Recent conversations with clients showed me that Progressive Web Apps are underrated and few people know the business advantages they offer. Home screen icons, push notifications, camera access, geolocation, biometric login, offline mode and app store listings - here is what PWA can do.

Recent conversations with clients have shown me that PWA technology is underrated in the market and few people know the business advantages it offers 😲

So I decided to describe a few features that might convince you to give PWA a try 🙂

What is a PWA?

A PWA, or Progressive Web App, is a type of web application that can be launched like a native mobile or desktop app.

This improves the overall user experience (UX) and gives us access to features that were previously unavailable on a website.

PWA features and advantages

Here are some of them:

👉 Adding an icon to the home screen and app list

This lets people use the site without typing in its address - they go straight to the app, which opens without the address bar at the top. In terms of the user interface, it is as close as possible to a native mobile app.

👉 Push notifications

PWAs can use push notifications on both mobile and desktop. This opens up yet another channel for communicating with your customers.

👉 Access to the device camera

With access to the device’s camera, you can, for example, scan QR codes or take photos and videos in a way tailored to the app’s needs (e.g. a photo of an ID card that has to fit within a marked frame). This opens up further business opportunities, such as a loyalty programme based on QR codes.

👉 Geolocation

Yes, you can use the device’s geolocation in a PWA - you don’t need a native app for that 🙂

If the user has enabled biometric login on their device, you can take advantage of it. This makes it possible to log in with a fingerprint or Face ID 😉

👉 Working offline

Because a PWA can store various parts of the application in its cache, it can be built so that it can be used offline. Once the device goes back online, changes made offline are synchronised with the backend. You can also use this to cache key parts of the application and make it load faster. Neat, isn’t it? 🙂

👉 Availability on the App Store and Google Play

PWAs can successfully be listed on mobile app marketplaces. This means we can use the same distribution channel as for native apps.

PWA limitations

Of course, a PWA cannot completely replace native apps, as it has its limitations. But more on those another time 🙂

PWA - what are the benefits, and is it worth using instead of a mobile app?