Progressive Web App Software

What is a Web App?

Understanding Progressive Web App software begins with an understanding of the differences. What is a web app, a native app, or a PWA?

A web app is essentially a website. A native app is an app that is downloaded to and runs on a mobile device. And some would argue a PWA is the best way to create web application platforms. A PWA has the benefits of a web app and a native app. It blends native app features with web app versatility and portability.

Many companies decide to convert website to Progressive Web App, for better interactivity. Some great web app examples include Facebook, YouTube, and Spotify, because they do a lot that you would usually expect a regular app to do. The best examples of web apps are going to include PWA features, such as notifications.

By looking at the best web apps, you can learn more about the advantages of Progressive Web App software. PWA software is going to give you everything you need to build an engaging experience, without having to go through an app store, and without having to require a user to download the app onto your device.

Another advantage, of course, is that with a PWA, you don't need to create multiple applications. You can maintain a single platform for your web application and your "mobile" application. Not only does this cut down on development time and cost, but it provides for a more consistent user experience across all devices.

PWAs are the way of the future. More people are browsing the internet on mobile apps today than they are on desktop computers or laptops. People are also increasingly hesitant to download large numbers of applications on their devices. But that does mean that business teams need to know how to create their own PWAs. Luckily, there are easy to use sites that can help you convert your website to a PWA, or develop a PWA from scratch without any coding necessary.

What is a Progressive Web App? 

A Progressive Web App is everything you love about native mobile apps combine with the power of the web. It resides in a space between native, mobile applications and entirely web-based applications. According to Jason Wong at Gartner, "PWAs are an emerging technology, but they are the future of desktop and mobile web experiences."

Starbucks, Pinterest, Instagram, and Uber all use PWAs. PWAs make it possible to maintain and manage your apps as a single interface rather than multiple platforms, saving both time and money. Further, PWAs create consistent experience for users, as users are always ultimately using the same platform.

Each app built using the Lumavate platform is then deployed as a PWA. There are a lot of benefits to this. It's one and done; you create a template and this becomes both your web app and your mobile experience. A PWA doesn't have to be installed, but it can still reside on a user's device with an icon. It can still send things like push notifications to users.

To better understand the way that a Progressive Web App works, you can see the Weather Channel app which is a Progressive Web App weather platform. You can also see the most popular Progressive Web App example: the Starbucks Progressive Web App.

Starbucks, Pinterest, and Instagram all have something in common. Not only do they need to be scalable, but they need to be able to drive user engagement. The PWAs built on the Lumavate platform make it easier for users to engage because users don't necessarily need to download an application.

While there may still be a place for native apps (like gaming apps), the PWAs created by Lumavate can do virtually anything that you might need an app to do.

Progressive Web Apps vs Native Apps

So, let's take a brief look at PWA vs Native 2021. When it comes to PWA vs native pros and cons, it's easy to see why more people are moving toward PWAs. You can replicate the behavior of native applications with PWA native features and PWA vs native performance is usually better.

PWAs are easy to distribute. They're easy to create. They can be used as both web apps and something very close to native apps. They are fast and simple to maintain. They don't need to go through the app store.

But there are some downsides. PWAs can't use advanced features such as Bluetooth. They generally don't work well for gaming.

Most consumers prefer PWAs today over native mobile apps. They don't need to be installed directly on the user's device, which means they can immediately jump into the platform. Customers today also frequently move between their desktop and their mobile devices.

Because customers are increasingly moving toward PWAs, most big companies are, too. PWAs are also naturally scalable when web services are required, because they can be run on the cloud.

Lumavate is a no code Progressive Web App software platform that makes it possible to create PWAs from scratch, without any coding knowledge whatsoever. If you're interested in learning more about how a Progressive Web App can help you, build a free PWA on Lumavate today!

Let’s take a Tour of PWAs

Let's take a deeper look at some PWAs. One of the easiest ways to learn more is the Progressive Web App tutorial for marketers. A simple PWA tutorial can help you learn more about how a PWA works and what makes it so special.

A PWA is a type of "full stack" programming, which includes back-end and front-end programming. At its essence, it's really a web app. A web app is an application that lives online. It's very much like a "website," except it's more tightly designed.

Where a PWA diverges from the traditional web app is that a PWA understands that most people today are connecting to web app from a mobile device. Progressive Web Apps incorporate features and functionality from native mobile applications, such as the ability to send notifications. So, a PWA is a site that's been designed not only to work effectively through a browser, but also through a mobile device.

There's a reason why many marketers have switched to PWAs. PWAs make the entire process of marketing easier because only a single platform has to be optimized, refined, and fine-tuned. All customer engagement and every part of the sales funnel is represented.

Progressive Web App Software

Now, it's easy to see why so many companies are invested in Progressive Web App development and Progressive Web App software. Progressive apps are a great way to drive engagement across the modern user base.

But a company is still faced with the need to actually create an app.

Traditionally, when developing a native app, most companies end up going to a developer. But developers can take months or even years to turn around a product. And it can cost many thousands of dollars.

Instead, companies can use a Progressive Web App builder. The Lumavate platform is the best Progressive Web App builder that also provides a no code environment, open source library of features, and templates for businesses that want to get started fast.

One of the things that make Lumavate the best PWA builder is that it has an entirely free tier. Marketers can check out Lumavate to see if it's the right Progressive Apps builder for them.

There are other platforms if you're searching for a Progressive Web app builder free. But not all Progressive Web App tools are made equal. You can look at a PWA builder online or PWA examples Github to learn more about how a PWA works and how it's designed. 

Of course, it's also possible to learn how to create these types of application from scratch. But not only does it take quite a long time, but it also means the application will be more difficult to maintain. The best PWAs are made on Lumavate. Lumavate has PWA frameworks and templates that you can use to guide your development.

Having a high-quality PWA builder is essential to your success. A low-quality PWA builder isn't going to be able to do what you want it to do. And it's likely that it will not be easy for your customers to use.

What is an Ionic Framework

What is the Ionic Framework and what does it mean in relation to the React Progressive Web App? A Progressive Web App framework is a method of creating apps without having to build the whole thing. Native apps, web apps, and PWAs  all have frameworks and libraries. Rather than trying to develop something from scratch, developers start with Progressive App frameworks and work from there.

But even using a Progressive Web AApp framework like the Ionic framework can be hard for marketers and other non-programmers. The Ionic Framework is one of the best PWA framework 2021 or PWA framework 2020.

In the Progressive Web App theme and templates provided by Lumavate, the Ionic components are integrated. Those who understand the Ionic framework can still take advantage of a Progressive Web App with Lumavate.

Using a framework can give a developer a jumpstart into development. Zach Argyle, Software Engineering Manager at Facebook, speaks about Building the Pinterest PWA in a podcast. The best analogy for doing so without programming knowledge is to use PWA templates

PWA Templates

What are some common PWA templates? A Progressive Web App template is basically a step further from a framework. It gives you everything you need for an app in a single Progressive Web App template free download. Often, these templates use Bootstrap and React. The positive is that you just need to customize the template. The negative is that the template isn't going to have any custom functionality unless you know how to program.

If you don't want to learn how to use a Bootstrap PWA template, or you can't get the functionality you need from a progressive web app Bootstrap template, you can use the templates provided through Lumavate. Lumavate is a no code platform that makes it possible for users to build their apps from the ground up, without knowing any code at all.

Some of the templates in the Lumavate Library include campaigns, customer support, and internal employee communications. Companies just select the templates that they want and are able to start fine-tuning it for their own operations. Templates can also be a great way to get inspiration on your next product.

If you want to learn more about building a Progressive Web App, the time is now. Create a free account on Lumavate today.