Today, web presence is a critical component of business success. Virtually any company, from hospitals to family bakeries, builds its web solution to remain competitive. However, businesses often wonder: Should they make a website or a web application? How do these software solutions differ?
This
article will explain the critical distinctions between a website and a web app,
define their technical characteristics, and guide you in choosing your
business's web solution.
Website vs Web
App: What Is the Difference?
Let's
start by defining a website and a web application. This is essential to
approaching the comparison more effectively and giving you appropriate
information to determine the most suitable alternative for your company.
Website
A
website is a simple web solution involving minimal user interaction. The
primary goal of such solutions is to provide information rather than to receive
it. Websites include news sites, blogs, recipes, and weather sites. Visitors
can perform minimal interactions with websites, such as selecting the page they
desire to check, but otherwise, the functionality is limited.
Web application
A
web application is a multifunctional solution that allows visitors to view,
enter, edit, and retrieve information. Web apps comprise social networks,
content editing sites (e.g., for photos or videos), online marketplaces, and
more. Essentially, any web solution delivering rich and diverse functionality
is a web application. This software requires a constant connection to the
server as it constantly sends a large number of requests.
Technologies
Behind Web Apps and Websites
Now,
let's delve deeper into the comparison and examine the technology, key aspects,
and cost of developing web apps and websites.
Website
Constructing
a straightforward website, like a landing or blog page, involves minimal
technology. Specialists commonly utilize Content Management Systems (CMS) and
HTML or CSS for the front end. Website builders like WordPress or Wix can also
be employed to assemble a website.
It
usually takes 20-40 hours to build such a solution. Consequently, website development costs are much lower than for a web application. However, not
all software providers will design a website as a single solution, so it may be
necessary to turn to freelancers or hire an in-house web developer.
Web application
Webapp development is much more time-consuming, as it requires properly
implementing many features and forming an individual design for multiple pages.
AngularJS or ReactJS are the most typical technologies used for front-end
development. Architects often turn to Node.js, PHP, or .Net for the backend.
Moreover, web applications may require integration with third-party services, such
as payment gateways or external databases.
Web
application development time varies significantly according to your business
domain, the features you want to implement, the number of pages, the complexity
of UI/UX design, and many other factors. Yet, building this software is more
expensive than creating a simple website.
So,
let's understand in which cases it is worth investing more in developing a web
application.
Choosing
Between Website and Web Application: Main Points to Consider
In
this section, we will take a detailed look at when it is more suitable to
select a website and when it is better to choose a web application based on
their primary distinctions:
Level of interaction
First,
you need to determine what level of interaction you expect from your customers.
Do you want to familiarize them with your products/services? In that case, you
only need to build an attractive website. You need a full-fledged web
application if you can enter specific data, such as making an appointment,
purchasing goods, etc.
This
point requires careful planning because if you have just started a small
business, you may think a one-page website is enough. However, think about
scalability in advance. You may want to expand your web solution and add new
features. Share your plans with your software provider so developers can
initially plan the exemplary solution architecture to provide sufficient
scalability.
Accountability
Suppose
you plan to create a web app operating on user data. In that case, you must
realize that you must provide customers with status information from personally
identifiable information. When customers enter their information, they
understand why you need it and what you will do with it. Your customizers need
to be confident that their data is secure. If this step is difficult for you
and customer data is not critical, it will be easier to focus on the website.
Security
Developing
a web application requires additional security measures to protect your
customers' data. These may include encrypting data at rest and on users'
devices, automatic logouts, activity tracking, and more. If you need to handle
sensitive data such as credit card numbers, bank accounts, or passwords, it is
essential to implement all modern information security methods. However,
suppose your web solution does not require customer data, and you prefer to
keep the development simple. In that case, you can build an essential website
containing your contact information, allowing customers to contact you without
providing their data.
Regulatory compliance
Web
applications must comply with industry and regional data collection and
processing laws. Familiarize yourself with these laws in your region so that
you can confidently implement all necessary regulations to avoid potential
legal issues. On the other hand, websites are typically not subject to any
laws, making them much easier to develop.
Benefits and Drawbacks
of Websites and Web Apps
To
summarize, let's take a closer look at the pros and cons of both kinds of web
solutions:
Websites
Among
the advantages of websites are:
● Wide
accessibility: Users can access
websites through any browser on various devices, which makes them available to
a broader audience.
● Simply
development: Creating websites
requires less time and investment than web applications.
● SEO
efficiency: Optimizing websites
for search engines is simpler and often brings better results, enhancing
visibility in search results.
However,
websites have several disadvantages:
● Limited
functionality: Websites may
offer limited functional capacities in contrast to web apps.
● Restricted
admission to device attributes:
Websites commonly can't access device features like a camera, GPS, a
microphone, or notifications.
Web applications
Here
are the main advantages of web applications:
● Enriched
functionality: Web applications
provide various features that make them more useful.
● More
interaction: Web applications
encourage deeper interaction with visitors due to more intricate functional
capabilities.
● Improved
user relations: Web applications
provide more intuitive and personalized user interactions.
Disadvantages
of web applications include:
● Complicated
development: Building web apps
typically demands more time, effort, and resources than creating websites.
● Platform
dependence: Web applications may
depend on the platform and not work optimally on specific devices or browsers.