Web application development is actually the process that involves to build a web application. That is specifically more focused to interact with the browser than standard of the engineering processes. There are most cases of web application development that will involve to define the problem, mocking-up the solution, to engage with the users, to adopt a framework/to choose a tool, and finalize, to build and to test the web application – in most cases, iteratively with the users perspectives.
Let’s talk about what is web application
For those of you who do not know actually about what a web application is, therefore, have a look below that includes a proper a definition below:
A web application, often referred to as a web app, is an interactive computer program that built up with the web technologies justlike (HTML, CSS, JS), which deliberately stores (Database, Files) and also tends to manipulates the data (CRUD), and it is being used by a team or single user to perform specific tasks over the internet. CRUD is the most popular acronym and it is at the heart of the web app development. Basically, It stands for is, to Create, Read, Update, and Delete. Meanwhile, Web apps are particularly been accessed via a web browser such as Google Chrome, and often involve a login/signup mechanism and so on.
Web applications vs website
The key difference is how all we interact with each other. There are the Web applications that are further being defined by their input – as we create, read, update and also to delete data within a web application. There are the Websites that are being defined by their output – we read the news, marketing information, FAQs on the essential websites.
Progressive web applications
There are also the Progressive web applications that are basically a newer type of web application which also behaves like and often outperforms native applications respectively. They are the web applications which follow a slightly different methodology aspects, and tends to involve an additional set of technologies such as service workers and so on, manifests, to push notifications. There are the Progressive web applications that can be downloaded to your device, and also to stored on your homescreen which makes them more accessible, and also ’native-like’, and unlike web applications that they can be accessed and used offline.
2. Google Docs
When we talk about the Google Docs, believe it or not, it is a web application. That is also available as a mobile application mode. That is basically created in 2012, Google Docs was basically born from the acquisition of a number of other web applications, and it is great to create, read, updated, and also deleting documents.
3. Notion
Notion is set to an all-in-one, note-taking and also to make collaboration web application with markdown support aspects. The product was well set to released in 2016 and now it has become the fastest staple in many small businesses aspects.
4. Airtable
There are many people who refers to Airtable as the ‘Online Excel’ platform. It is quite similar to Excel in UI but it also adds additional layers of functionality also held over there that make it a powerful database solution for business aspects. Airtable is a highly more complex web application with thousands of users that are being concluded.
5. Xero
Xero is an accountancy web application. Let’s take a focus on data, Xero highlights that how about a web application is capable to deal with difficult computations and also to present it to users in a simple interface.
6. Salesforce
Salesforce is consider to be the number 1 SaaS product in the world from a revenue perspectives. Although as a CRM, it is new and complex in nature and also to make it a great example of a web application with multiple facets that includes dashboards, reports, tables, etc.
Reasons to Develop a web application
There is something else we are capable to think and explore about is why we would want to develop a web application. To understand this deep, we all need to think about what alternatives are being available to us. To Depend on your specific use cases, that could be any of the following:
- By means of using a website.
- To Build a native application.
- To Use a local software package.
- By means of doing nothing at all.
With all of these alternatives in mind, let’s check out some of the concrete benefits of the custom web application development, especially relative to local software or native apps.
Fast deployments
That’s incredibly much more easy to get a web application up and running. Comparatively speaking, there are very few hoops that are being essential all we need to jump through, as well as a great deal more flexibility in terms of the tools and frameworks that can be use.
For instance, if the users wanted to build a native mobile app, and ship it to the Apple App Store or Google Play Store respectively, the users had to be much more limited to proprietary frameworks, like Xamarin and PlayKit, for Android Apps and IOS respectively.
In the case of Apple, the users therefore also have to put your application through a lengthy vetting process. That might take months to reach your target market.
Web applications that usually offer much simpler, faster deployment.
To get our live app in front of users, we really just need to send them the URL. What could be simpler formate?
More Easy access
Similarly, web application development is the smartest choice if the user needs to make it more easy for the users to find and use the specific tools. Nowadays, most of the users do everything from their web browsers – even in professional contexts formate.
The beauty of web applications is being quite alternative that they can basically access all about your tools from any web browser. Unless, of course, that also the user began to put specific measures in place to limit this.
So, if there is chance about the employees to hot-desk or to use different devices throughout the day, although they can always access the tools that are essentially needed to do their jobs. Similarly, there are the customers that are capable to enjoy the same experience whether they’re on their phone, desktop, or through by means of tablet.
More convenience
To become Tying in with this, there are the developing web apps that further allows the users to provide a high level of convenience for your users performance. When smartphones being able to use, that were still in their infancy, there was a push by most of the brands to develop their own mobile apps.
The only trouble is that most people don’t want this to briefly understand.
To Download new apps that is more annoying. So to have a cluttered home screen on your phone and also to reduced battery life perspective. For the most of the part, the customers aren’t going to download the app unless it’s something they’re going to use pretty much every day.
In these days, most of the people just prefer web apps. At least, unless there’s a good reason to use a native app.
We’ll now able to return to this idea in a few minutes.
Lower development costs
If we closer to home, the web application development is also much cheaper and more faster than to create native apps or for the desktop programs.
In large part, this is all because as we don’t need to be allocated extra resources to learn proprietary frameworks, to get through vetting processes, or else to develope local installation packages.
web apps have any disadvantages let’s explore
Of course, there are many of the situations where you slightly might not want to opt for a browser-based tool specifically. The very fact that alternatives exist is a dead giveaway that is almost mentioned here. Indeed, there are also the several limitations that you’ll all need to be aware of before you can make an informed decision aspects.
Here are the key things you should need to be fully understand.
Reliance on internet access
General speaking, although not always, there are the web applications that will require the users to have a stable internet connection aspects. We saw in the case of PWAs more earlier that this isn’t always the case perspectives, although it is kind of the default.
At the very least, they’ll normally need to be online to get the full functionality purpose.
Limits on functionality purpose
All else that is being equal, web apps will be there also that have certain functional limitations, especially talking with regard to hardware and other native features on the other specific devices and so on.
User retention
In B2C contexts, all we need essential is to think about how web application development will impact our retention, CRO, and churn, relative to the alternatives. We also said earlier that today’s users generally don’t want to have swathes of the apps that is saved on their devices.
A Brief Overview on the Web application development process
There are many different processes that are being involved to build a web application. Below, there is the summarised the different steps involved with the web application development process.
Here we go, the 8 steps for creating a web application.
1. To briefly define the problem you are solving
To define the problem that is critical. It is your North Star and provides direction. Meanwhile, the solution is born from your problem.
2. Plan the workflow of your web application perspective
Once you all know about your solution, map out the workflow of how it will work done. What essentially needs to be happen within your web application for it to solve the problems?
3. Wireframe/prototype your web application
Let’s transform and elaborate your workflow into a wireframe. Your wireframe is simply and basically a tool for communicating your solution to your target user.
4. Receive Validation
To get and to Present your wireframe to the potential users of your new web application. Let’s record feedback and iterate on the design platform until you, and your potential users are quite much happy to use.
5. Choose your firepower
You are capable to use different tools/platforms/frameworks that are essential to build your web application. It’s important to choose a tool that fits the job (in this case to talk about your web application) and not to go with what is popular. Example – for a simple to-do app purpose, Django combined with React might be overkill.
6. Let’s Build your web application
- Database
To determine about what sort of data you need to store in your database and also your data types. Then build your database. - Frontend
You will likely build your frontend and also for the backend at the same time. Your frontend will loosely mirror your wireframe/prototype all you need to do is to validated earlier. The frontend consists of HTML, CSS, and JS – like one of our frontend frameworks below. - Backend
To build your backend is one of the toughest and important parts of the web application development process. The primary functions of the backend is all set to provide HTTP endpoints for your frontend (remember CRUD!), there are the authenticate users, authorization, and to serve the frontend.
7. Fully Test your web application
To Test your web application that is an ongoing process and it usually happens during and after the building phase aspects. You are capable to automate testing or doing it manually. During the testing phase you should try to cover functionality, usability, compatibility, security and performance testing aspects.
8. Host and deploy about the respective web application
To start Host that involves that is running that your web application is on a top server. All you need to do is to buy a domain and to choose a cloud hosting provider. To get your web application fully done from your local machine to your cloud provider and also deploy it, you will need to use a CI tool.
Conclusion:
In other words, you can think of a web app as essentially a web page that behaves like a much more sophisticated application. While the user experience remains contained within the browser, many of the processes and operations are performed on the server-side to deliver seamless functionality. Companies like Pixel Genesys specialize in developing that combine the simplicity of web pages with the power and responsiveness of full-scale applications, offering users an intuitive and dynamic experience.