PWA?

As we have seen, PWA has many benefits. So why build a PWA? The main reason is that it has all the features of a native app, but it’s all on the web. It means you can use it on any device, anywhere, and you don’t need to download any app. These benefits have helped PWA grow in popularity, especially among businesses. The stats show that more than 50% of users say that they prefer websites that are ‘’app-like’’ over traditional websites. A PWA also has a lower cost than a native app. So if you are looking to get more customers, then PWA could be a good fit for you.

How to Build a PWA?

Now that we know what a PWA is, let’s see how to build one. You can build a PWA using any website building tools or CMS. Here, we are going to use WordPress. To build a PWA, you need to follow three main steps. Step 1 - Increase Website Speed, Step 2 - Add An Offline Functionality, Step 3 - Add a User Interface. Let’s go through each of these steps.

3 Steps to Become a PWA: Step 1 - Increase Website Speed

The first step to build a PWA is to increase website speed. As we discussed earlier, one of the main disadvantages of a static website is that it can take a long time to load. In fact, studies show that almost 50% of users leave a website that takes more than 3 seconds to load. Let’s see how you can speed up your website. You can optimize your hosting to host your website on the fastest servers. You can also optimize your images and videos so they load faster. There are also many tools available online to help you speed up your website. If you are using WordPress to build your website, then you can use a caching plugin.

2 Steps to Become a PWA: Step 2 - Add An Offline Functionality

The next step to build a PWA is to add an offline functionality. As we discussed earlier, one of the main advantages of a PWA is that it works offline. But how can you make your website work offline? Let’s see the ways you can make your website work offline. First, you can host your website on a static website hosting service. You can also use a content delivery network (CDN) to host your website on multiple servers around the world. This will help you speed up your site and make it load faster. You can also use a caching plugin to make your website work offline. You can also use a service like Firebase to store your data and make your website work offline.

1 Step to Become a PWA: Step 3 - Add a User Interface

The last step to build a PWA is to add a user interface. PWA is a combination of a website and an app, so you need to add a user interface to make your website look like an app. You can do this by adding a splash screen, app icons, and a home screen that looks like an app. You can also add a splash screen to let your users know where they are. You can do this by adding an img> tag in the header of your website. You can also add app icons to make your website look like an app. You can do this by uploading an icon image to your website.

Conclusion

Now that we know what a PWA is, why build a PWA, and how to build a PWA, let’s summarize. A Progressive Web App is a kind of website that you can install directly on your mobile device and use as an app. Moreover, it’s also an upgraded version of your website which works faster, loads quicker, and provides the user with a better experience than standard static websites. PWA has many benefits for businesses. It is fast, reliable and can work offline, but most importantly - it is relevant for users. Now that you know what a PWA is, why build one, and how to build one, you can make your website more appealing to your customers.

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