How To Find The Best-Fit Progressive Web App (PWA) Developers For You

Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) are changing how businesses connect with their customers online. They are designed to work offline, load quickly, and provide app-like interactions, which enhance customer engagement and satisfaction.

In other words: PWAs are crucial for your optimizing user experience.

For example: Lancôme saw a 17% increase in conversions and a 51% rise in mobile sessions after implementing a PWA.

Freelancers, IT solutions… the options are endless. How do you find your perfect PWAs match? This guide will walk you through the essential aspects of hiring a PWA developer, from understanding the required skills and qualities to navigating the hiring process and legal considerations.

Benefits of Hiring PWA Developers

Investing in PWA development offers numerous advantages for businesses seeking to enhance their online presence and provide a seamless user experience. Here are some key benefits of hiring PWA developers, backed by real-world examples and statistics:

1. Enhanced User Experience: PWA developers can create highly engaging and user-friendly web applications that provide an app-like experience, leading to increased user satisfaction and retention. For instance, Pinterest’s adoption of a PWA resulted in a 40% increase in time spent on the site and a 44% rise in user-generated ad revenue. Additionally, PWAs improve user retention by up to 180%, thanks to their responsiveness and app-like feel.
2. Improved Performance: PWA developers optimize applications for speed and efficiency, ensuring fast loading times and smooth interactions, even on low-bandwidth connections. This leads to reduced bounce rates and improved conversion rates. Uber’s PWA loads quickly even on 2G networks, ensuring seamless service for users in areas with low bandwidth. Pages loading within 2 seconds have a bounce rate of ~9%, compared to over 30% for pages loading longer than 5 seconds.
3. Cost-Effectiveness: Hiring PWA developers can be more cost-effective than building separate native apps for different platforms. PWAs use standard web technologies, reducing development time and costs. Developing a PWA is often 3–8 times cheaper than creating native apps for multiple platforms. The development cost for PWAs can be as low as $5,000, compared to significantly higher costs for native apps.
4. Increased Reach: PWAs are accessible across various devices and platforms, expanding your potential audience and ensuring a consistent experience for all users. Twitter Lite’s PWA, for instance, increased tweet volumes and reduced bounce rates by 20%, expanding its audience globally. PWAs cater to over 6.3 billion smartphone users globally, making them accessible across diverse devices and platforms.
5. Offline Functionality: PWA developers can implement offline capabilities, allowing users to access content and perform basic tasks even without an internet connection. This enhances user experience and engagement, especially in areas with unreliable connectivity. An alternate illustration for the offline capabilities of PWAs is the Kiwix PWA, which allows users to store gigabytes of data from the internet for offline use. This application is particularly useful in regions with unreliable or intermittent connectivity, enabling users to access educational content, Wikipedia articles, and other resources without an active internet connection.
6. Improved SEO: PWAs are easily discoverable by search engines, improving your website’s visibility and online presence, leading to increased organic traffic and brand awareness. According to the case study by GoMage, GoodCook experienced a 30% increase in average session duration, along with a 25% decline in bounce rates and a 66% increase in the number of pages viewed after transitioning to a Magento PWA.

Essential Skills and Qualities of a PWA Developer

When hiring a PWA developer, look for a candidate with a strong foundation in web development and expertise in PWA-specific technologies. Here are the checklist for project managers to consider when hiring a PWA developer:

• Front-end Development Expertise: Proficiency in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript is crucial for building the user interface and ensuring a responsive design.
• JavaScript Frameworks: Experience with popular JavaScript frameworks like React, Angular, or Vue.js is highly desirable for building dynamic and interactive PWAs.
• Service Workers: In-depth understanding of service workers is essential for implementing features like offline functionality, push notifications, and background sync. Expertise in service workers is crucial for implementing core PWA functionalities.
• Web App Manifest: Familiarity with creating and configuring web app manifests is crucial for defining PWA characteristics and enabling features like home screen installation.
• API Integration: Experience with integrating APIs for functionalities like geolocation, camera access, and payment gateways is often required.
• Performance Optimization: Knowledge of performance optimization techniques, such as minimizing HTTP requests, optimizing images, and leveraging browser caching, is essential for building fast and efficient PWAs.
• Testing and Debugging: Proficiency in testing and debugging PWAs across different browsers and devices is crucial for ensuring a seamless user experience.
• Security Best Practices: Awareness of security best practices, such as using HTTPS and implementing secure coding techniques, is essential for protecting user data and ensuring app integrity.

In addition to technical skills, soft skills are equally important for PWA developers. These include:

• Communication and Collaboration: Strong communication and collaboration skills are vital for working effectively with designers, product managers, and other stakeholders.
• Teamwork: Web development projects often involve a team of developers, designers, and project managers. The ability to work effectively in a team environment, share ideas, and contribute to a common goal is essential.
• Problem-solving Skills: The ability to analyze problems, identify solutions, and implement them effectively is crucial for overcoming challenges in PWA development.

Why Should Developers Pay Attentions To Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)?

PWAs are web applications that use modern web technologies to deliver an app-like experience to users. They offer several advantages over traditional websites and native apps:

• Reliability: PWAs load instantly, even with unreliable network connections. They achieve this by using service workers, a type of web worker that runs in the background, separate from the main web page. Service workers can intercept network requests and cache key resources, allowing the PWA to load quickly and function even when offline.
• Speed: PWAs are designed for fast loading and smooth interactions, enhancing user engagement and satisfaction.
• Engaging Experience: PWAs offer an immersive full-screen experience, similar to native apps, with features like push notifications and home screen installation.
• Cross-platform Compatibility: PWAs work seamlessly across different browsers and devices, eliminating the need for separate development for different platforms.
• Cost-Effectiveness: PWAs are generally cheaper to develop and maintain compared to native apps, as they use standard web technologies.
• Improved SEO: PWAs are easily discoverable by search engines, improving your website’s visibility and online presence.

PWAs offer a cost-effective way to improve user engagement and reach a wider audience compared to native apps. They achieve this by combining the reach and accessibility of websites with the performance and engagement of mobile apps. PWAs are smaller than mobile apps and consume significantly less bandwidth than standard web apps since they can take advantage of caching much better.

Evaluating PWA Developer Experience

Assessing a PWA developer’s experience and expertise is crucial for making the right hiring decision. Here are some effective ways to evaluate their experience:

• Portfolio Review: Examine their portfolio to assess the quality, complexity, and functionality of their previous PWA projects. Look for projects that demonstrate their skills in key areas like offline functionality, performance optimization, and user experience design. Reviewing a portfolio helps assess the developer’s ability to apply PWA skills in real-world projects.
• Technical Interviews: Conduct technical interviews to assess their understanding of PWA concepts, technologies, and best practices. Ask questions related to service workers, caching strategies, security considerations, and performance optimization techniques. For example, you can ask about their experience with different service worker lifecycle events, how they handle cache updates, or their approach to optimizing PWA performance for specific devices or network conditions.
• Coding Challenges: Present coding challenges that simulate real-world PWA development scenarios. This allows you to evaluate their problem-solving skills, coding proficiency, and ability to implement PWA features effectively. For instance, you could ask them to implement a simple offline caching mechanism for a specific page or to optimize the loading time of a given PWA.
• Client Testimonials: Request client testimonials or references to gain insights into their past work experience, communication skills, and ability to meet deadlines and expectations.
• Online Assessments: Utilize online assessment platforms that offer PWA-specific tests to evaluate their knowledge and skills in a standardized manner.

When evaluating PWA developer experience, it’s important to consider the challenges involved in testing PWAs. These challenges include:

• Simulating different network conditions: Testing how the PWA behaves under different network conditions, such as 3G, 4G, and offline, is crucial to ensure a consistent user experience.
• Ensuring compatibility across devices: PWAs should work seamlessly across different browsers, operating systems, and devices. Testing on various devices and screen sizes is essential to identify and address compatibility issues.
• Testing offline functionality: Thoroughly testing the PWA’s offline capabilities, including data storage, synchronization, and user interactions, is crucial to ensure a smooth offline experience.

How to Find High-Quality PWA Developers for Your Projects

Once you have a clear understanding of the required skills and how to evaluate experience, you can proceed with the hiring process. Here are some common approaches to hiring a PWA developer:

• Freelancing Platforms: Freelancing platforms provide access to a global talent pool, allowing businesses to find experienced developers quickly. They also offer client reviews and ratings to ensure quality hires. Platforms like Upwork and Freelancer.com provide access to a vast pool of freelance PWA developers. You can post your project requirements and receive proposals from interested developers.
• Job Boards: Job boards leverage advanced search tools and AI capabilities to match candidates with job requirements efficiently, reducing hiring time and improving candidate quality. Utilize job boards like Indeed, LinkedIn, and Cutshort to advertise your PWA developer position and attract qualified candidates.
• Referrals: Referrals tap into trusted networks, ensuring high-quality hires through recommendations from colleagues or industry contacts. This method often leads to more reliable and personalized matches. Leverage your network and seek referrals from colleagues, industry contacts, or online communities to find talented PWA developers.
• Development Agencies: Partnering with a PWA development agency can provide you with a dedicated team of experts who can handle all aspects of your project, from design and development to testing and deployment. When working with an agency, the typical hiring process involves the following steps:

1. Share your requirements: Provide the agency with a detailed overview of your project needs and objectives.
2. Shortlist candidates: The agency will present you with profiles of pre-vetted developers who match your requirements.
3. Interview the candidates: Conduct interviews to assess their skills, experience, and cultural fit.
4. Start the project: Once you’ve selected a developer, the agency will handle the onboarding process and provide ongoing support.

When choosing a hiring approach, consider factors like your project budget, timeline, and the level of expertise required. Different engagement models are available when hiring a developer:

• Dedicated Team: This model involves hiring a dedicated team of developers who work exclusively on your project. You can hire them on a weekly, monthly, or yearly basis. This model is suitable for long-term projects with evolving requirements.
• Time & Material: This model involves paying for the actual time and resources spent on your project. It offers flexibility and is suitable for projects with unclear scopes or evolving needs.

Before proceeding with interviews, it’s crucial to pre-screen candidates to verify their credentials and ensure a good fit for your company. This can involve checking their resumes, portfolios, and online presence to assess their skills and experience.

Legal and Regulatory Considerations

When hiring a PWA developer, especially in APAC countries like Vietnam, India, China, and the Philippines, it’s essential to be aware of the legal and regulatory considerations. Here are some key aspects to keep in mind:

• Employment Contracts: Ensure you have a legally sound employment contract that outlines the terms of employment, including compensation, working hours, and intellectual property rights¹⁷.
• Labor Laws: Familiarize yourself with the labor laws in the respective APAC country, including minimum wage requirements, social security contributions, and regulations related to working hours and leave policies.
• Taxation: Understand the tax obligations for both the employer and employee, including income tax, social security contributions, and other applicable taxes.
• Intellectual Property Protection: Clearly define intellectual property ownership and ensure that your contracts include clauses addressing confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements.
• Work Permits: If hiring foreign workers, ensure they have the necessary work permits and visas to legally work in the respective APAC country.

Here are a few requirements you need to pay attention to when hiring PWA developers in Singapore, based on Vinova’s expertise as the top IT solutions in Singapore.

Singapore:

1. Employment Contracts

• Mandatory Clauses: Contracts must define roles, compensation, working hours, intellectual property (IP) rights, and termination conditions. The Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests (TG-FWAR), effective December 2024, require employers to formally consider and respond to flexible work requests (e.g., remote work) in writing, rejecting them only for business-related reasons like cost or productivity impact.
• Remote Work: While written contracts aren’t mandatory for remote workers, they’re strongly recommended to clarify terms. Singapore’s Employment Act broadly applies to remote workers, even those employed by overseas companies, ensuring basic rights like overtime pay and leave.

2. Labor Laws

• Platform Workers Act 2024 (PWA): Applies to gig workers (e.g., delivery drivers, ride-hail drivers). Developers classified as platform workers now receive:
  • CPF contributions: Employers must contribute to Singapore’s Central Provident Fund (pension scheme) for workers aged ≤30, with older workers allowed to opt in.
  • Work injury compensation: Equal to employees under the Work Injury Compensation Act.
  • Flexible Work Arrangements: Employers must follow TG-FWAR guidelines, including written rejections for FWA requests and exploring alternatives.
  • Health and Safety: The Workplace Safety and Health Act applies to remote workers, requiring employers to ensure safe home working conditions.

3. Taxation

• CPF Contributions: Employers must deduct and submit CPF contributions monthly for employees (including platform workers under the PWA). Rates align with traditional employer-employee contributions, phased in over five years.
• Income Tax: Employers must withhold taxes for local employees. Foreign developers require valid work passes (e.g., Employment Pass), with tax obligations tied to residency status.

4. Intellectual Property Protection

• Contracts must explicitly state IP ownership for code/work developed during employment. Non-compete and confidentiality clauses are common but must be reasonable in scope and duration.

5. Work Permits

• Foreign developers require work passes (e.g., Employment Pass, S Pass). Non-compliance with labor laws (e.g., breaching TG-FWAR) risks curtailed work pass privileges.

6. Remote Work Considerations

• Equipment: Employers are encouraged but not legally required to provide remote work tools.
• Expenses: No obligation to reimburse home office costs.
• Global Hires: For overseas developers working in Singapore, ensure compliance with local laws (e.g., CPF for citizens/permanent residents).

Key Compliance Tips

• Use Employer of Record (EOR) services to streamline CPF, tax, and work pass compliance.
• Update contracts to reflect TG-FWAR and PWA requirements, especially for flexible work and platform workers.
• Consult legal experts to navigate hybrid employment models (e.g., gig developers under the PWA).

It’s advisable to consult with legal experts or utilize services like an Employer of Record (EOR) to ensure compliance with all legal and regulatory requirements.

Salary Ranges for PWA Developers in APAC Countries

The salary range for PWA developers in APAC countries varies based on factors like experience, skills, location, and the hiring model (freelancer, full-time employee, or agency). Here’s a general overview of typical salary ranges:

Country	Entry-Level	Mid-Level	Senior-Level
Vietnam	$600 – $1,000 per month	$1,100 – $1,500 per month	$2,000 or more per month
India	INR 3 to 5 lakh per year	INR 6 to 10 lakh per year	INR 12 to 20 lakh per year or more
China	CNY 248,980 – CNY 359,798 per year	CNY 359,798 – CNY 438,594 per year	CNY 438,594+ per year
Philippines	₱45,000 to ₱55,000 per month	₱55,000 to ₱65,000 per month	₱65,000+ per month
Singapore	$4,000 – $6,000 per month	$6,500 – $9,500 per month	$10,000+

Keep in mind that these are approximate figures, and actual salaries may vary based on individual skills and experience.

When considering hiring developers from Vietnam, it’s important to note the advantages this country offers:

• Cost-effectiveness: The cost of outsourcing development to Vietnam is generally lower compared to other countries.
• Convenient location: Vietnam is strategically located in Southeast Asia, making it accessible for businesses in the region.
• Stable environment: Vietnam has a stable economy, political and social situation, which provides a favorable environment for outsourcing.

Conclusion

Hiring a skilled PWA developer can significantly enhance your online presence and provide a cutting-edge user experience for your customers. By understanding the essential skills, evaluating experience effectively, and navigating the hiring process and legal considerations, you can find the right PWA developer to bring your vision to life. Prioritize clear communication, thorough vetting, and a focus on PWA-specific expertise to ensure a successful partnership.

When selecting a PWA developer, consider the cost-effectiveness of hiring developers in APAC countries like Vietnam, India, China, and the Philippines. However, remember to comply with local regulations and labor laws to ensure a smooth and legally sound hiring process. Finding a developer with the right technical skills, soft skills, and cultural fit is essential for the success of your PWA project.

Singapore’s top IT solutions company, we’re powered by elite PWA developers. Our extensive success stories demonstrate the impactful results and competitive pricing we offer our clients. Ready to see what Vinova can do for you? Explore our IT services now, or schedule a free consultation for a full view of our services, right here..