How to Add "Install App" Option to Your Website Without Hosting: Embracing Progressive Web Apps on Blogger

Introduction

As technology advances, delivering a seamless and immersive user experience has become crucial for website owners. Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) have emerged as a powerful solution, offering a blend of web and native app features. In the previous article, we discussed the process of adding the "Install App" option to your website by creating a PWA hosted on a custom domain. However, what if you don't have any hosting? In this article, we will explore an alternative approach to implement the "Install App" option on your website, specifically on Blogger or any other platform that doesn't support custom hosting, by utilizing on-page JSON data.

The Advantages of Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)

Before delving into the implementation, let's quickly recap the advantages of PWAs:

1. Offline Access: PWAs can work offline or in low-quality networks, providing users with uninterrupted access to content.

2. Fast Loading: They load quickly, enhancing user experience and reducing bounce rates.

3. Enhanced Engagement: PWAs allow you to send push notifications, increasing user engagement and retention.

4. App-like Experience: PWAs look and feel like native mobile apps, delivering a smooth and intuitive user interface.

Step 1: Preparing the Manifest Data

As we won't be hosting a separate manifest.json file, we'll dynamically generate the JSON object containing the manifest data directly on the Blogger website.

<script>
  const manifestData = {
    "name": "Your App Name",
    "short_name": "Short Name",
    "start_url": "/",
    "display": "standalone",
    "background_color": "#ffffff",
    "theme_color": "#ffffff",
    "icons": [
      {
        "src": "/path/to/icon-192x192.png",
        "type": "image/png",
        "sizes": "192x192"
      },
      {
        "src": "/path/to/icon-512x512.png",
        "type": "image/png",
        "sizes": "512x512"
      }
    ]
  };
</script>

Step 2: Implementing Service Worker

Next, define the service worker registration directly in your Blogger template.

<script>
  if ('serviceWorker' in navigator) {
    window.addEventListener('load', function() {
      navigator.serviceWorker.register('/service-worker.js')
        .then(function(registration) {
          console.log('Service Worker registered with scope:', registration.scope);
        })
        .catch(function(error) {
          console.log('Service Worker registration failed:', error);
        });
    });
  }
</script>

Step 3: Creating a Custom "Install App" Button

Since we won't have a separate PWA, create a custom "Install App" button on your Blogger website.

<button onclick="installApp()">Install App</button>

Step 4: Implementing the Install Function

Define the installApp() function to trigger the PWA installation prompt when the custom "Install App" button is clicked.

<script>
  function installApp() {
    if ('deferredPrompt' in window) {
      window.deferredPrompt.prompt();
      window.deferredPrompt.userChoice.then(function(choiceResult) {
        if (choiceResult.outcome === 'accepted') {
          console.log('User accepted the install prompt');
        } else {
          console.log('User dismissed the install prompt');
        }
        window.deferredPrompt = null;
      });
    }
  }
</script>

Step 5: Saving and Publishing

Save the changes to your Blogger template and publish your blog for the modifications to take effect.

Conclusion

While having a custom hosting solution is beneficial, you can still embrace the power of Progressive Web Apps on platforms like Blogger that don't support external hosting. By utilizing on-page JSON data and custom JavaScript, you can add the coveted "Install App" option to your website, providing users with a more app-like experience and elevating engagement. Embrace the future of web technology with PWAs, delivering a smooth and immersive user experience to your audience.