It is officially the digital age that we are living in. Everything is linked together and taken onwards by that invisible thread that’s stronger than elephants (or any other really strong substance your mind can substitute)- the Internet. The ongoing pandemic that society is plunged into right now is just another boost deeper into this metaverse- yes, the irony of technological advancements is not lost on anybody. The entire civilisation has undergone a drastic change in the way it interprets and navigates the vagaries of daily life now, and all the established neural transmissions have similarly undergone the same change.

Gratification and pleasure centres are geared towards content that it receives digitally. The multiple tabs on a browser are more comfortable than the physical sheafs of paper, the webapp experience is more convenient to the life of the office going individual, and even emotional and marital bonds are being facilitated through the digital virtual network at a statistical percentage that has not before been seen in the evolution of interpersonal human connections. Long, winding narrative short- the digital medium is the next stage, and the web is the compass we use to get to our destination.

While that is an easy enough declaration for the individual to appropriate, what does it mean for us- a tech startup? Simple enough really. We use the web- to reach out to our partners, and we use the same to show them what we can give to both them and their guests. To elaborate this concept, we would need to brush up on the concept of Progressive WebApps (PWA’s). A PWA is a WebApp that behaves similarly to Native Apps. It gives the user of the PWA the look and feel of a native app, thus immediately making them comfortable through the user experience. For the layman, a PWA can be broadly divided into three pillars-

• Reliable: Fast interaction- the catchphrase of this world. Users want their experience fast and interactive. Speed is of the utmost importance and user bouncing increases by 123% if the page takes 10 instead of a second to load. It doesn’t stop at that- performance needs to continue even after the on-load event. No one likes wondering if their click has actually registered- they want to be immediately notified even if it is a notification about slow connectivity. The experience has to be interactive: the words you are looking for are animations and design. The smoother and more instantaneous the experience, the more the guests are likely to remember it and re-engage. PWA’s make sure that you are able to reach out to your users network connections notwithstanding. 

• Capable: The internet today is a superpower. It is capable of a vast majority of things today, and a slew of apps make a lot of things accessible that earlier could be only dreamt of. Until recently however, only native applications could lay claim to a variety of services. However, with the opening of the Web Assembly, developers can now tap into ecosystems that were previously inaccessible and create experiences on the Web to form ecosystem applications of their own. PWA’s as stated, are the progressive versions of webapps. They are more capable, and as the web expands, so are the capabilities of PWA’s

• Installable: PWA’s operate by running on a fullscreen or standalone window instead of launching itself from the browser. When it does so, it basically understands the user’s way of operation and interacts accordingly. It is easy to search for on the device, easy to switch using the app-switcher, can be launched from the user’s home, desk, shelf etc., and basically gives the feel of having been natively integrated with the device beforehand. It is, in essence, the best of both worlds. 

PWA’s are just WebApps that use progressive enhancement, new capabilities, and features to give users an experience they will love. It is linkable, secure, and integrates with previously existing systems, and can be installed by anyone, anywhere on a device with a single codebase. And indeed, they are the way forward if any of the success stories are anything to go by. As more time passes, more and more businesses are turning towards PWA tech, because trust us when we say, all of that work into building it is worth it given the re-engagement rate, among one of the numerous benefits. Few of the most remarkable success stories would include Flipkart, Ola, Telegram, Twitter, and RedBus. Early stage startups, however, benefit the most from PWA’s as they can help both small and big companies to drive re-engagement.

Bridge, our very own solution platform is a PWA that takes it a step further. Designed specifically for the restaurant industry, it allows our partners to manage all their restaurant operations, and all its dynamic needs, from one single device, on a single dashboard that integrates all aggregators, from anywhere at all. Not just a separate dashboard for our partners, Bridge comes with complete digital automation. This means any diner who would be visiting the eatery, would be interacting with the guest interface of Explorex, that allows access to a full digital menu with all of the benefits that come associated with it, access to preferred mode of payment, and a call for assistance feature that allows you to get the assistance you need with as minimal human interaction as possible. 

Partners, and their guests- two different experiences, yet only ONE single PWA. It is indeed interesting to explore the technical aspect of how Bridge is a groundbreaking PWA in its approach, which is exactly what the next part would do. Bridge, by Explorex- the one OS that crafts the perfect ecosystem for the restaurant industry- headfirst, determined, through the PWA approach.