Progressive Web Apps (PWAs): A Step-by-Step Guide to Build them

Key Takeaways

• Do you know what is a PWA progressive web app?
• Progressive web app development is the latest hype in the app development industry.
• Progressive web application development can help you outsmart your competitors by miles!

Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) have emerged as a game changer in the evolving web and mobile app development industry!

They bring together the traditional web apps and native mobile apps by offering the best of both.

PWAs are those web applications that utilize modern capabilities while delivering an app-like user experience, or UX.

They are reliable, fast, and engaging, which helps them cater a seamless UX, be it any device or network conditions.

This blog will help you understand the Progressive Web Application (PWA) and then share with you a step-by-step guide to build them efficiently.

If you are a business owner, a software developer, or a tech enthusiast, this blog will open a new world of Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) for you!

A few facts about Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)

• The global market share of Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) was at USD 1.46 billion in 2023 & is expected to grow with a CAGR of 31.1% from 2024 to 2030.

Fig 1. A graphical representation of Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) global market share from 2020 to 2030. [Source: Grand View Research]

• Market characteristics of Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) in the software development industry show that they are the best possible way forward!

Fig 2. The Industry dynamics of Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) in 2024. [Source: Grand View Research]

• Social media apps use Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) the most, i.e., 19% out of the total PWA usage.
• The largest market of Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) is in the USA, followed by Southeast Asia.

Fig 3. A graphical representation of the largest markets of PWA all across the globe. [Source: Grand View Research]

• The APAC market for PWA is growing with a maximum CAGR of 32.7% from 2024 to 2030.

Understanding the Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)

Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) are web apps that utilize modern web technologies to deliver top-notch quality and UX while ensuring that the UX emulates a native mobile experience.

Their benefits include office functionality, better UX, and engagement, among others.

They are built via JavaScript, HTML, & CSS, i.e., standard web tech. But they also incorporate advanced features like engaging UX via better APIs.

Key features of Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)

Now let us get you acquainted with key features of Progressive Web Apps (PWAs). ,

• Progressive

They are available to all users and are not browser-specific.

• Responsive

They can run on any device, be it a tablet, desktop, or mobile.

• Independent of Connectivity

They work fine without any internet connectivity or with lesser connectivity.

• App-like Feel

They simulate native apps, and thus users get the same app-like feel from them.

• Fresh

They stay up-to-date due to the constant update process from the service workers.

Service workers are the scripts that run in background. They help enable offline functionalities, an up-to-date nature, and push notifications.

• Web App Manifest

It is a JSON file that helps regulate the app appearance and launch (after installation).

• Direct Installation

It can be directly installed from websites.

The Benefits of Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)

Let us get to know the benefits of Progressive Web Apps (PWAs).

• High Performance even on slow networks.
• Can work Offline as well.
• Work just like a Native app and thus doesn’t hamper the UX.

As you can see, it is beneficial and yet does not make users feel hassled, which makes it the best upgrade in the app development industry!

Difference between Traditional Websites & Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)

Let us get to know their differences in a tabular format.

Since PWAs work as an app but have features like that of a website, it bring the best of both worlds and cater the exceptional UX!

Planning Your Progressive Web App Development (PWAs)

With appropriate and data driven planning, you can ensure the easiest implementation of your Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)!

Here is how you achieve the successful development of Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) for your business using the best technology for PWA.

Audience & Purpose Identification

Understanding your audience helps you devise ideal user personas and then cater your Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) accordingly.

This means getting to know,

• Who your users are?
• What do they need?
• How can your Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) meet their demands?

Then you move onto the definition of the purpose of your Progressive Web Apps (PWAs).

Be it information sharing, service offering, or selling products, a clearly identified and defined purpose helps make the development process smoother.

Step 1 | Development Environment Setup

You need to setup a precise development environment for your Progressive Web Apps (PWAs).

Be it the right tool, technologies, resources, budget, or time frame, you have to make things feasible for the development to begin.

Remember to install NPM and Node.JS to help you maintain the dependencies.

And use platforms like Git to help you control the versions accordingly in case of collaborations.

Step 2 | Responsive Web App Creation

A responsive web app is important as it helps in ensuring the running capabilities of your Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) on all devices, be they desktop or smart devices.

CSS media queries are used to adapt a common layout for all the various screen sizes.

A great Progressive Web App (PWA) will help in garnering the best-in-class UX!

Step 3 | The App Shell Development

The basic UI or user interface of an app is known as its app shell!

It is the first thing that will be seen by users once they open your app. Thus it should load quickly and cache instantly for repeated visits.

An app shell is the segregator of the core app data infrastructure and other data. This thus helps in ensuring app loading even in offline scenarios.

Lastly, the app shell must be user-friendly and intuitive.

Step 4 | Service Worker Implementation

They are the key components of Progressive Web Apps (PWAs), as they act as a proxy between the network and the app, which further boosts background tasks and offline functionality.

You use a JavaScript file that intercepts the network request of your Progressive Web Apps (PWAs). This file can,

• Cache responses,
• Serve these cached responses in case of an offline state, and
• Update Cache when online.

You would also need HTTPS for maintaining apt security, so definitely use that!

Step 5 | Web App Manifest Creation

It is a JSON file that helps in maintaining the settings and appearance of your Progressive Web Apps (PWAs).

It contains details like,

• Start URL,
• Icons
• App Name
• Display Mode
• And more.

Creating a straightforward web app manifest is the best, and link it to your HTML document.

Step 6 | Testing & Debugging

As in any development process, testing & debugging are important!

It helps you check,

• Working of current features and functionalities.
• Figure out any improvement areas.
• UX and UI of the Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) in real-world scenarios.

Thus, using real devices, browsers, and emulators is preferred.

Tools to use for Testing Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)

You can use the following tools to test your Progressive Web Apps (PWAs),

• Lighthouse is an open-source tool that can easily audit an app.
• Chrome DevTools as it offers a range of services to aptly test PWAs.

Step 7 | Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) Deployment

Deployment is the final step in the development of your Progressive Web Apps (PWAs).

You have to choose an apt server or hosting platform that supports HTTPS.

It is a good habit to test your Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) after deployment to be sure that their lab performance is being replicated after deployment as well.

With these 7 steps, you can get top notch Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) built for your businesses.

Conclusion: Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) for the Future

Building your Progressive Web App (PWA) is not at all difficult, but it does require unique steps that are shared in this blog.

It has proved most beneficial in boosting UX, offline connectivity, and giving a traditional native app-like feel.

Ensure regular updates in your Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) to keep your app among the user-favoured ones.

Wildnet Technologies is a leading website & app development company in India that specializes in Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) via our Design and Development Services.

If you would like to know more,

• Building Remote Teams’ Strategies for Higher Performance
• Wildnet Technologies: Your One Stop Digital Partner
• Wildnet’s Digital Yum (our thought leadership’s weekly POV on the latest trends & tech of the digital transformation industry)

Contact us now at info@wildnettechnologies.com and get your dream Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) built!

FAQs

FAQ 1. What is a PWA Progressive Web App?

Ans: A PWA Progressive Web App is that web-based app that has extended features but imparts users with the same native mobile app feels.

FAQ 2. How do I build a PWA?

Ans: You hire Wildnet’s PWA experts to build your dream PWA Progressive Web App.

FAQ 3. What makes a web app a PWA?

Ans: If a web app has,

• Web App manifest
• Service Workers
• Push Notifications
• HTTPS
• Connectivity Independence
• And more.

Then a web app can be called a PWA!

FAQ 4. Is Spotify a PWA?

Ans: Yes, Spotify is a PWA that was launched in 2019.

FAQ 5. What is an example of PWA?

Ans: Uber is a progressive web app example.