Finding the right Progressive Web App (PWA) developers to align with your business objectives is crucial in today's dynamic digital landscape.
As we navigate through 2023, the demand for PWA is soaring, given its ability to deliver app-like experiences via web browsers, engage users effectively, and enhance business growth. So, how do you hire PWA developers that perfectly fit your needs?
Selecting a developer or a team should not be done in haste. It requires a thorough understanding of your project requirements, a careful assessment of potential candidates, and keen foresight to ensure they can adapt to evolving market trends.
As you embark on this journey, you must consider their technical skills, understanding of user experience, proficiency in relevant frameworks, and, importantly, their ability to align their development approach with your business strategy.
Navigating these considerations may seem daunting, but with the right approach, you can hire PWA developers who can transform your digital vision into a tangible, impactful reality. Let's delve into how you can accomplish this.
Why should you invest in PWA development?
In short, PWAs are web apps that feel like native mobile apps, even though they are accessed via a mobile browser. This brings several advantages, such as…
- No more downloads. PWAs are not downloaded from the App Store or Google Play — and it’s a great thing. Already back in 2014, there were reports that users don’t want to download mobile apps — and this is true also today. PWAs makes it, therefore, easier to reach customers with your product.
- As PWAs are not published in official app stores, you don’t need to go through their approval process or pay a license fee.
- Despite being browser-based, progressive web apps can still be added to the user’s home screen and utilize most functionalities that a native app offers, such as push notifications. They can even work offline!
- PWAs don’t have to be built with a platform-native technology (like Swift for iOS) but more common web languages. This makes them often a cheaper solution.
- Talented PWA developers can turn virtually any web app into a progressive web app.
- PWAs are lightweight — meaning they run fast.
- PWAs are responsive — they will fit every device and screen.
- PWAs are easily searchable in Google, making your product more visible to customers.
Progressive web apps are now the first choice not only for companies with new digital products but also for those who already have established a significant mobile presence. Twitter is the best example — although they do have a native mobile app, they saw a significant spike of interest after their PWA has launched (65% increase in pages per session, 75% increase in Tweets sent, 20% decrease in bounce rate). The company has become one of the digital innovators leading the world towards PWAs, alongside other IT giants like Facebook and Alibaba.
Who are PWA developers? What technical skills should they have?
When you want to hire PWA developers, you must remember that progressive web apps haven’t been a thing just a few years back. This means that many of your candidates might have extensive experience in web development and only a year or two with PWAs. That shouldn’t worry you too much though — as building PWAs should be a considered a specialty within web development and not a completely separate discipline (unlike native mobile app development).
A PWA developer in 2023 should have a comprehensive set of technical skills to create robust, efficient, and engaging applications. Here are the key technical skills you should look for:
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Proficiency in Core Web Technologies: Fundamental knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript is essential for any PWA developer. They should have a deep understanding of how these technologies interact to create a seamless user experience.
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Experience with Service Workers: A key component of PWA is the ability to work offline or on low-quality networks. This is achieved through service workers, which act as a proxy between the app, the browser, and the network. Therefore, your PWA developer should be skilled in using service workers.
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Understanding of App Manifest: The web app manifest allows a PWA to be installed on the user's device. Developers should understand how to create and use the manifest file properly to ensure the app can be launched from the home screen just like a native app.
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Familiarity with Frameworks and Libraries: While not strictly necessary, experience with popular JavaScript frameworks and libraries like React, Angular, or Vue.js can help in creating more complex, efficient PWAs.
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Backend Development Skills: While PWAs are primarily client-side, understanding server-side programming and databases is valuable, especially for applications that need to sync data between the client and server.
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Knowledge of Responsive Design: PWAs should work well on a variety of screen sizes and devices. Therefore, skills in responsive design are vital to ensure a positive user experience regardless of the device used.
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Understanding of Caching: Efficient use of caching can make a PWA faster and more reliable. Developers should know how to effectively cache assets and data, as well as when and how to invalidate the cache.
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Proficiency in Debugging: Finally, developers should be proficient in using debugging tools for PWAs. They should know how to test the application in different scenarios, identify issues, and solve them effectively.
By ensuring your PWA developers possess these skills, you'll be well-equipped to create a powerful and engaging application that leverages the full potential of this technology.
The role of soft skills in PWA development
The above set of technical skills is a prerequisite that you should never forget about when hiring PWA developers. But you should also never undermine the value of soft skills. While these might be sometimes more difficult to assess, they can truly boost up your development process by affecting all people involved in it.
When you hire PWA developers, look for candidates who are especially strong in…
- Time management
To find spots on the calendar for all the tasks that a PWA developer must handle daily — from modifying the front-end to optimizing the back-end to continuous troubleshooting.
- Researching
To always be on top of the most recent solutions that can make PWA development even more efficient —as progressive web app development is still a relatively new niche, there is still a lot to improve and discover.
- Understanding the customer
To be able to look at the app from a perspective of a non-techie rather than a tech-savvy developer — small problems might be otherwise hard to detect, negatively impacting the user-friendliness of the app.
How to hire a PWA developer who truly fits your business?
When you want to hire a PWA developer, never forget about considering the company fit. The more you and your new hire match, the better results you will get — and in a shorter time, too.
Focus on the following three main areas of the company fit:
- Project fit
While every experienced PWA developer can in the end build the app you want, the more tailored your choice, the smoother the process will go. Hire PWA developers who are specialized in your product niche — for example, hire an e-commerce specialist when you are building an online store or marketplace.
- Industry fit
Understanding the target customer is a crucial step to building a successful app. Hire PWA developers with previous experience with companies in your industry to have on board a professional who knows what are the struggles on your market and how to overcome them.
- Company culture fit
Guarantee smooth cooperation between your teams. Whoever you are hiring, review how well they fit your business culture. Think of the values that drive your company, such as a focus on diverse teams, style of management, or the type of work environment you have established (startup vs corporation).
Who else you may need to make your PWA popular?
Talented PWA developers can guarantee that your web app will run smoothly on any possible device and you won’t need a native mobile app developed to satisfy your customers’ needs. But there is more than just the technical side that makes PWA accessible and popular. Consider hiring other experts, like web designers and/or mobile designers, UI/UX designers, and even data scientists or IT project managers. They all can help you reach new heights and leverage the potential of progressive web apps.
How to hire PWA developers and other IT experts fast? Make use of the unique network of talents we’ve established at Ideamotive. After you get in touch with us, we’ll connect you with the IT specialists you are looking for, making sure they fit your exact requirements.
