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How Long Does It Take To Develop A Pwa?
First, Let's estimate how long it will take to develop a progressive web app on Magento. It depends entirely on the size of the project and how complex the eCommerce website will be.
As a guideline, we can use 8-10 months as a rough estimate. It is important to note that these dates only apply when we assume:
- The Magento PWA is built upon an existing Magento 2 website that has all databases and systems in place (i.e., we don't take into account the scenario where there is a requirement to migrate the site first from Magento 1 to Magento 2; we assume this to be done already).
- The PWA is custom-designed. This means that the UX/UI stage is also present in the PWA creation (in other words, we won't tweak a theme already created and will create our unique prototypes).
- The PWA will include standard functionality and a standard set of pages. These pages, for example, include the homepage and category pages, product pages, checkout, the "My Account" area, and several custom CMS pages.
If any of these three factors are not true for your hypothetical PWA solution, then the time frame to create this advanced eCommerce solution will be extended.
Why the PWA Development Process isn't Simple
There are many ways to build a PWA progressive web app is not an easy task. A PWA can be created in different ways.
- The first option is to code the app using ReactJS from scratch (or another progressive framework, such as Vue.js, Angular.js, or Vue.js).
- The second involves customizing components that are already included in "packages." (For example, creating a PWA using Magento's PWA Studio or the official toolkit or other themes from third parties, such as the Vue Storefront, Scandi PWA, or the official Magento Toolkit).
- Combining the two options described above is the third option.
No matter what path the team decides to take for its PWA (be it ReactJS, the PWA Studio, or a hybrid of both, or opting for other non-React frameworks and themes), there will be a lot of customizing ahead.
This is because no PWA templates for Magento are ready to run. The headless commerce method complicates the progressive web app custom development process. It requires many hours of development to make Magento headless.
The PWA's UX/UI Standards are High
A second challenge is the high demand and complexity of the UX/UI for progressive web applications. PWAs must have a sophisticated, user-friendly design. They should use only the simplest and most effective solutions to give their audience a better experience. It's better to create layouts and designs than use someone else's. You can check out some PWA examples for eCommerce and Magento.
Visual support is always more effective when explaining. To give you a better idea of what UX/UI is expected for a PWA. We will present the design variation that we would use to create its PWA. We will give comments at every stage. We divided the page into sections and explained each UX/UI choice we made while working on the prototype.
- You can see that we have made the header area smaller to save space.
- We've added a button to the block below to make it clearer to the user that this wallpaper is clickable. A button like this may not be necessary when multiple tagged products are on a banner, such as the multiple numbered dots indicating that an item is on sale. Still, in this instance, it's a good idea.
- We've switched the blocks around because the product categories are more relevant than the "About Us" ("We believe in the art of making") information.
- On the homepage, categories are arranged one after the other in the current design. We decided to make them smaller and more visible because this decision was not rational. On the right, you can see a small piece of the third option to make the slider more visible.
- The arrows that indicate slider functionality are barely visible. Although the "Featured Faves" section contains the most popular products and is presented in the original design as a slider, they are not very noticeable. Our slider option makes it easier to use.
- The next section shows where the brand is featured. The original design used a lot of space (more than a one-page scroll) to list large logos. Instead, we grouped them into a single small block.
- Some steps are not obvious in the next section, "Our Process." "Experimenting," "Creation," for some reason, "Sampling" is displayed the main text for the first step. It can be confusing. We decided to place them in tabs at the top of the block. They are accessible via a swiper.
- In our design, we have split the links to make the footer mobile-friendly for mobile users.
You might have guessed that the above points explain why PWA is not easy to develop and how it impacts the cost of Magento web applications. PWAs are a great example of what can be done, so you should strive to achieve the best practices for your progressive web application.
Our Magento PWA development service is available to help you if you are having trouble with reforming your mobile app or need assistance creating a progressive app look. Our Magento PWA app designers will create a solution to help your business stand out and win markets.
Managing the Magento PWA cost: Milestones to come
There are four major steps in the PWA development process:
- In the planning stage,
- UX/UI,
- App development,
- Release of the app and its post-release modifications.
We'll look more closely at each stage and estimate the man-hours required. In the next section, we'll discuss the costs.
Step 1. Planning
We begin by analyzing the competitor sites and creating the buyer personas and customer profiles. It is important to know who your clients are and what they want. You can also find out their age, location, and the goals they have when they visit the website.
You may have already researched this topic at one point in the past, for example, when you migrated your eCommerce store to Magento 2. When you migrated your eCommerce store from Magento 1 to Magento 2, you likely already conducted this research. If you're certain that the data gathered during the migration is still valid and that no improvements can be made, you could save time in the planning phase.
We create a customer journey map if you do not have this data. This will visually outline the main touchpoints to provide a great user experience. This step is crucial in determining the future design and the goals the development team will pursue.
Step 2. UX/UI
Once everyone is on the same page, it's time for the plan to be implemented. First, the designers get started. The designers are responsible for presenting a clear vision of the PWA website, choosing the right colors and styles, and creating prototypes.
The work related to UX (user experience) always comes before that related to UI (user interface). The UX idea must be completed. The strategy must be well-planned and based on best practices and analytical decisions. Before jumping to user interface solutions, designers must carefully research the best UX solutions for site users that will be convenient and suitable. They should also be able to reach and resonate with a wide audience. This sequence (UX before UI) will yield better results, and we can avoid situations where parts of the design need to be recreated after a while.
The sequence above may be modified in cases with a very short time frame for PWA development, and urgent work needs to begin. The designers first take care of the UX for the three main page types (i.e., the homepage, category page, and product page) and then pass the torch to the PWA developers. The developers start their work, while designers complete the UI and the rest of the design. Let's now look at some specific page matters to get a better idea of what the PWA prototypes will be like.
Homepage
The vast majority of homepages consist of similar elements. The minimum set of elements is included in most homepage designs.
- Header area with top call-to-action stripe and logo
- navigation
- Search
- Banner area (sometimes accompanied by a slider)
- Product categories section
- Top picks or best sellers
- About us and SEO text area
- Customer Reviews Block
- Subscribe block
- Socials section
- Footer area
Category Page
Similarly, the design of category pages that show products in a specific category is not much different from one eCommerce site to another. You can expect such page designs to include the following:
- general category
- subcategory
- A header area
- Breadcrumbs Stripe
- Grid/list Layout Picker
- There are many different page filters (with radio buttons and picklists or checklists)
- Sorting elements
- Product preview (with images and labels, as well as the product name, price, and minimal details)
- banners (for special deals, new arrivals, coupons, etc.)
- Auto upload (Load More" as the user moves down the page)
- A footer area
Product Page
There are several design options for the product pages. This is perhaps the most flexible eCommerce page type. This can be a very simple page with a few elements to a more complex one with many unique sections and even product builders. The final look of a product's page will vary from website to website. Consequently, the time required to create the design and implement it in the subsequent development phase will also vary.
The following elements will be included in the prototype of your product page:
- Header area
- Breadcrumbs Line
- Product Gallery (sometimes including product zooms, videos, or 3D presentations)
- Product overview (name, description, rating, button "Add to Cart," etc.)
- Description and product details
- shipping options, coupon blocks, etc
- Customer reviews
- Cross-selling & personalized product selections (such as "You might also like" or "Complete your look")
- Maybe a widget for social media
- Footer
Cart Page
The shopping cart is another area that requires attention. The online shopping cart is where customers can view their selected items. As a general rule, the cart (or bag) must be clearly visible on the screen, and the separate section should be easy to navigate. It includes the following:
- The section label is displayed in the header and on the screen (often, the shopping bag icon or the shopping cart icon is used along with a corresponding number to show how many items were added to the cart).
- A clear listing of all the products added.
- The preview of each product (with its key information, including the price).
- Simple visualization solutions to remove items.
- A total summarizing of the prices of all selected items.
- A coupon/discount/promo code element.
- Information on shipping, return policies, and payment options.
- The checkout process is easy to understand.
Checkout
The checkout is the next eCommerce page that requires a lot more thought. Here, the main rule is to minimize the number of steps and mandatory fields. This stage will be more likely to result in a sale if it is easier to complete, quicker to fill out, and more organized. A good checkout will include the following:
- Just one step (sometimes multiple steps).
- Fast login (especially for returning clients).
- A concise order summary includes a price breakdown (product price and taxes, shipping costs, etc.).
- Clear client details fields.
- Delivery Method Details.
- Autofill or autocomplete (to save time).
- Payment option selection.
- Elements that show that the checkout is secured (to remove any doubts from clients that entering their personal information and payment details is secure).
My Account
This section of the website is dedicated to the protection of user information. The client's space is usually composed of the following:
- The sign-up form for new users usually has a few fields or the option to sign up using social media or Google.
- Fast sign-in (quick login) for registered users.
- The tab stores personal information such as name, address, credit card details, sizes, etc.
- The wish list (with items saved that someone left for later).
- Coupons are available in the area.
- Order history.
Read More:
Why Integrate ERP with Your Magento Store?
CMS Pages Design
Websites have many other types of pages than those we've described. This UX/UI section will take longer if the pages need to be unique. Expect to see prototypes of the following:
- Contact Us page
- Customer Service Pages
- FAQ pages
- 404 Error page
- Order page with success
- Additional information pages
Based on the information above, we can estimate the time required to prepare all UX UI prototyping. The more custom solutions are needed for the PWA, the longer the process will take and the higher the cost of building a Magento web application. These estimates may be "underestimated." These frames are extremely agile because they are designed separately for mobile and desktop. The complexity of the website will determine the overall design.
Step 3. PWA Development
The app development phase begins when all designs are complete. This stage will take the longest. In any case, as we have already mentioned, creating a Magento progressive web app without a user interface requires custom coding. This is because no off-the-shelf solution can be customized to your PWA's needs and business logic. If the team has built PWAs before, they can reuse many of the parts they have created. This can speed up the development of your progressive web app. Let's now go through the major stages of the development process.
Preparatory Work
After receiving the prototypes, the developers begin their work with preparation. To make it easier for you to understand the specifics of such work, typically, at this stage, developers:
- Familiarize yourself with the various prototypes.
- Investigate the functionality that will be used in PWA.
- Determine which additional features require custom code.
- Set up the PWA Studio, or start working on the framework of the future ReactJS app (depending on which path developers choose to follow in terms of PWA: customizing an existing ready-made theme or coding it from scratch).
- Identify which Magento GraphQL components are missing and create them.
Developing Flow Through Elements
The sequence of work in further development is almost always unique. It depends on what the team decides. It is a good idea to begin by creating similar elements and repeat them on nearly all website pages. This part takes longer the more elements you have on your prototype. Here are some examples:
- The header area
- The footer area
- The authorization area includes sign-in/sign-out (if the pop-up is included)
Navigation and Search
The developers should first focus on the parts of the website that are directly related to the customer journey and how people search for information when they use the app. (Instead of content management). Please refer to the following:
- Site navigation
- Navigation menus
Step 4. Search functionality is complex
Home Page
Next, the development team will create the homepage according to the original design. In this case, the usual sequence of steps is to set up each component in the backend (i.e., The frontend will then take care of the widgets, sliders, etc. Each element is treated individually. The more complex the design of the page and the number of elements, the longer this process will take.
- Banner area (sometimes with sliders)
- Product categories section
- Top picks or best sellers
- About us and SEO text area
- Customer Reviews Block
- Subscribe block
- Social section
Category Page
Next, we will look at the category pages. As briefly mentioned above, this page type is one of the most important in eCommerce PWA. The developers focus on the following:
- The product listing is a list of products.
- Product display.
- The filter area.
Product Page
You might have guessed that the product page is not only the most complicated type of page in terms of design but also in terms of development. In addition to the elements used in the prototype, the developers must also work on the following:
- product page elements
- Compare product features
- The wish list
- Alert stock (based upon existing Magento functionality)
Cart Page
The developers then move to the cart page. If the cart is required for the catalog and used in the product listing, it can be created before the category page. What's created along with:
- Add to Cart Functionality
- Mini cart
- Cart area
Checkout
After that, you can move on to the checkout process. This section of the site can be structured in various ways, from a single page to requiring multiple steps. The majority of development time is spent here on the following:
- The mandatory checkout fields.
- The address fields.
- Secure payment methods.
My Account
Another block that requires separate attention is the client area, which stores their personal information. The wishlist and sign-in form was already taken care of, so this step is:
- Addresses and personal data.
- Order History.
- Coupons are available in the area.
- Any other blocks that may be present in the design.
CMS Pages
It is also true that creating static pages takes time. How long this step takes will depend on the number of unique pages and prototypes provided. Developers usually work on these pages:
- Contact Us page
- Customer Service Pages
- FAQ pages
- 404 Error page
- Order page with success
- Additional information pages
SEO Optimization & Analytics
As the progressive web application must be able to meet the standards and requirements of search engine optimization, some time should be set aside for SEO. This is related:
- SEO optimization works
- SEO Analytics Setups
- Custom coding to ensure proper metadata output
Development summary Total
According to what was said in the third step, the development hours make up a significant portion of the total Magento mobile app cost. We've calculated the total number of hours of development.
Remember that these are estimates, and each project has its total. The time required to develop extra features (such as subscriptions, rewards programs, freebies, etc.) can increase if these are needed. A simple store can be built in 575 hours, while other features will be added during an assessment.
Step 5. Post-Release & App Launch
It is important to make sure the app runs smoothly. This involves fixing bugs that usually occur after the release of an app and optimizing its performance. This development stage is usually around 20% of total development hours.
The project is complete when everything is in order. There is always the option to negotiate if the customer wants to upgrade or add more functionality.
Magento Web Cost
You might assume that it is expensive because it has the outstanding features of Magento PWA. Many PWAs are free or inexpensive. Google will help you find one and download it to install on your site. These themes are usually simple designs. You should also be aware of the lack of core features and functions affecting your store's performance.
Who are the free Magento PWA Themes for? This theme is initially best suited for developers. It's a great option for developers who want to try out PWA technology. Technology experts can also customize the products to suit their needs.
A customer that might purchase this theme would be someone who offers a theme customization service. This means they can also configure the free theme. If you're an end-user and want to customize a theme for free, you will need to hire the developers of the theme provider to do it for you. You should be aware that installing and customizing a theme can cost a lot. You'll have to be careful when buying a theme.
Magento 2 PWA Extensions - Under $300
This is the most affordable option, apart from the free Magento theme. Magento 2 PWA extensions include some PWA features, such as the "Add to Home Screen" button or push notifications. It does not include all the features of PWA, such as background sync and offline usage.
Moreover, some extensions that don't adhere to the Magento standard may cause code conflicts when updated. This solution can also result in a slow-loading page and poor performance. Note that installation fees are not included in the price, and you'll still need expert help.
Medium Magento PWA Cost ($300 - $3,000)
You can also consider themes that are of medium price if you want a PWA with better functionality.
Pay/Premium Magento PWA Themes
Themes for Magento PWA, priced in the middle, offer greater benefits to merchants. These themes are usually complete and attractive, with core Magento and PWA features and essential e-commerce functions. They also include services such as installation, updates, and support.
A theme of this type can cost anywhere from $300 to $3,000. Note that the price does not include customization fees. Customizing themes costs vary depending on the developer's rate and the complexity. A paid/premium template is a better choice for merchants and end users. The theme will include services like free installation, updates, and support.
Cost of High Magento PWA (>$5,000)
Magento Progressive Web App costs can exceed $5,000 for a complex PWA project that requires a PWA to be built from scratch. You'll receive a lot more for that price than you would with a theme of a lower or medium price.
Using custom PWA development services
This type of PWA is different from others in that it can be customized to meet your needs, whether design or functionality. The development process is longer, as everything has to be built from the ground up. This is a great option for businesses that need complex functions and have the time and budget to provide the best experience possible to their clients.
Magento PWA Costs: Summary
Getting a progressive web app for your Magento eCommerce shop can take several months. Time frames also depend on team size and expertise. However, a rough estimate of 8-10 months is realistic. Budget-wise, you can expect to spend between 68 and 128k USD. These are only approximate numbers and may vary depending on the case.
This guide to Magento PWA Pricing is intended to be a helpful resource. Please contact us if you are interested in a PWA and want to work with a professional team. We offer high-quality Magento PWA development services.
