In everyday life, everything that we open in the browser is called a site, but this is not entirely correct. A website is a place where people receive information: read, listen and watch. But there are also web applications: a person interacts with them — say, making a payment, making a reservation or playing a game. What appears in the web application depends on the user’s request.
Let’s figure out how web applications are developed, why businesses need such applications, and how they are created.
Why do we need web applications?
Online stores, social networks, educational products, photo, video and text editors, games, booking systems — all these are web applications. They are more complex than regular information sites. The user is not a passive reader, but a participant in the business process; he interacts with the company. Businesses, of course, also need information sites without interactivity, but their capabilities are limited. For example, this is just a business card website.
Web applications can be useful to:
- Provide services to the user online: sell goods, sign up for events, conduct courses and webinars.
- Solve internal problems of the company. Large organisations may need a web application development company to coordinate employees and build internal logistics. For example, using web applications, you can onboard new employees and establish workflows with contractors.
Developing a website for a company without interactivity does not provide this full range of possibilities. In addition, interactivity allows you to add gamification and create options for users to comment and communicate. All this helps to grow a community around the brand and increase loyalty to the company. Through the website you can tell the user about your company, but you cannot receive feedback or provide a useful service. As businesses have rapidly moved online in recent years, web applications have become increasingly popular. For many companies, digital service is the main source of monetization.
Web applications that a person opens from a browser, like websites, compete with mobile applications. The opportunities are similar there and there. Which option to choose needs to be looked at in each individual case. For example, it is more convenient to use a corporate task tracker on the web, while for a food delivery service the development of a mobile application will be more relevant . There is also a technology that combines two options: a person downloads an application to his phone, and it works from a browser window — we will look at this architecture in more detail in the next section.
Types of web applications
There are many ways to develop applications for a web app development company. The price, timing and functionality will depend on the type of application you choose. Let’s look at each type and determine for what tasks this or that architecture will be optimal.
First of all, applications can be divided into custom (written in code) and no-code (assembled in constructors). Modern no-code editors, say, Webflow or Bubble, allow you to create interactive solutions — you can connect a payment system to them and create a working online store. Nocode is chosen because it is fast and cheap. But such solutions are only suitable for MVP or simple tasks — for example, landing pages or job boards with information about vacancies and recruiter contacts. The functionality is very limited, because no code tools are a constructor with a fixed set of elements. The performance of such applications is also lower than that of custom ones — they will not withstand high traffic. Therefore, if you need a full-fledged service, with an eye on a large audience, you should focus on custom solutions.
Do you want to learn more about the specifics of no code solutions and their differences from classical development? You can read our article: we examined in detail the specifics of working with constructors.
Applications written in code also differ from each other — in their architecture or program organisation system. Let’s look at what they are.
SPA
Single Page Application is a single page application. HTML and JavaScript are used to develop such applications. In essence, this is the development of a landing page , only interactive. But SPAs can be quite complex. The essence of single page applications is that a single HTML page is stored on the server, the content of which is updated as you scroll or click on links. That is, when you click on the button, you do not go to a new page — the elements are added to the already loaded one. For example, Gmail works on this principle.
👍SPA advantages:
- It is easier to develop such applications than multi-page ones.
- Applications are fast: the content on the page simply changes as the user moves, and loading it does not require many resources.
- It’s easier to create a monotonous design on one page, and the user definitely won’t get lost or confused.
👎SPA cons:
- Setting up SEO optimization for SPA will be more labour-intensive than for other options.
- It is difficult to guarantee the security of such pages: they are more susceptible to hacks and leaks than MPAs and PWAs, which we will look at below.
MPA
Multi Page Application is a multi-page application. They allow the user not only to scroll the browser window, but to move between individual pages. And content loading in such applications occurs in entire pages. This means, for example, that if the user made a payment, a confirmation window will be loaded in SPA, and the payment page in MPA will be completely updated. An example of a multi-page application is the Amazon online store.
👍Pros of MPA:
- Simple SEO optimization.
- A more familiar option for most users who are used to navigating between pages.
- If the application is complex, with a lot of functions, it should definitely be multi-page. Navigating through pages allows the user to easily get to the desired sections. No one wants to scroll a huge one-page application to the top when suddenly some information from there is needed.
👎Disadvantages of MPA:
- Complex and more expensive development and design than for SPA.
PWA
Progressive Web Application — progressive web applications. This is something between developing a mobile application and a website. PWA can be installed directly from the browser on the home screen of a smartphone, bypassing app stores. These apps also work offline and send push notifications, but open in the browser. This is possible thanks to Service Worker technology — a script through which all interactions between the frontend and backend pass. This script has cache and data access. In fact, you can add a Service Worker to most sites — and you get a PWA. Therefore, media outlets often switch to this technology, for example, The Washington Post.
👍Plus PWA:
- The combination of offline and online mode is user-friendly.
- Such applications can be developed relatively quickly.
👎PWA disadvantages:
- The application may not work properly in older versions of the browser.
- There are browsers that do not support such applications at all — for example, Firefox.
