Re-Shape Web Development With Progressive Web App

By now, you might have heard a couple of times that progressive web apps are the future of mobile. They are expected to give native app experience to users. Progressive web apps will drive the mobile web forward, bringing balance between the web and native applications. It is an upcoming technology that helps app developers India to reach out large user base beyond the walls of the rigid App and Play store. Well, that's all fine but, what is exactly Progressive Web App?

“In simple words, Progressive Web App takes the benefit of modern browser capabilities to deliver native app-like user experience.”

Native applications developed by mobile app development company are capable of sending a push notification, work in an offline manner, load on the home screen and so on. Mobile web applications that accessed in the browser does not hold capabilities to act like native apps. Progressive Web App is the way to fix things through a development of new web API using modern browser capabilities to deliver native app like experience.

How Does Progressive Web Apps Decide The Future Of Web Development?

In general, whenever you click on a website link, your browser will send the request to the server. Server will again send back the requested content to the browser. In this way, current request and response are generated.

Website extended with Progressive Web Apps adds an extra layer in the entire process. Here, when a user clicks on the website link, instead of requesting web server, the request query is passed to service worker that shows website content regardless of internet connection. It means, now we can develop a full-fledged offline version of our existing websites that allow users to enjoy seamless browsing experience if in case they drop their internet connection in between.

Not only that, Google has also introduced some interesting features in chrome browser followed by Firefox and Opera in their browsers.

What Features Separate Progressive Web Apps From Regular Websites?

There are many features that separate PWA from the regular website. Here, I am explaining some important features that cornerstone for the evolution of PWA.

1. Add To Home Screen

Now, this new technology has allowed us to add Progressive Web Apps in our tablets and smartphones. It means just like an app, we can install websites without peeping inside the App or Play store.

The upgradations in browsers like Firefox, Chrome, and Opera will prompt users asking them if they want to install progressive web apps or not.

2. Offline Functionality

While it's possible to develop full fledge offline version of any website, it's also possible to develop similar offline error message like 400 error message. We can also make customization in our offline screen. Whenever any error occurred, it displays company's contact information and logo.

For users that are restricted with 2G or 3G data plans, this technology revolutionizes the availability of websites across the world. Users who are not interested in spending their maximum time online, PWA benefits them as service worker cache website information and display them in offline mode.

3. Optimal Caching

As Progressive Web Apps enable caching feature that stores cached website content on a visitors device, it works well. Caching when coupled with app shell that contains all Scripts, Images, and Stylesheets, Google has created a technology that loads web page faster by 25% as compared to the traditional cached website.

This technology is most suited for an e-commerce website that helps them to earn good amount of revenue within the shorter time duration.

4. Push Notification

With the advancement of HTML5, you can access hardware specification that was only possible in native apps earlier. What it means is now you can access all hardware specification like microphone, camera etc. from a web server and browser. One of the most interesting features is push notification. As majority audience are habitual to check push notification, it is one of the best features to increase user engagement rate.

Want Your Online Website To Be Progressive?

If any online site wants to be recognized as having Progressive Web App installed on the server – If they want to include the prompt button “Add to home screen” for users, here is some set of requirements set by Google that needs to be fulfilled.

1. Website must be visited twice within 5 minutes interval

2. Having Secure HTTP connection

3. Valid JSON Manifest installed

4. Valid service worker installed

Progressive Web Apps have shown tremendous results so far in terms of conversion rate, retention rate, and engagement rate. As Progressive Web Apps allows website owners and business to develop an app-like experience with such cheaper and useful technology, the future seems to be bright and shiny. Let's see how this technology will bring changes in further app development. 

The Future Of Augmented Reality App Development

Augmented Reality app development is concerned with the integration of digital information with users’ environment and live video in real time. As long as brands and companies around the world continue to work with Augmented Reality, there is no doubt that it is going to be the technology of the future. 

Most people tend to ignore the closely related world of augmented reality (AR) when talking about computer- altered realities. They tend to focus most of their attention on Virtual Reality. However, the recent ground-breaking Augmented Reality app development is causing a stir in the mobile world with the emergence of numerous applications that are now changing the way people see and learn from their environments.

The starting point of AR growth in the mobile world began when online e-commerce websites - Caratlane and Lenskart - firstly introduced Augmented Reality apps into their business applications. These companies used their online e-commerce channels to enable users get a foretaste of how products looked on them before launching out to purchase them. This did not only bring about huge success but also opened the way for several other businesses to follow suit. 

The gapped bridge between the real world and the digital world presents the biggest advantage of Augmented Reality. From 3D experiences to interactive games, the marketing and promotion of digital products are now been offered a whole different level through exceptional options. 

Now, many company business models are experiencing tremendous revolution with mobile Augmented Reality apps. Due to its easy downloadable features and dynamic uses on any smartphone, these apps are gaining steady, rapid growth in popularity. 

The first AR social media platform was recently introduced when a social media app – Snapchat – employed a simpler version of Augmented Reality app in its Snapchat Lenses. This became a differentiator for the app due to its ability to superimpose various graphic designs and images on the face of the user. This app has suddenly become a rave among the youth community. At the moment, several advertisers in their numbers are pulling away from Facebook and Instagram as a result of this technology. 

The next stage of app development in the mobile world is already around the corner with the current influx of many Virtual Reality gears and glasses into the mass market. In fact, it came with no surprises at all when Facebook CEO and founder, Mark Zuckerberg recently announced that the company was working on Augmented Reality glasses. 

Obviously, AR is rightly on the path to becoming the technology that will bring about the needed change (transformation) in mobile app development with Google’s glasses and Facebook’s Augmented Reality glasses becoming mainstream. 

No doubt any mobile app development company that adopts this technology is bound to gain a greater edge above other companies. 

3 Common Pre-Launch Mistakes For Mobile Apps

Without the guidance of a developer, you may make mistakes before the launch of your app. In some cases, inexperienced Indian app developers still make these mistakes before it's time to launch. Such errors can lead to serious setbacks to the mobile app development success:

1. Skipping a Thorough Market Research

Researching the major players in the category your app will operate on can give you an accurate knowledge of what your target audience values in an app. Neglecting this step can affect your mobile app negatively. Proper research will help your mobile app development company build an app that will interest people.

Considering the following questions will help you to on your market research:

• On what basis are other apps named?
• Are they remarkable?
• Which categories do they target?
• Which exact keywords are they rated high for?

A good examination is very useful in getting your app recognized and utilized by the right audience after launch. To get started on your market research for mobile application development, you can create an excel sheet and list the key features of your app. 

This list will help you to discover where your app stands against the competition. Ranking all the apps will help you to find out if you omitted any key feature your competitors included in their own. 

Study the reviews on your competitors’ products and make a list of all of the good and bad comments. This will help you discern what your audience value as well as their significant needs. Making a list of the repeated feature requests and doing the same for other competing products will help you to stay ahead of the game.

2. Not Having a Feedback Loop

Assuming that you spent lots of time developing features that you think will make your app a must have once it’s out is not a good idea. You may ask your team to endeavor to send their feedback about the app to you. However, they are not the real target users of your app, so their opinion counts for little. Beta testing is vital because it is the first chance to get some unbiased, honest feedback from your target audience. 

Identify your target customer, find out which channels will have best to reach out to them, and recruit beta testers. “Test Flight” can be an amazing platform when it comes to organizing beta testing before lunch. The number of testers you will need depends on a how many elements you want to test. 

3. Delaying in Marketing the App

The completion of app development and its release might seem like the most important aspect of the process. However, making sure that your app gets recognized and downloaded is equally if not more important.

Starting marketing for an app is one of the most disregarded areas of app development as companies often make the mistake of getting the marketing team involved in the app development process too late in the product development phase. This can also disrupt the overall success of the App.