What is Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) and Why it is Important?

With the proliferation of new tools and channels increasing their opportunities to connect and communicate with their audience, content creators from many industries have had success in the connected world.

This is exemplified by the Rolling Stones, who created a platform for their music to be shared and connected with more than 250,000 fans worldwide. Another testament to the importance of influencer marketing is the rapid growth. Brands are expected to spend $15billion by 2022. It seems like anyone can be an influencer.

Recent research has shown that 52% of Brits would be willing to leave social media giants like Instagram and Facebook behind and instead look for community apps that are devoted to their passion.

There is a demand from consumers for these community apps. The same survey revealed that more than a third of respondents want to see apps dedicated to their favorite brands and influencers. Gen Z is more interested in personal passion communities (54%), and brand community apps (41%).

This drastic shift has led to the passion economy. Content creators have the chance to capitalize on shared interests and create niche communities. The growth of community platforms has been a major factor in the decline of trust in social media sites. These passion-driven communities are powered by Progressive Web Apps (PWAs).

This allows creators and brands to shift away from social media and create dynamic, interactive platforms. PWAs, unlike native apps, are designed to work on mobile devices. They can be used on any webpage and allow individuals to search for information from any device.

Not everyone has the skills or knowledge to build a functional app. Professional app developers are often used by influencers, which can lead to them spending more time and money to create and maintain their app. PWAs are a great option for this.

What are PWAs?

PWAs are defined by two key attributes: connectivity and an engaging and dynamic user experience.

The web is an amazing platform. The web is a unique platform for software development because of its ubiquity across all devices and operating systems, user-centered security model, and that it is not controlled by any single company.

Its inherent linkability makes it easy to search for it and share it with anyone, anyplace. You can visit any website at any time, so it is always up-to date. Your experience with the site can be temporary or permanent. With a single codebase, web applications can reach anyone, anyplace, and on any device.
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Connectivity

PWAs provide search engine discovery and a linkable URL. This makes them easy to identify as applications. There’s no friction and zero installation required. They’re also easy to share.

The power and shareability of URLs are important for any creator. It is crucial for the growth of your platform that existing users can share your content. Having a URL along with your app improves that sharing function.

PWAs also have the added benefit of a Service Worker. This is basically a script that runs independently from the main site. Service Workers are an essential part of the development and maintenance PWAs.

They can help you reach functions like cache network requests. Platforms collect customer data as communities grow. This includes interactive behaviour and sensitive data.

PWAs can be accessed via a web browser, rather than through any app stores. This makes them less expensive and allows you to save more time than native web apps. Users don’t need to download content like native apps. PWAs can also be accessed directly via URL. This allows for faster access and less memory usage.

PWA’s are designed to meet user demands for flexibility and seamless functionality. They allow individuals to connect across multiple devices including tablets, smartphones, and laptops.
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The future community platforms

PWAs are a dominant feature of the current software landscape. Google has made some progress in making PWAs a primary user interface by moving Android apps from Chrome OS to PWA.

To make it easier for creators and brands to switch from native apps to PWA, there are some steps that need to be taken. Your technical skills shouldn’t hold you back from building your community.

SaaS providers in the industry are trying to solve this problem. Increasingly, they offer self-service models that allow creators and brands to create their own PWA-based communities.

PWAs provide a greater level of control and flexibility than traditional social media networks or native apps. Creators and brands will be increasingly challenged to evaluate which platforms and apps are being used, and to choose those that allow them to engage effectively with their communities.