How to Create Progressive Web App Development in Saudi Arabia
What is Progressive Web App Development? Progressive web app development is the building of web apps with cutting-edge technologies. It aims to develop a web application that can functionally perform like a desktop or a mobile application.
Many people believe that PWAs (Progressive Web Apps) are the next big thing in the realm of software applications. To make the progressive apps faster compared to other types of software applications, the experts consider the advanced app development technologies and combine them with cross-platform app features and web APIs so that users can have a seamless experience and performance like native mobile apps.
These apps are highly beneficial for businesses planning to increase outreach and user engagement. Some features like push notifications, offline browsing, and interactive user interfaces make PWAs apps popular among users.
The benefit of progressive web app development over others is it minimizes inefficient installation and downloading stages. As a result, the apps help improve performance and user retention without complicating the maintenance of a mobile application.
Difference Between Progressive Web Apps and a Hybrid Mobile App
The future of mobile apps development is a progressive web app because it is a revolutionary technology that aims to reduce the need for Android App (Google Store) and iOS (Mobile Applications Apple Store) in the future. Moreover, it operates and functions as a native application, which means there is no need to download the mobile app from the Application stores.
On the other hand, hybrid apps are those applications that can work on a variety of mobile devices. They allow for faster development, share the same code base, and ensure huge cost savings. The best part of a hybrid mobile app is that it allows businesses to create a single application instead of building individual iOS or Android apps.
All these factors make them a suitable low-value product but not ideal for full-fledged digital products. Hybrid apps are just like native apps, and these applications can easily be distributed via app stores, which means there is a chance that you have to fulfill the requirements in order to submit your application. One of the drawbacks or threats you can experience is the deletion of your application from an app store without any prior notice.
Besides, PWA (progressive web application) includes the best features of websites and mobile applications. They are a superior alternative to native apps due to their ability to provide a first-class customer experience. Therefore, progressive web apps or progressive web app development services are a great solution if you are looking for ways to interact with your customers. Also, when building a PWA with Magento, it becomes effortless to save money and shorten the development timeframe.
Benefits of Progressive Web Applications
High SERP Ranking
PWAs and traditional websites have a lot of common similarities. You may know that PWAs rank faster on search engines because Google pays attention to those websites which give a satisfactory customer experience across all devices. For example, the Magento progressive web applications rank comes on top of Google search engine result pages. Implementation of SEO also matters a lot to make the application visible. Combining the efforts with other marketing activities and paid ads can help you beat your competitors with ease.
Unmatched Responsiveness
Progressive web apps offer an immersive experience throughout all browsers and devices. Also, a highly responsive user experience and faster load help tech-oriented customers make a preferred solution to progressive web apps.
Improved User Engagement
PWAs promise to become highly engaging due to the ability to provide a superior user experience. Features like interactive user interface and super-fast loading play a critical role in driving engagement.
Native Performance
The performance of a progressive web app is like a native experience across all platforms and browsers. PWAs can provide a seamless scrolling experience, including features like improved responsiveness and faster loading than native apps.
Mobile App Features Without Installation
PWAs have the functionality and features of a native mobile app. The best thing is that users do not need to download a PWA because its functions work like a web page.
Offline Accessibility
Even if the Internet connection is slow, the PWA (progressive web app) ensures a better user experience because it has an offline accessibility feature that allows users to explore content and access features when they are not connected to the Internet.
High Conversion Rate
When providing the app’s experience convincing and smooth, it becomes effortless to convert customers into buyers. You may be glad to know that businesses using PWAs experience a higher online conversion rate than traditional mobile applications.
Benefits of Hybrid App Development
There are numerous benefits of hybrid app development. Following are the main advantages of hybrid app development over web app or pure native mobile app development.
High-speed Capability
Native apps have set a high bar for speed and performance. However, speed is not an issue for hybrid development because hybrid apps are faster than responsive websites or mobile web apps when compared to other mobile development options. The goal of a hybrid app is to run smoothly on the device screen even if it is accessed by many users because they are not dependent on network communication. As an example, you can understand that a social networking software, Twitter manages high traffic for how hybrid app development excels.
Offline Usage
Hybrid apps use APIs to keep the useful data offline. This feature is the same as native mobile apps, which you can consider as an advantage for people planning to save money on data.
Support for the Enterprise-level & Cloud Solutions
Various hybrid applications can integrate with the cloud by utilizing the exchange integration approach. Some of the best examples of cloud-based hybrid applications or frameworks are PhoneGap and Titanium Ionic. Plugins allow developers to boost an app’s design, functionality, and correctness.
A Native Experience with a Simple Backend
Undoubtedly, a native app gives an outstanding user experience, but a hybrid application also offers the best of both worlds by combining a simple back-end framework with native UX. It has device-specific capabilities for the delivery of a seamless UI/UX. The UX remains smooth when working on updates and fixes across all platforms. Plus, one can get the same smooth native experience when users of hybrid applications switch from one platform to another.
How Can I Build a Hybrid App?
There are several stages of hybrid app development. Some of them are given below.
Select Technology Stack
A hybrid application is useful since it requires one code that can efficiently work on both Android and iOS. Its code can even be used to develop desktop versions or web applications. One can also consider the main languages or hybrid mobile app development tools for building an effective mobile application, such as Flutter, Xamarin, Apache Cordova, React Native, and more.
Preparing UI/UX
Half of the population has a bad mobile experience when they find the application less attractive. In terms of creating a high-quality design, a well-thought strategy is required for an interface because it helps users enjoy the app and understand what it is all about. On the other hand, using standard templates is not a good idea as their aesthetic appeal is not so good due to the difference between Android platforms and iOS. When concentrating on native mobile app development vs. hybrid app, it is vital to create separate layouts for iOS and Android.
Building Architecture
The success of any future project relies on its architecture, which is crucial for avoiding any complexity. Similarly, the architecture of any mobile application is a combination of many factors. These factors include how the application will functionally perform and contains data storage methods, code, purpose, structural elements, behavior, etc.
Building Functionality
After fixing the project’s architecture issue, one can focus on the creation of the application’s functionality. If the mobile/web app development services are based on customization, it can include the development of both frontend and backend to meet the project’s specification needs. On the flip side, the duration of any project depends on the number of tasks. The app can become complex if you need to implement more functionality. Yet, the average time to create a prototype takes around 3 to 4 months because it is a cut-version of an application that involves a basic set of functions.
Testing
Testing is the final stage of developing an application. Many startups don’t get testing services because it requires an additional cost to ensure that the app is free of bugs and mistakes. Having a QA testing service is essential because the actual functionality of an application is compared to the requirements of the product described in the documentation. Apart from that, native devices are required to perform effective testing. In the case of hybrid app development, one can conduct step-by-step or parallel testing using Apple and Android gadgets.
How do you Develop a Progressive Web Application or What is required for a progressive web app?
If you are looking for the steps to make a web app, you can follow the below steps to convert any web application into a PWA.
Serve Over HTTPS
SSL plays a great role in your website. It is a secure sockets layer that ensures the security of your web by adding an extra layer and helps your users stay safe on your site. HTTPS is required for using service workers and installing the home screen with PWAs. You can acquire a cost-effective SSL certificate from your domain registrar and get its configuration done through your hosting service.
Develop an Application Shell
While loading, the first thing your users see is the app shell, which exists in your index HTML document with inline CSS to ensure that users do not need to look at a blank screen for longer because the app can load quickly. The application shell focuses on the enhancement of progressive enhancement. Your application should display the user content quickly, improving dramatically because it may contain JavaScript and more data that takes time to load.
Register a Service Worker
You’ll need a service worker to take advantage of the full range of PWA features (install prompts, push notifications, and caching). To check whether the user’s browser supports service workers, you need to register the service worker file, known as service-worker.js. Make sure there is no need to focus on the special file that is inside. At this point, it can be blank. Nonetheless, we explain how to tap into the lifecycle events of three key service workers. They are Install, Activate, and Fetch. First of all, users visit your page and then complete the registration process. After that, the application performs a network request, and the final point will be caching and offline capability.
Add Push Notifications
Service workers help users obtain push notifications with the help of the web Push API. For push notifications accessibility, you may need to tap into self.registration.pushManager within the service worker file because the sending process of push notifications depends on your backend setup. If you are planning to create an application from scratch, you can consider Google’s Firebase service because it includes the Firebase Cloud Messaging process to help users receive a push notification and to keep your design files secure in cloud storage.
Add a Web Application Manifest
In case of making your app fully installable, you have to involve a manifest.json in the root directory of your application. The description of your app can be similar to what you want to submit to the application store, including a splash screen, icons, and a name. You may also need to check out the configuration process to understand how your application will look like when users launch on their home screen. Make sure the manifest.json file should include a wide range of icon sizes for different devices.
Configure the Install Prompt
When users open a progressive web app with manifest and a service worker, Chrome will ask them to install it on their home screen. Additionally, the user must visit the site at least two times. The goal is to wait till the user doesn’t show interest in your software. Otherwise, it would be difficult for you to make them a permanent part of your device.
App’s Performance Analysis
PWAs are defined by their ability to perform. The application should be fast and meet all network conditions. Offline capability and caching can be helpful, but the speed of your application should be sufficient if even the user’s browser is not compatible with support service worker technology. This is what progressive enhancement is all about. No matter how poor the network condition is, providing a fantastic experience should be the main concern for everyone.
Leverage Lighthouse to Audit your App
Google makes the progressive web apps popular because it supplies a useful tool many experts use for their PWA development. Formerly known as Lighthouse and used under a Chrome Extension as a part of Chrome developer tools. According to PWA guidelines, the role of the Lighthouse is to operate the application under different circumstances, and it also concentrates on response. At the same time, it can give a score to your web or based on the best practices you follow for your site.
Are you looking for progressive web app development services in Saudi Arabia? Talk with one of our experts at Alareeb ICT.
We are the leading information technology consultancy in the GCC area that can develop the PWA as per your unique company’s requirements.
Being the best company for a progressive web app, we can build a strategy and integrate features such as data analysis, offline browsing, push notifications, and easy distribution channels into your web applications so that you can deliver the best solution and boost user engagement for your business.
