How to Boost Magento Website Speed: AMP Or PWA?

In today's fast-paced digital world, website speed and user experience are among the most crucial factors in determining the success of an eCommerce website. Magento is a popular eCommerce platform, but proper optimization is necessary for it to avoid slow loading times and poor user experience. 

This is where Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) and Progressive Web Apps (PWA) come into play. These technologies can help boost the speed and enhance the user experience of a Magento website, ultimately leading to increased conversions and customer satisfaction. In this article, we will explore the differences between AMP and PWA and discuss how to implement them to boost the speed of a Magento website.

Have You Heard About AMP & PWA?

What is Progressive Web App (PWA)?

Progressive Web Apps (PWA) are web applications that provide a native app-like experience on the web. PWAs are designed to work offline, provide fast loading times, and offer push notifications, all of which can improve user engagement and satisfaction. PWAs are built using modern web technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, making them easily accessible through a web browser, without the need for an app store or additional downloads.

PWAs can also provide a more seamless experience for users across multiple devices, as they can be installed on the home screen of a user's device and run in full-screen mode, just like a native app. This provides a native app-like experience, with fast loading times, offline capabilities, and push notifications, without the need for users to install a separate native app.

Implementing PWA on a Magento website can improve its overall performance, increase conversions, and provide a better user experience. PWA can be integrated with Magento through various methods, such as using a PWA Studio or a PWA extension, or by building a custom PWA solution.

Magento PWA Themes, Magento PWA Studio, and Magento PWA Extensions are among the options for converting the Magento website to a PWA (limited features). Unsurprisingly, Magento PWA Themes is the most popular option since it’s way better than regular Magento themes.

How PWA works (for end-users):

For end users, Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) work as follows:

• Discovery: A user visits a website that has implemented PWA technology and is prompted to install the PWA on their device.
• Installation: If the user agrees to install the PWA, it is added to their home screen, just like a native app.
• Launch: From the home screen, the user can launch the PWA in full-screen mode, providing a native app-like experience.
• Offline capabilities: The PWA can be used offline or with a poor network connection, as it caches important data and content for offline use.
• Fast loading times: The PWA loads quickly and provides a seamless experience, even on slower or unreliable networks.
• Push notifications: The PWA can send push notifications to the user, providing updates and reminders about their orders, promotions, or other important information.

Obviously, PWAs provide a native app-like experience on the web, with fast loading times, offline capabilities, and push notifications, without the need for additional downloads or installations. This provides a seamless, efficient, and engaging experience for users, which can drive increased conversions and customer satisfaction.

What is AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages)?

Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) is a technology that enables fast loading of content on mobile devices. AMP is designed to improve the mobile user experience by providing fast-loading pages that are optimized for viewing on small screens.

AMP uses a stripped-down version of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to create lightweight pages that can load almost instantly on mobile devices, even on slow or unreliable networks. This results in a better user experience, as users are able to access content quickly and efficiently, without waiting for long loading times.

AMP is primarily aimed at improving the speed of mobile web pages, and it is supported by most major browsers, including Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. By using AMP, websites can provide a better mobile experience for users, reduce bounce rates, and improve engagement and conversions.

The AMP modules and templates that are compatible with Magento will assist the retailer in building and editing AMP pages (for the Home page, Category pages, Product pages, and CMS pages) with a more straightforward HTML structure and integrating Google Analytics to monitor the effectiveness of those pages.

How AMP works (for end-users): 

When the users enter a query on the Google search engine, it will show some top stories (AMP versions of some websites) above regular query results. Publishers with AMP versions of their content may therefore have a better chance of appearing on SERPs. Take a look at the below example for a better understanding.

Examples of PWA & AMP Application

You can see some outstanding examples of websites and applications that have implemented Progressive Web Apps (PWA) and/or Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP):

1. Progressive Web Apps (PWA):

o Twitter Lite: A fast, lightweight, and data-friendly version of Twitter's mobile app, built using PWA technology.

o Alibaba: A major online marketplace that has implemented PWA technology to provide users with a seamless and fast shopping experience.

o Trivago: A travel search engine that uses PWA technology to provide a fast and seamless experience for users, with offline capabilities and push notifications.

2. Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP):

o The Washington Post: A major news outlet that has implemented AMP technology to provide fast-loading mobile pages for its readers.

o BBC News: A major news organization that has adopted AMP technology to provide fast-loading mobile pages and improve the user experience for its mobile users.

o Wikipedia: The world's largest encyclopedia has implemented AMP technology to provide fast-loading pages for mobile users, even on slow or unreliable networks.

These are just a few examples of the many websites and applications that have implemented PWA and AMP technologies to improve the user experience, increase engagement, and drive conversions. By adopting these technologies, websites can provide a fast, seamless, and engaging experience for their users, regardless of the device or network being used.

Why Do People Downvote Magento 2 AMP?

This can be the most relevant reason why people downvote Magento 2 AMP:

•  Complex setup: Implementing AMP on a Magento 2 website can be complex, requiring custom development or the use of a specialized extension. Some people may find this process difficult and may downvote AMP as a result.
• Limited functionality: AMP is designed to provide fast-loading pages, but it has limitations regarding the types of content and functionality that can be included. Some people may downvote AMP because they feel that the limitations of the technology do not meet their needs.
• Poor user experience: If the implementation of AMP on a Magento 2 website is not done correctly, it can result in a poor user experience, with slow-loading pages, broken links, and other issues. This can lead to a negative perception of AMP and may result in downvotes.
•  Lack of control: AMP is designed to be a standardized technology, and some people may feel that it restricts their ability to customize the look and feel of their website. This can lead to a negative perception of AMP and may result in downvotes.

Remember that these are just some of the reasons why people may downvote Magento 2 AMP and that opinions and experiences can vary. Ultimately, the decision to use AMP or not will depend on the specific needs and goals of each website and business.

Why Do People Upvote For Magento 2 PWA?

The reasons why people might upvote for Magento 2 Progressive Web Apps (PWA) can be:

• Improved user experience: PWAs provide a fast, reliable, and engaging experience for users, with features like offline support and push notifications. This can result in a positive perception of PWAs and may lead to upvotes.
• Increased conversions: PWAs can improve the user experience and increase engagement, which can result in increased conversions and sales. This is a key benefit for businesses and may result in upvotes for PWA technology.
• Ease of development and deployment: PWAs can be developed and deployed quickly and easily, with many PWA development tools and frameworks available. This can result in a positive perception of PWA technology and may lead to upvotes.
• Improved performance: PWAs are designed to be fast and lightweight, which can result in improved performance and a better user experience. This is a key benefit of PWA technology and may result in upvotes.
• Cross-platform compatibility: PWAs can be used on multiple platforms, including desktop, mobile, and tablet devices, which can result in a positive perception of PWA technology and may lead to upvotes.

These are just a few main reasons why people might upvote for Magento 2 Progressive Web Apps (PWA). The specific benefits and advantages of PWA technology will depend on the needs and goals of each website and business. However, there are so many successful examples of Magento PWA out there that it’s hard to deny this technology.

Final Compare Of Magento PWA And Magento AMP

Here is a comprehensive comparison of Magento Progressive Web Apps (PWA) and Magento Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP):

• User Experience: PWA provides a fast, reliable, and engaging experience for users, with features like offline support, push notifications, and add-to-home-screen functionality. AMP provides fast-loading pages but has limitations regarding the types of content and functionality that can be included.
• Performance: PWA is designed to be fast and lightweight, with optimized loading times and reduced data usage. AMP is also designed to provide fast-loading pages but has limitations regarding the types of content and functionality that can be included.
• Development and Deployment: PWA can be developed and deployed quickly and easily, with many PWA development tools and frameworks available. AMP requires custom development or the use of a specialized extension and may be more complex to set up and deploy.
• Functionality: PWA provides a rich, interactive user experience, with features like offline support and push notifications. AMP has limitations regarding the types of content and functionality that can be included.
• Control and Customization: PWA provides a high degree of control and customization, allowing developers to create a unique and personalized experience for users. AMP is designed to be a standardized technology and may have limitations in terms of customization.

However, each technology's specific benefits and disadvantages will depend on the needs and goals of each website and business. Ultimately, the decision to use PWA, AMP, or both will depend on each project's specific requirements and objectives. And don't forget, if you want to keep your website healthy and running smoothly, the first thing you have to pay attention to is regular maintenance. And Landofcoder's Magento Maintenance and Support Service will help you do that easily.

Wrap Up 

In conclusion, both Magento Progressive Web Apps (PWA) and Magento Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) can be effective ways to boost the speed and performance of a Magento website. PWA provides a fast, reliable, and engaging experience for users, with features like offline support and push notifications, while AMP provides fast-loading pages with limited functionality.

However, the ultimate goal of using PWA or AMP is to provide a fast, reliable, and engaging experience for users, which can result in increased conversions and sales for businesses. By carefully considering each project's specific needs and goals, businesses can make an informed decision about how best to boost the speed and performance of their Magento website.