What Does the Best PWA Builder Look Like?

by Lilly Thuma | Last Updated: Jun 13, 2020

Are you ready to go mobile, but don’t know where to start? If so, you are not alone. As the world continues to move to mobile (70 percent of web traffic now happens on a mobile device) it can be challenging to devise the right mobile strategy for you. But lucky for you, I have an answer. Progressive Web Apps (PWAs). Here at Lumavate we love PWAs and all things mobile and want to help turn you into a citizen developer. If you don’t know what a PWA is, that’s okay! Let me give you a brief overview. A PWA is an app that has the rich functionality of a native mobile app you would download from the app store with all of the benefits of being delivered on the web. A PWA allows users to skip the download processes, drives higher adoption rates, is searchable, and can work in low to no connectivity. So, if you like the sound of that and are ready to take on the role of a citizen developer, then it’s time to get started with a PWA builder, and soon enough you will be able to develop PWAs on your own. So, how do you know which PWA builder to go with? Here are some general guidelines. The Best PWA Builder for You Will...

Let You Code As Much or As Little As YOU Want. First things first, the best PWA builder for you will make sure you are comfortable with the PWA development process. This means you will be able to code as much or as little as you are comfortable AND will allow you to code in whatever language you are comfortable with. If you have little to no coding experience this means the best builder for you will be a no-code platform. However, if you feel confident in your coding skills you can select a PWA platform that allows you to work in whatever code language you prefer.
Give You Control Over the PWA. You should have full control over the PWA development process to ensure that you have an app that you are 100% satisfied with. At the end of the day it is going to be your app for your customers, so, you should be able to have a say in what it looks like, how it functions, and make changes if there is something you are unhappy with. A good PWA builder will let you decide when your PWA is published, updated, and how it is accessed. The builder should simply act as the middleman in the process.
Provide Guidance. For those of us who have little experience building apps, it is important to have someone providing us with guidance throughout the process (regardless of how easy it might be). This could be in the form of tutorials, templates, training, and PWA development tools. Additionally, it is helpful when builders have a wide variety of PWA web components and integrations incorporated into their platform.
Be Timely. Lastly, PWA builders should allow you to develop a PWA in a timely manner. If it is going to take months to develop, it might not be worth it to wait that long. There are builders out there that will let you create PWAs in a matter of hours or days. The faster you can get your PWA up and running, the faster you can start better connecting with consumers on their mobile devices.

Lumavate's PWA platform offers all of a built-in PWA framework, starter kits, tutorials, and more. You can create a free account here to get started building a PWA today.

What Does the Best PWA Builder Look Like?

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