How PWA tools can power your next digital experience

PWA Tools

PWA Apps

How often do you use mobile apps? Every day? Every other day? Every hour? If you're like most people, then mobile apps are a huge part of your life. From texting and calling to playing games, and finding a date, we use apps for pretty much everything. However, many people don’t really understand that there are different types of apps out there; they simply download the app, use it, close it, then use it again when it’s needed. But the truth of the matter is, there are a few different types of apps on the market today, all of which have their separate lists of pros and cons.

PWA Apps

PWAs are taking the mobile app world by storm. PWA stands for Progressive Web App, and these apps work far differently than the common apps you're used to. Instead of building an app that processes data on your phone, Progressive Web Apps primarily operate over the web, which provides many benefits. One key benefit of PWAs is that they support backend tech in browsers.

Mobile Matters Podcast

In a recent podcast episode, we featured a special guest, Jeff Burtoft from Microsoft. Jeff provides a very clear description of what a PWA is and why they are so beneficial for users and app builders. The Microsoft PWA specialist mentions that one of the most impressive benefits of building Progressive Web Apps is that they can easily be used on both Android and iOS devices without needing to develop two separate apps.

PWA iOS and PWA Android

While the PWA backend benefit is pretty popular among programmers, the top benefit of using PWAs is that they can be used on both iOS and Android devices. That’s right, all you have to do is build out a PWA once, then it can be used across all devices, no matter what operating system is in use.

Web App Examples

In today’s world, many companies have decided to take advantage of Progressive Web Apps. People really enjoy using a PWA platform, and the boost in efficiency is a huge plus for many organizations. Take a look at the following PWA apps list to learn what companies are utilizing progressive web apps for their digital experiences:

  • Trivago
  • Fandango
  • The Weather Channel
  • Starbucks
  • Pinterest
  • Duolingo 

As you can see from our PWA feature list, many top companies decide to choose PWAs over the alternatives. And given that Google PWA apps are gaining in popularity, many people are making the switch.

PWA Tools

When it comes to building Progressive Web Apps, you must utilize the right PWA tools. Progressive Web App tools make it easy to design stunning apps in a fraction of the time it takes to build apps the standard way! Here at Lumavate, we’re proud to be a PWA platform that provides tons of user-friendly tools to design breathtaking apps in just a few hours!

Starter Kits

Another reason why so many marketers love Lumavate is that we offer amazing Starter Kits! However, we understand that you might still run into questions when building apps, even when you use a user-friendly platform like Lumavate. That’s why we offer our amazing customers the ability to learn and get used to the platform with our Starter Kits and a ton of help content. These Starter Kits offer PWA template options, so all you have to do is insert your own content, then your app can be built in minutes! But that’s not all!

Tutorials

Another way to get started on our platform is to utilize our tutorials. Our user-friendly PWA app tutorial solutions are aimed at helping you get used to our platform quickly. After looking over our tutorials for just a few minutes, many of our customers learn many amazing tips for app-building success! You can view our on-demand library of PWA tutorials here! 

Other Resources

Our tools don’t only stop at our Progressive Web App template solutions and tutorials; we also offer eBooks, infographics, and more! Be sure to check out our Design Gallery highlighting some of our favorite PWA designs and our Mobile Design Swipe File! Stop shelling out a ton of money to build apps and use a Progressive Web App builder free of charge!

PWA Tutorial

While Lumavate makes it extremely easy for anyone to create PWA solutions, it is also possible to build a PWA from scratch. However, this takes slightly more expertise and the process can take some time. In addition, the process often requires having coding experience if you don’t use a no-code PWA builder. If you’re looking to build a Progressive Web App, then it’s recommended to review tutorials on how to do this effectively. There are many different tutorials out there so be sure to search the web to find the best Progressive Web App tutorial that works for you. One great PWA tutorial point is made by Google.

Marketer’s Guide to PWAs

If you’re looking for an exceptional guide to PWAs, then you should check out the Marketer’s Guide to PWAs eBook. We cover how PWAs are built, which companies are utilizing PWAs, and much more! We even go in-depth about the responsiveness of these apps and why they are the top choice when looking to build your next mobile app. PWAs are the best way to create web application solutions, and they’re very effective when looking to convert website to Progressive Web App!

PWA Builder

While Progressive Web Apps are ideal for many different companies, they aren’t the best solution for some of them. For companies that are wanting to create a gaming app, the best choice is a native mobile app. However, the majority of businesses can reap many great benefits from building PWAs. If you’re looking for the most trusted and best PWA builder, then Lumavate is here to help!

Industries that Need PWAs

Short answer: all. As we mentioned earlier, numerous companies can benefit from building a PWA. To provide more clarity on this topic, we’ve compiled a list of some industries that could benefit greatly from a PWA app builder. Take a look at these industries below:

  • Retail
  • Travel
  • Food and beverage
  • CPG
  • SaaS
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Manufacturing
  • Cosmetic

Since all of these industries are frequently engaging with customers, not to mention the tons of products sold by these industries, PWAs would fit very well within these types of businesses. Whether you’re a restaurant, travel agency, or any other type of business, Lumavate is the best Progressive Web App builder for the job!

Other PWA Builders

Although Lumavate is the best PWA builder online solution, there are some other PWA builders on the market. Some of these include:

Polymer

The Polymer PWA builder is an app builder that is very popular. One reason is that they offer very useful app templates that help users get acquainted quickly.

Ionic

Ionic is another PWA builder Android and iOS solution that many users are happy with. The open-source technology and many tools make this platform very useful.

Lighthouse

Lighthouse is another leading PWA generator, mostly because it is built by Google. Users love the builder because it clearly detects the factors needed for a site to become a PWA.

Lumavate is the Answer

Although some users love the app builders mentioned above, Lumavate goes above and beyond for our customers. From our amazing PWA builder tutorial solutions to our incredible templates and sophisticated tools, Lumavate can create the apps of your dreams! Build a PWA with Lumavate today. Getting started is free!

Progressive Web App Development

Looking to build a mobile web app? Don’t have any coding experience? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then now is the time to pick up the phone and give Lumavate a call! We are an easy-to-use Progressive Web App development platform, and we have a ton of resources to help you design your first app within a few hours!

Lumavate Progressive Web App Framework

You may be wondering how all of this magic app-building power is even possible. Lumavate is made possible thanks to our built-in PWA framework. Unlike other Progressive Web App frameworks, our framework is built into our user-friendly platform, so that means you don’t need any coding experience at all to use our app builder!

React PWA Framework

One other framework that is used to build progressive web apps is the PWA React framework. To build an app on this framework, which is made by Facebook, users use JSX to employ render functions for connecting HTML structures. This is one of the reasons why React was one of the leading PWA framework 2019 solutions. The Framework7 PWA builder is another common framework that users love.

PHP PWA Building

Another benefit of PWAs is that they can be built by using the PHP coding language. However, this isn’t the most conventional method for building PWAs. Because of this framework, the PWA is built in a full stack PWA environment. If you’re not sure about what PWA stack means, then be sure to do a Google search for clarity.

Can’t Go Wrong with Lumavate

If you're looking to build apps quickly without dealing with those confusing coding languages, then Lumavate is the platform for you. From our huge Library of elements to our templates used to get started, we make building apps fun and easy!

PWA Checker

As technology and software are expanding at a rapid rate, developers and marketers are looking for ways to improve the app-building process. One of the ways to do so is by utilizing a PWA checker. One of the best solutions out there for this type of tool is called Lighthouse. Made by Google, Lighthouse actually rates PWA performance. Lighthouse is an automated tool that aims to improve the quality of web pages. Using the tools, you can run them against any web pages, then Google will automatically go through a PWA checklist to ensure the app is performing properly.

Insights on Lighthouse

To provide more information on the benefits of Lighthouse, Lumavate actually featured a Wednesday Whiteboard episode that talks all about the Lighthouse audit and how it is a great tool for determining PWA compatibility. If you want to ensure that your PWA is built to last and built to work perfectly, then you should check out this video!

Trusted Measurements

Since Lighthouse is developed by Google, it is trusted by many people. And better yet, these tools are insanely effective at auditing and reviewing websites. The tool will analyze your digital offerings, then provide you with the areas they recommend to implement into your PWA development process. This is done to ensure that you’re ready to build a Progressive Web App and that your site functionalities will be well-suited for a PWA.

Lumavate Has You Covered

While Lighthouse does an exceptional job at auditing your site and making recommendations, Lumavate is where your apps come to life. We make it extremely easy to build exceptional apps, and our team is always standing by ready to answer any questions you may have. Don’t waste any time and get started on Lumavate today!

PWA Support

Although PWAs are gaining traction around the world, not all browsers support Progressive Web Apps. It’s important to do research on what systems are supporting PWAs, so you're not left in the dark when it comes to development.

iOS

When it comes to Apple devices, not all iOS operating system versions support PWAs. If you’re not sure if your iOS device supports progressive web apps, then there is a way to test this. In order for Apple to determine if a website is a PWA, they look at the following criteria:

  • There is a Web App Manifest
  • The Manifest has name or short_name property
  • Site should served fully via HTTPS
  • Service Worker registered with a fetch event handler
  • Display property should set to standalone, fullscreen and minimal-ui

Android

Android is another operating system that supports PWAs. Android devices make it extremely easy to install PWAs from your computer or mobile device. To do so, users must open Chrome on a desktop, then go to a website that is a Progressive Web App. Then, the user clicks on the install button at the top right of the address bar. On a mobile device, simply head on over to the website of the PWA, then tap Add to home screen.

Future of PWAs

As PWAs are gaining popularity around the globe, we expect to see more and more operating systems and browsers supporting PWAs in the near future. PWA support Vue is another topic to understand. Similar to PWAs, Vue is a type of app. But given the benefits of PWAs, many people are now converting a Vue app to a PWA. As PWA support 2019 has seen many advancements, we expect to see even more in the coming years.

Build a PWA with Lumavate today. Getting started is free

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