Surely you have heard the term web app, and you may have wondered what is the difference with a mobile app.
You may also have noticed that on the web there are some pages that are more informative and with others you can interact more and they provide us with services.
The idea of this blog is to understand what is a web app clarifying the concepts and studying which are the main steps to developing a web app.
In CodeBranch we can help you develop your web app with our Web development service.
What is a Web App?
A web application is an application software that does not require installation and can instead be accessed from a remote server via web browser. Web applications are made for interaction, allowing users to send and consume data between the browser and the web server.
What is the difference between Web apps and Mobile apps?
According to Code Institute, these are the differences between web apps and mobile apps.
Web Apps | Mobile apps |
Are created with the purpose of the content and services being browsed by the user from any device via browsers. | Are specifically created to be operated from mobile |
Can be easily viewed from any browser and thus do not need to be installed. | Need to be installed from the app store |
Can not be accessed offline, since browsers do not work without a proper internet connection. | Can be accessed even offline. |
Since web applications are browsed through browsers, they need not require approval from the app store. | Need to be approved by the app store. |
Web applications may not have that level of heightened security compared to mobile applications. | Mobile applications have more sophisticated security. |
Web apps will take care of updates themselves. | Mobile apps need to be updated frequently. |
What is the difference between web pages and web apps?
According to Saint Leo University, from the user's perspective, the significant difference between websites and web applications is function.
Websites serve to inform and web applications serve to help.
The content of a website can be viewed, read or listened to, but cannot be manipulated by the end user.
On the contrary, the content of web applications can not only be seen but also contains elements that can be interacted with, i.e. web applications allow users to manipulate data.
I will give you examples of the most used web applications in my general and working life:
Canva: is a free design web application to design in the easiest way ever, if you want an amazing tool, you can pay a subscription.
Ubersuggest: is a powerful SEO tool that shows you keywords monthly search volume, CPC & competition data.
Chat GPT: ChatGPT is a natural language processing tool driven by AI technology that allows you to have human-like conversations and much more with the chatbot. The language model can answer questions and assist you with tasks, such as composing emails, essays, and code
DeepL: Is one of the best translators in the world, it offers you synonyms, and you can actually change the words of the translation for others that sound better for you.
Web App Development
Developing a web app can be a complex process, but breaking it down into steps can make it more manageable. Here's a general overview of the process of developing a web app:
1. Define the project scope:
The first step of web app development is to clearly define the goals and objectives of the web app.
This includes understanding the target audience, the purpose of the app, and what features and functionality are required.
2. Plan the architecture:
Once you have a clear understanding of the project scope, you can begin planning the architecture of the web app.
The web application architecture describes the interactions between applications, databases, and middleware systems on the web. It ensures that multiple applications work simultaneously.
3. Design the user interface:
The user interface (UI) is a critical component of any web app development. It's important to create a design that is visually appealing and easy to use.
This involves creating wireframes, mockups, and prototypes to test different UI concepts. After finalizing the initial mockups, they are shared with clients for review & feedback. The design iterations and mockup changes go on until the client gives a thumbs-up to everything.
4. Develop the back-end:
The back end is the hidden core of web app development.
The back-end of the web app is where the business logic and database interactions are handled.
This involves writing code in a server-side language such as Python, Ruby, or Node.js.
The back-end is responsible for processing user requests and returning responses to the front-end.
For this process, you can hire your in-house development team, or you can hire a Nearshore software development company like CodeBranch, where we can provide a Dedicated team on Demand to manage and make your web app development..
5. Develop the front-end:
The front-end of the web app is what the user interacts with.
This involves writing code in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to create the visual elements and interactivity of the app. The front-end communicates with the back-end via APIs to retrieve and update data.
6. Test and debug:
Once the web app development is done, it's important to thoroughly test and debug it.
This involves testing for usability, functionality, security, and performance.
While Testing is performed to check if the code contains errors, debugging is done to locate and fix these errors.
Among the many ways and methods to perform debugging and testing, Browser offers comprehensive tools, which are so powerful.
It allows developers designers or testers to work with a variety of web technologies, including HTML, CSS, the DOM, JavaScript, and other components that are handled by the web browser.
Due to increasing demand from web browsers to do more, Popular web browsers have included more features for developers.
7. Deploy and maintain:
The final step of web app development is to deploy the web app to a server and make it accessible to users.
This involves setting up hosting, configuring servers, and ensuring that the app is running smoothly.
It's also important to monitor the app for bugs and performance issues and to make updates as necessary.
Conclusion
In summary, developing a web app involves defining the project scope, planning the architecture, designing the UI, developing the back-end and front-end, testing and debugging, and deploying and maintaining the app.
It's a complex process, but with careful planning and attention to detail, you can create a successful web app that meets the needs of your target audience.