PWA vs Native App Development: Which is the Best for your Business?

1.         PWA vs Native App  Development:  Which is the Best  for your Business?                     

2.       Mobile use occupies a large part of our lives. Looking at our smartphones at least                               several times a day has become a routine for most of us. For years, the only way for                                     businesses to reach mobile users was to build a native (or hybrid) mobile app. But                               today, PWA technology has become an alternative solution for businesses of all                         sizes to engage with active mobile users.  In this article, we’ll learn the difference between PWA and native app. In addition,                             we’ll try to determine when your business should create a PWA and when a ​native mobile app is the best option in the progressive web app and native app                                                           comparison.    What is PWA?  Progressive web apps are an emerging technology from Google. In short, PWAs have                           connected the best of native web and mobile technologies.    According to the Ericsson Mobile report, during the first quarter of 2018, mobile traffic                             exceeded 16 exabytes worldwide. (Fortherecord:1exabyte=1millionterabytes).Thisis                               one of the reasons why businesses need to put more effort into acquiring as many                               customers as possible using mobile apps.    The Progressive web application capabilities allow it to work as a website, but offers a                               nearly fully native app experience. This includes push notifications, offline pages, and                         sensitive pages to your screen size. Even if you don’t have a native app butwanttoreach                                     mobile users it doesn’t matter if they have poor internet connection or not at all.    Here’s how Google defines benefits for business owners and users:    1 

3.     Improved Conversion: Fast-loading pages prevent users from abandoning the app and                       help them find what they are looking for quickly.  Increased engagement: Push notifications instantly alert users to new content.  Reliable Operation: Due to pre-caching, PWAs work even when there is no connection.  Let’s understand the Progressive web app and native app comparison to various aspects                           like app building, user engagement, etc, and seewhataretheprosandconsandeachtype                                   of app.    PWA vs Native App Development: Detailed Comparison      1. Creation and Launch of the Application in the Market    Native Application  The development of Native mobile apps for ​iOS and ​Android requires 2 teams, one for each system. Even if the applications for both systems are developed at the same time, it                                                               will take even longer to ensure that the functionalityisthesameforbothapplications.All                                 of this represents considerable time and cost to create an application.   2 

4.       Submission and approval through stores are a separate part of launching the native                           mobile app. The product will have to go through a period of moderation, which usually                               takes time. While not drastic, it delays the deployment of your app to the market.    PWA  Building a PWA only requires one skilled ​web development team, as it is actually a website, however with some native app functionality. Here, the process of creating and                                                         launching the app is faster for two reasons:  A PWA is still a website, albeit an accelerated one; you only need a team of web                                   developers to create it. They will deal with PWA technological components. This will                           drastically reduce the time it takes to register for the market.  Validation through stores is not required because you are building a website. You don’t                             have to submityourapptoastoreorwaitforittobeapproved.OncethePWAisbuiltand                                           published to the web, it’s ready to go.  To conclude on the progressive web app and native app comparison with respect to the                               creation and launch of the application in the market, a PWA is more efficient in terms of                                   costandtime.Itwillcostmoretobuildanativemobileapp,anditwilltakealittlelongerto                                           launch due to submission to Apple and Google stores.    2. The Distribution of the Application    Native Application  So far, the Google Play Store has over 2.5 million apps. Apple App Store lists around 2.5                                   million native mobile apps, not including games.    What does this mean to you?    3 

5.       There are millions of other apps on the market. For users to findandinstallyourapp,you                                     must be using at least one of the following:    ● Unique (which can be difficult given the size of the market)  ● Extremely valuable, users would, therefore, be particularly interested in this                     application  ● Easy to notice which means paid promotion    Of course, every business with an app wants to gain more customers. With so many                               businesses and all the choices of consumers, the competition is tougher than ever. This                             means that you will have to spend a considerable budget on advertising, as in mostcases                                 this is the only way to make your app visible.    PWA  With PWAs, the distribution process is different. Since this is a website, a user doesn’t                               even need to know that you have a PWA. The user will search Google for a product or                                     service and find your scalable website, which will suggest adding it to the home screen.  Google Search Optimization, which has alreadyfullyimplementedmobileindexing,works                       better than app search optimization.   Does it make a difference to you? Yes! Your progressive website may be listed earlier in                                 Google search results, which makes it easier to discover. Every business wants to be                             noticedbyitspotentialcustomers.Herethesituationisambiguous.Ifwearetalkingabout                               people searching through Google, a PWA is a leader.  But if you’re talking about the ones that go straight to the App Stores, the native mobile                                   app is the winner (however, it will take some extra promotion for people to find it).        4 

6.       It all depends on the target of your business. So in this PWA vs ​native app development aspect, both have their own benefits and are based on your target audience.                                      3. Installation    Native Application  To install your mobile app, an average user will need to:    ● Find your service among all these millions of applications  ● Download and install your app  ● And only now they will be able to open it and use it    PWA  Below are the simple steps to install PWA.    ● Find your PWA site via Google. Open it  ● Allow “Add to Home Screen” when the pop-up prompt appears. (IOS users will                           need to use the “Add to Home Screen” option in a browser menu)  ● The app is on the home screen, ready to use    What does this mean to you? A PWA is set up quickly and easily, reducing thechancesof                                     losing your customer.    Installing a native mobile app can takeabitlongerthanaPWA.SointhisProgressiveweb                                     app and native app comparison, a PWA can help you acquire more new users.      5 

7.       4. User Engagement  User engagement is a critical part of doing business, especially if you are building an                               e-commerce or subscription-basedpublishingplatform.Themoreengagedyourusersare,                       the more time they will spend on your platform, and the more they will buy.    How to engage them?    Push notifications are oneofthemostpowerfultoolsforengagement.Theseareonlysent                               to users who have authorized an application to distribute them. They help you stay in                               touch with your consumers and keep them up to date. Thus, users are more likelytovisit                                   an online store or check the services to find out what’s new.    Native Application  In native mobileapps,theavailabilityfeatureofpushnotificationsdoesnotdependonthe                               operating system or device model. Users will receive them regardless of these factors.     PWA  In Progressive Web, push notifications are also available, but only for Android.    And again, it all depends on the experience you want to engage in. If sending push                                 notifications to iOS users isn’t that critical foryourbusiness,PWAwillbeagoodsolution.                                 On the other hand, if your business needs total coverage, a native mobile app will be                                 better for you. This is an important point when you choose between PWA or Native App.        6 

8.       5. Work Offline  Offline operation is oneofthemainfeaturesofnativemobileapps.Nowitisalsoavailable                                   in PWA. So how does it work?    Native Application  When we talk about the offline mode of thenativeapp,weassumethatitworksthesame                                     as it does for connection.  The point is, a native appdisplaysthecontentandfeaturesthatitmanagedtocachewhile                                   the connection was still established. This is available through local storage and data                           synchronization with the cloud.    PWA  In progressive web apps, users can also use offline mode. Once launched, the pages                             display pre-cached or downloaded content, which is provided with the serviceoperators.                         However, an offline mode in PWA is a bit slower than in a native mobile appbecauseitis                                       implemented differently. At the same time,thegapbetweenthetwotypesofapplications                             is not so drastic.  Thus, PWAs provide users with the same reliable experience as native mobiles. When a                             user wants to open a page that has not been pre-cached, they will see a custom “No                                   connection” message, just like in a native application.  So in this Progressive web app and ​native app comparison​, both are almost equal. While operating differently, the two provide an almost similar experience when offline.                                  6. Access to Device Functions Accessing mobile device functionality is another great marketing tool. Interaction                     between businesses and customers becomes closerandmoreefficientwhenyourapphas                           access to the device functionality. Yourbusinessappcanreachaselectedtargetaudience                             7 

9.     and choose the time, location, and other specific features. This way, you communicate                           with them to generate greater interest.    Native Application  An average native mobile app typically accesses the following device features:    ● Camera,  ● Bluetooth,  ● GPS position,  ● Contact list of a user,  ● Microphone,  ● accelerometer,  ● NFC    This list can be long and of course, depends on the type of application and the type of                                     phone.    PWA  Unlike native apps, a progressive web app has restricted access tothehardwarefeatures                             of the device. For Android devices, the PWA does not support features that are not                               supported by HTML5.  For iOS users, the situation looks similar. Additionally, PWA does not yet work withcore                               Apple features such as Face and Touch ID, Siri, ARKit, In-App Payments, and more.  As we can see, at the moment, the PWA technology does not have access to the main                                   functionalities of the devices, when compared to the native mobile applications. This is a                             downside, of course.  Hence when choosing PWA vs native app development, if the existing PWA features are                             sufficient for your purposes, you can choose this option for your business.    8 

10.       7. Updates and Maintenance of Applications  Business owners who want to acquire more clients tend to stay up to date. The morethe                                   app is updated, the more customers it will attract, and the more profit it will generate.                                 Simply put, a well-built and updated app that bringsvaluetoacustomergenerateshigher                               income.  So what does it take to update and maintain your app?    Native Application  Maintaining and updating anativemobileappcanberesource-intensive,time-consuming,                       and costly. Expenses may vary depending on the services added and provided by your                             development team. Whenitcomestoupdating,withnewoperatingsystemversionsbeing                           rolled out about once a year, constantly tracking new requirements can become routine                           for your development team.    PWA  Progressive web apps don’t take as much efforttomaintainandupdate.Sinceitisstillthe                                   Internet, your customers will no longer need to update their smartphones. Progressive                         web apps will behave dynamically on any device.  The same goes for maintenance:websitesupport,whilegradual,costsmuchlessthanthat                             of a native app.  On the background of supporting and updating the cost of native apps, PWA solution is                               very cost-effective, especially if your business is just gaining strength, with a lack of time                               and money. At the same time, if you are willing to spend your resources on support and                                   updates, feel free to build a native app.      9 

11.       Choose Between PWAorNativeApp:WhendoyouNeedtoBuild                         it?  Each technology covers different business needs and requirements.    For example, if you have an ​eCommerce platform and want to acquire or re-engage customers, but you are unsure of the outcome, going with the PWA is a perfect solution.                                                             Choosing the PWA for a growing media, market, or business in developing countries is                             also the best way to go.  Atthesametime,ifyouhaveaverycomplexproducttodeploy,likebankingapps,socialor                                     dating platforms, which will obviously requireallthenativeexperience,you’dbetterbuild                           a native mobile app.  Before you choose between PWA or Native App, you should also take into account all                               your requirements and resources, both time and money.    ● Who is the target audience?  ● How many months are you willing to devote to building the app?  ● What is the budget for development?    To conclude, let’s summarize all the pros and cons of the Progressive web appandnative                                 app comparison, to determine which one will be right for your business.    PWA vs Native App Development: Who Wins?  Like many other technology solutions, native and progressive mobilewebappshaveboth                           advantages and disadvantages.  This is why there are no winners or losersinthisfight.Frankly,askingaquestionlike“Are                                     PWAs better than native mobile apps” isn’t really relevant. Each of them performs a                             certain task and corresponds to a certain type of business.  10 

12.     Do not hesitate to contact OneClick, an expert in the development and maintenance of                             tailor-made native, PWA, and ​cross-platform applications​. Wecan,infact,supportyouin the realization of your mobile application project, from the drafting of the specifications                                                     to the development. Let’s ​Connect with us​.                                                    11 

13.       Thank You!  ​info@itoneclick.com  (+91) 98254-86321   ​www.oneclickitsolution.com  ​https://www.facebook.com/oneclickconsultancy/  ​https://twitter.com/​OneClickIT  ​www.linkedin.com/company/one-click-it-consultancy/  12