What is Magento PWA?

What is a Progressive Web Application?

Progressive Web Applications are used by a wide range of well-known websites. Starbucks, Pinterest, Twitter, and other well-known brands are among those that use PWA. Many of the websites you see on the internet are in fact progressive web apps. You can add that website to your home screen if you visit it on your smartphone. It now looks and behaves like a native app.

Key Features of Magento 2 PWA

Magento 2 PWA has diverse capabilities that are beneficial not only to the users but also to the Magento Merchants. These capabilities provide more engaging experiences across web and desktop platforms

• They are responsive and compatible with a wide range of screen sizes.
• They’re made utilizing popular web technologies.
• They’re smaller in size and speedy.
• Unlike other sites, they may be accessed offline.
• They help in search engine Optimization.
• You may utilize push notifications to re-engage your consumers.
• They are simple to install.
• They are less difficult to maintain because you will be converting your website into an app.

What’s the difference between a native app and a PWA?

Native Applications:

• A native app, particularly ones available from Apple’s App Store or Google’s Play Store, is frequently written in a programming language specific to that platform. 
• For example, Swift would be used for iOS apps and Java for Android apps. If you want to create an app for another platform, you must be familiar with the technology. There is no simple way to create one and publish it to the diverse store

Progressive Web Applications:

• While a progressive web app provides the best of both worlds. This runs in the browser and, once saved to the home screen, functions like a native app. Progressive Web Applications can reach anyone, anywhere, on any device as it utilizes a single codebase.
• It even gains access to the underlying hardware and software that the browser is unable to access for security reasons. If the PWA performs well, users will never notice that they are using a web-based app rather than a native one.

Progressive Web Applications Pillars:

Magento 2 PWA studio are web applications developed by utilizing a single code base. They are capable, reliable, and installable. These three pillars of the web help Magento Merchants to provide a better user experience to their visitors.

1. Capable
2. Reliable 
3. Installable

1. Capable:

• Progressive web applications are extremely powerful. It enables you to construct a hyper-local video chat program by combining WebRTC, geolocation, and push notifications. 
• You may make the app installable and virtualize the chats with WebGL and WebVR. Developers will be able to access additional ecosystems such as C, C++, and Rust, allowing applications to give a better user experience to visitors.

2. Reliable:

• Speed is an important aspect of providing a better user experience to website visitors. It is a proven truth that if a website’s page load time exceeds 5 seconds, users are more likely to quit it.
• Users often prefer to purchase from websites that offer superior user experiences. Thus, performance has an impact on your overall experience, from how users perceive your application to how it really operates.
• Regardless of the network, a solid Progressive Web App is quick and dependable. These programs operate in the background and respond to user input in the blink of an eye.

3. Installable:

• Installed Progressive Web Apps in Magento run in a standalone window rather than a browser tab. They may be accessed from the user’s home screen, dock, taskbar, or shelf. PWA provides a user experience similar to the native application when installed on a device.
• Progressive web Applications also comprise other features such as Keyboard shortcuts, accepting data from other applications, and adapting user screen size or input method.

The Best of Both Worlds:

• Using progressive web applications, new capabilities can be enabled in modern browsers. Progressive apps are reliable, capable, and easily installable. It helps to provide an excellent user experience to the website and mobile users. 
• PWA makes use of a single codebase for all platforms and so it is the optimal solution for the Magento Merchants. Progressive Web Apps provide you with a unique opportunity to deliver a web experience your users will love.
• Twitter saw a 65% increase in pages per session, 75% more Tweets, and a 20% decrease in bounce rate, all while reducing the size of its app by over 97%. 

Bridging the gap between web and desktop apps

PWA possesses capabilities, which provide more engaging experiences across web and desktop platforms. By utilizing Progressive Web Applications, you can

• Organize your files.
• Other apps can be used to share content.
• Obtain access to the clipboard.
• In the background, sync data and retrieve resources.
• Use Bluetooth and USB to connect to your device’s hardware.
• Databases are used to store information.
• Make use of graphics that are accelerated by hardware.
• Create advanced designs with CSS layouts, animations, and filters.

Final Words:

• PWAs have the ability to improve user experience on both mobile and desktop websites.
• PWAs perform similar functions to native apps but are significantly smaller in size.
• PWA can assist eCommerce store owners in Magento 2 Speed Optimization.
• Last but not least, compared to native applications, it is less expensive.

If you want to build a PWA for your e-commerce website, you can reach out to us at info@vihadigitalcommerce.com for expert assistance.

Thank you.