Web App vs Website – What Does Your Business Need?

Web application vs website – this confusion is quite present in the tech world. And it’s very easy to know and understand why. Websites and web applications are both found in abundance on the Internet. Every single site you log onto is either of these. Moreover, both are responsive. To access both, you need an internet connection. Therefore, staying aligned with enterprise web development trends and top web development stacks have become essential for every organization. And you should know the web app and website differences.

Let me give you a real-time web app vs website example here.

Wikipedia is a website. Twitter is a web app.

Again, CNN is a website. YouTube is a web application.

The term ‘website’ has been around for decades now, but the term ‘web application’ is a more recent phenomenon. With time, however, these two seem to have become synonymous and are used interchangeably on a daily basis. However, it’s equally essential to choose a suitable platform for a website – web or cloud. And that would be best to have experts to help you realize the web app vs cloud app scenario.

But now the actual question is – what is the difference between a web app and website? Is it better to use an app or the website? Are websites and web apps the same?

In this article, we will talk about the difference between web app and website. It’s really easy to set them apart once you know some tricks. So, let’s roll on.

What is a Website?

While talking about website vs web application, a website is a collection of interlinked web pages which have a single domain name and can be accessed on the Internet using any browser. It generally contains content in any format - text, images, video, or audio - for the visitor to consume.

Types of Websites

The primary types of websites existing in the market today are:

1. Blogs

Blogs can be used for branding, spreading awareness, pulling attention to businesses, or simply to document someone’s life. It is suitable for individuals, small businesses, and freelancers, too, as they can even be created for free using CMS like WordPress or Magento.

Examples: Mixergy, Women on Business

2. Non-Profit Websites

Non-profit websites are used to spread awareness about the particular issue the NGO is helping with and documenting all the work it is doing. A website is the best way for future donors to gauge the work done by the organization and track how far they have come.

Examples: Archewell, Britweb

3. Portfolio Websites

In recent years, several people have been changing from the black and white resume document to the more visually appealing resume website. It need not be much, simply a one-page static website with all your achievements and experiences jotted down.

This is especially useful for professionals like designers and dedicated web developers who can demonstrate their practical skills through the portfolio website itself.

Example: Hank Green (YouTuber) and John Green (bestselling author of The Fault in our Stars)

4. Corporate Websites

Corporate websites are used purely for branding and are very important in demonstrating. However, a business may choose to have both a website and a web application. In this case, the job of the web application is running the real business. The website will be showcasing the business benefits to the world.

Examples: IBM, Oracle

5. E-commerce Websites

E-commerce websites are online storefronts (similar to physical retail outlets) where the business is conducted. People can buy or sell just as they would in a physical marketplace, with the exception that an eCommerce website operates digitally. From books to gadgets to apparel and even pets, almost everything that is sold in physical stores is now readily available online.

Examples: Amazon, eBay

6. CMS Websites

CMS, also known as Content Management System, is used to create website content that is to be published on the Internet. A feature-rich CMS allows you to create a website without having to write any code.

CMS eliminates the need to create web pages and storage for images by handling basic infrastructure allowing for a greater focus on forward-facing components of the website.

Examples: WordPress, Joomla

Other types of websites include entertainment websites, educational websites, community forum websites, etc.

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Websites

Let's compare the benefits of building a website for your business with its drawbacks to help you become familiar with the nuances of a website:

Advantages of Websites

Easy to develop: It doesn’t require the involvement of technical experts and professionals to develop a website.

Accessible: You can easily access the website with the help of the internet from any of your mobile devices or desktops.

Cost-effective: It’s quite cost-effective compared to a web app.

Low risk of errors: Since the page doesn’t update itself, errors may occur at the time of implementation of the changes.

Easy to modify: It allows you to do small changes without any help from experienced developers.

Easy to use widgets and templates: You can easily integrate widgets and ready-to-use templates into your website for seamless services.

Disadvantages of Websites

Defective contact forms: If you utilize pre-made contact forms without the ability to filter them, you may end up receiving a lot of spam emails.

Limited options: With a website, you'll be delivering content rather than interacting with your viewers.

Risk of obsolete information: Since no updates are performed automatically on a dynamic website, you must remember to update site information on a frequent basis.

Features of Websites

The primary goal of the website is to gain users’ attention and more traffic to the website. Moreover, we know that website creates the first impression to showcase your products and services. Therefore, the website's appearance plays an essential role and will be judged by users. So, before you start, here are some of the characteristics of websites you should consider:

• Your website should be user-friendly so users can easily understand what your business is about and how they will get benefits out of it.
• Your website must have great graphics and a better UI/UX. Make sure to meet their requirements when they visit your website.
• The website should have a simple yet elegant design that helps you attract more customers and provide quality content.
• Your website should be device-friendly. It means your website should be accessible from any device, be it desktops, tablets, or mobiles.
• Your website should have a faster loading speed. Once users arrive on your website, make sure it opens in 3 to 4 seconds.

Why Does Your Business Need a Website?

“Your website is the center of your digital ecosystem, like a brick-and-mortar location, the experience matters once a customer enters, just as much as the perception they have of you before they walk through the door.”

– Leland Dieno, Author of Face The Book With Your Small Business

It’s the second decade of the 21st century, and if you do not have a website, it is high time you get in touch with a web development or web design company and get one. There is a plethora of reasons why any credible business definitely needs to have a website.

Branding

Gone are the days when customers would simply rush to stores if they heard anyone mentioning a good product or service. Of course, word of mouth is still good marketing, but the customer of 2022 will vet your credibility and brand before shelling out even a single penny. They will first have a good look at your online presence - social media and, most importantly, your website - your digital home. Statistics say that 30% of customers don’t even consider a business without a website, and businesses that blog more than 16 times a month receive almost 5 times as many leads!

Accessibility

Your website is the customer’s sure-shot way of reading up on your services, feedback of past customers, and contacting you for queries or feedback.

How Can a Website Help You Scale Your Business?

The impact of a website on your organization can be massive if implemented properly. Except for attracting visitors and creating a digital presence, a multi or single page website has a lot more to offer you when it comes to growing your business. Here’s how:

Demonstrate Services

First impressions last long.

Thus, you need to woo your customer into thinking you might be their best solution. The easiest way to do it is with a well-designed, user-friendly website.

Showcase your services and products in unique ways - videos or maybe testimonials from past customers.

(Videos are generally the best option as they can spike interaction by 80%)

Track Customers

Having a website is a good way to track prospects. You can check page visits and determine which areas of your website have garnered the most attention with heat maps. This will direct you to the product or service customers are most interested in, and you can promote that more aggressively.

What is a Web Application?

A web application is a software program that carries out certain functionalities and has to be accessed via a web browser. Common frontend frameworks that web application uses are HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Common backend languages are Java, Python, and JavaScript. And the language of use has to be decided based on software functionality and project requirements. This software runs code on both the client-side and server-side to complete the user-given tasks.

Types of Web Applications

Let's categorize business web applications based on their features and functionalities:

1. Progressive Web Apps

Utilizing cutting-edge technology, progressive web applications, or PWA, combine the best features of web and mobile application development. Consider it as an app that looks and functions like a website that was created with web technologies. Web developers can now allow users to install web apps on their home screens, receive push notifications, and even work offline.

PWA Examples: Telegram, Spotify, AliExpress

2. Single Page Applications

A single-page application can run on a browser without reloading the entire page. For instance, when using an email app, the sidebars and headers will not change as you access your inbox. Instead of the server, developers can directly implement the logic of single page web applications in the web browser. And hence, they are considerably faster than traditional web applications.

Single Page Application Examples: Netflix, Google Maps, Gmail

3. Multi Page Applications

Multi page apps are online applications that have multiple pages and reload the entire page anytime a user switches to a different one. Organizations that provide a variety of ways for consumers to interact with their platform choose multi-page applications.

Multi Page Application Examples: Amazon, Google Docs, Trello

4. E-commerce App

E-commerce web applications have myriad components, starting from choosing for purchase to e-payment. This is a major point to note when pitting the website vs web app - websites are usually for users to consume content and know about the business. On the other hand, Web apps are for doing business, and hence, it contains all the functionalities.

E-commerce App Examples: eBay, Shopify

5. Social Networking App

Social networking apps are probably the most used kind of web app, with Facebook having 1.3 billion users and Instagram not far behind with a mind-boggling 1.221 billion. Most of these social networking sites initially started as web applications and are now mostly used as mobile apps.

Social Networking App Examples: Facebook, Instagram, WeChat

6. Web Portal

A web portal is a useful web-based platform that pulls data from different parts of the internet and presents the most relevant areas to the user for his benefit. These were initially started to present users with the requested information but have since evolved and integrated several other services.

Web Portal Examples: Government portals, student examination portals

If you want to learn more about web applications, you can explore the difference between single-page and multi-page applications for better understanding.

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Web Apps

Let's weigh the pros of web application development against its cons so that you know what rewards and challenges are waiting for you if you decide to create a web app:

Advantages of Web Apps

Data security: Since the data storage is done on the external server, the data saved in an application is still safe, even if the user’s device breaks down.

Numerous options: A web application gives you the freedom to use different functionalities without any limits.

Expandable: Any additional features will be easily and quickly expanded in web apps. So, users can able to see changes immediately.

No need for updates: Users are not responsible for making updates, unlike desktop or popular mobile apps. It is very easy for users to check the most recent version of the app at any time and from any location.

Profitable: Creating an interesting custom web application can help you gain a huge profit. Consider Facebook, YouTube, Amazon, or Netflix. All of these web apps are incredibly profitable.

No Download Required: One of the best things about web apps is that there’s no need to download anything. And since a user can directly engage with the app using a web browser, you don’t have to download or install it separately.

Disadvantages of Web Apps

High development time: It takes a lot of time to develop an advanced web application. So, if you are planning to develop a feature-rich and intuitive web app, you should know that it will be a much longer development time.

Huge development cost: Since it requires a lot of time for the development, eventually, the development cost will also be increased.

Requires expertise: You need expert developers who can help you with the back-end and front-end development of a web application.

Features of Web Applications

The characteristics of web applications are diverse as there are multiple types of web apps that serve specific functionalities as per different business demands. But one thing is same for them is the layers of web application architecture that separate its logic into layers. However, some integral features should be integral to any type of web app that you consider, such as:

• Your web application should be scalable and cloud-hosted.
• Since web apps are made up of cross-platform development, they can easily execute across all operating systems.
• They should be easily tested with automation.

Why Does Your Business Need a Web Application?

Have you seen the recent boom in web developers or web development firms?

Can you guess what caused that?

The recent boom in web apps, of course.

Here, many companies are opting to create a web app to provide a seamless service to their customers. In addition, having a plethora of domains, frameworks, programming languages, and technologies to choose from, you can customize your web app as per your project requirements.

But let’s see a few more reasons as to why your business needs a web application for a bright and promising future!

Efficiency

Web apps bring in high efficiency and better performance for the business as a lot of processes can be automated through the software, thus making them free of human error. All the data is stored in the server, and the tasks are carried out with precision - making the job more efficient and less time-consuming.

Cybersecurity

Most retail stores keep their data, be it customer data or financial accounts, on a device - a laptop, a PC, or a simple hard disk. But what if any of these get stolen?

Firstly, it will be a long and cumbersome affair to contact customer care and get the issue resolved.

Secondly, and more importantly, this may be extremely harmful to your business and customers as all data will be leaked.

You can be completely free of this fear if you opt to have a web app for your business. All the data will be stored safely in the cloud, and you simply need to login into your account from any device on the planet to access the data.

Why are Web Apps Important for Your Business?

A web app is basically the backbone of a business. It has a myriad of use cases applicable to a range of industry verticals, business domains, and departments. For example:

24x7 Availability

Web apps are hosted on the web by hosting service providers who have a ton of extra hardware and troubleshooters at their disposal. This ensures your web app is up and running 24x7.

If a user faces a problem, it will be rectified immediately.

If the visitors on the site are more than the app can take, extra hardware will be deployed to make sure the app does not crash.

These two factors make sure your business credibility is soaring at all times!

You can be completely free of this fear if you opt to have a web app for your business. All the data will be stored safely in the cloud, and you simply need to login into your account from any device on the planet to access the data.

Scalability

“Focusing on the long term and building a great product that is scalable ultimately leads to a great company.”

– Craig Sherman, MD of Meritech

Scalability is one of the main factors any entrepreneur would look at while launching his or her business; otherwise, the business will have a tough time surviving in the future.

Using simple purchased software will limit your business growth.

Maintenance

Most web apps are cross-platform - so you needn’t worry about the hardware incompatibility of users. Users need only a web browser and good internet connectivity to access the app.

On top of that, a web application is divided into two distinct parts - the backend and the frontend. If you hire front-end developers, they will help you develop and maintain front-end applications.

Easy development, easy maintenance, easy on the pocket for the user.

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What is the Difference Between Website and Web Application?

By now, we have got an idea of what are websites and web apps and their importance for a business. So, let’s move into the primary topic of discussion – what is the difference between website and web application?

In the table below, we track myriad parameters like integration and interaction and see what website or web application brings to the table for that particular parameter.

Let us have a look:

A quick comparison: website vs web app

Apart from these, there are a few more parameters that you need to take into account to truly understand how do web-based applications and websites differ. Have a look at them:

Programming Language

For website development, preferred programming languages are JavaScript, HTML, or CSS. For web app development, on top of CSS and HTML, PHP, Python, or Ruby is required.

Support and Maintenance

A web app needs frequent upgrades and constant maintenance for its smooth running. Contrastingly, it’s comparatively easier to manage and maintain a website.

Offline Availability

Web apps strictly require an online connection to work. On the other hand, websites can provide offline availability to content without any network connectivity.

Notifications

In terms of sending notifications, web apps for businesses can send direct push notifications. However, websites can send only web-based push notifications.

Technology Used

The primary technologies included in the web app development process are Linux, PHP, MySQL, Apache, etc. And to build a website, developers use Django, Lavarel, CSS, etc.

Development Cost

Although the development depends on the complexity, size, and features of the product, web app development usually costs more than website development.

When Should You Opt for a Website?

If you are still confused regarding whether you should choose to create a website or web application for business, let us narrow it down for you. Here are a few optimal use cases when developing a website over a web app makes more sense:

• Expanding the market for your company
• Posting relevant articles and blogs to inform customers about your brand
• Offering a wealth of information about your company to your clients
• Helping your audience and potential clients learn about your business
• Increasing your brand marketability and credibility
• Having a global presence is your goal
• Establishing a staff resource center where your employees can post images, instructional videos, and other materials to aid customers

When to Choose a Web App over the Website?

The purpose of web applications is to amplify brand recognition through enhanced customer support and efficient communication channels. We have rounded up a number of situations when opting for a web app over a website can prove to be beneficial for you:

• Building an engaging and profitable product
• Improving customer experience for sales and revenue growth
• Maintaining transparency and integrity with the audience
• Address unique business problems
• Preventing illegitimate access to confidential data with built-in web application security

How to Decide Whether Your Business Needs a Website or Web App?

There is no absolute rule that states you must first create a website before creating a web app or integrating an app into your website. In order to set clear future plans for your company, it's crucial to understand the web application and website difference, as well as what you may anticipate from such development.

For example, if you have a local business that requires continuous interaction with customers at specific time periods or includes a delivery service, you can streamline the entire process with web application development. And if you are running a popular small-scale business, go for a customized website to promote the services or products to your end customers.

Website Developer vs Web Application Developer: Who Do You Need?

Your project and business requirements should come first when selecting between a website developer and a web app developer. A competent enterprise web development company can be your best option if you only require a website and not a web application. The purpose of a website for the business you can showcase information about your business. Nonetheless, you might opt to add web applications to your website in the future, which might necessitate the usage of more experienced support.

On the other hand, you can hire a web app developer if you need to build a web application. These experts have advanced development skills and are able to carry out a wider variety of tasks. In order to have high-end security, heavy customer interaction, and integration with other systems, choose a web application development company.

When deciding between website and web application developers, take into account your company's objectives, your target market, the goods and services you provide, and other such factors. Ensure that the specialists have the necessary expertise to customize your digital platform according to your needs.

Final WordsThe difference between web app and website will not affect your user one bit, but it may have great ramifications for your business. As an entrepreneur, you need to understand what will aid the smooth growth and scalability of your business. If you currently have only a retail store, then you must get a website created. If you already have one, you should consult with a web app development company to either modify the website into a web app or create a web app parallelly if it suits your business agenda.At Radixweb, we believe in web app development that will pump your business prospects and profits - something that will build a solid online presence for you and help actively in your revenue building.For queries or help in building a crowd-pulling website, send us a send us a mail or drop a call!!