What are Progressive Web Apps?

A PWA is a mobile view of your website, similar to what we know from a traditional native app. A PWA typically has both a splash screen and a desktop icon to give it a real app feel. A PWA is saved temporarily so you can use it when you're offline and you don't have to update to the latest version because the PWA is not initially installed locally on your phone.

Progressive Web Apps generally have a good impact on user interaction and are a sound economic choice. Web shops, administrative systems, event sites, etc. can be built as PWAs. Generally speaking, in all contexts where users are in the habit of using their mobile phones for online activities, it is a good idea to consider developing your solution as a PWA.

The benefits of a PWA

There are many benefits to implementing PWAs, both in development and for users. Here are some of the most notable benefits:

• Faster loading times, which improves user experience and reduces bounce rate.
• Offline functionality as data is stored locally, allowing users to access content even when they are not connected to the internet.
• Responsive design for an optimal experience on smartphones, tablets and desktops.
• Easy installation: users can install PWAs directly from their browser
• Lower development costs as PWAs only require one codebase for both web and mobile

How do I access a PWA?

You access a PWA via a normal URL (www.domæne.dk) in your mobile browser - just like visiting a specific website. A pop-up window will ask you if you want to "add the page to your home screen", which is essentially the same as installing a traditional native app.

After the PWA is installed, you'll see the PWA icon on your home screen, alongside your other apps. When you launch the PWA, the content is displayed full-screen and without browser navigation at the top.

You can also add your Progressive Web App to different App Stores where users can install it. There are many different App Stores and which ones are relevant for your PWA to 'live in' depends on insights about your target audience's digital behaviour and device preferences.

In any case, a mobile app store strategy is important whether you are developing a PWA or native app. As with traditional SEO, you need to consider search algorithms, keywords, titles and descriptions.

Native app or web app?

If you have the finances and patience, the solution may be to develop a native iOS or Android app, but more and more people are realising the problems with this approach. It's expensive, slow and bureaucratic to maintain (although the approval process in the App Store has become faster), and customers often have a natural reluctance to install even more apps on their already stretched home screen.

The traditional benefits of native apps are now being overtaken by the technologies that can now be utilised with a Progressive Web App.

Below we take a closer look at some of the core features that help create a great user experience that surpasses a native app in many ways.

How does a PWA work?

So what makes a PWA work offline?

A PWA installs the necessary files and data on your phone - just like a native app.

Necessary html and css files, along with images and important data, are stored in your device's memory and are always ready to be loaded, whether you're online or not. And because the PWA looks at the saved files first, performance and load times are significantly improved for both offline and online visitors.

This is possible due to the use of Service Workers, which allows us to do background synchronisation of data and also receive data from the user even when the phone is offline. It's just passed on the next time the phone is online again.

Should I build my next web project as a PWA?

At Illumi, we are convinced that this technology will be around for many years to come and will be developed further in the coming years.

We would be happy to have an open and non-binding chat with you about your web project and offer our input on how it can be approached, what issues you should pay special attention to, and what different solution models we see.

If you want to know more about Progressive Web Apps and the technologies behind them, we've put together a few links that we've found inspiring: