If you have a business and you are looking forward to getting a website for your business, you must have interacted with a fundamental decision of having a website or a web application. A web application development company works for both website development and web app development. However, for owning a business, you need to decide whether to get a website or a web application. For this, you need to understand the difference between a web app and a website.
Let’s start with understanding the difference between a website and a web app. We generally use the term “website” for both websites and web apps. And, that is quite understandable. This is primarily because a web application is typically a feature of a website. To clear the confusion between a web application and website, remember that a website is informational but static, while a web app is informational but interactive for users. So, the key difference is interactivity.
Web Application and website Example
Let’s understand it with an example of the “online presence” of a clothing store. Be sure that just being present online doesn’t mean an online shop. Let’s imagine two scenarios:
- A website contains information, menu, location guide, and operational hours information. Informational but static. This a website.
- An online web presence of a clothing store where you can learn about various information, menu, location guide, operational hours, and place the order along with the customizing option for size, color, and other features. The user has control and is interacting on the web. This is a Web App.
Web applications rely on dynamic user input, for instance, ordering a small size shirt in black color. The application communicates with a database to retrieve other ordering information. The obtained information is then displayed on the screen.
Here are the key difference between web app and website.
Web App vs Website
- What is the difference between a web app and a website?
- A website display information to visitors.
- A web app both display information and allow users to interact with users and respond to their requests
2. What is the role of user-authentication on a website and a web app?
- A website does not require user login and password to perform specific actions.
- Most web apps require users to sign up to perform specific tasks.
3. What page type a web app and website is made of?
- A website is a Static web page, Which means every user sees the same information on a website.
- A web application is dynamic, which means that different users interact differently on the same web app.
4. What is the difference between a website and a web app compilation process?
- For compilation, a website does not require to be precompiled.
- A web app requires to be precompiled before deployment.
5. How do a website and a web app update?
- A website Small changes can be updated in HTML code.
- To make small changes, the entire project must be re-compiled and deployed.
6. What technologies or programming languages are used in web apps and websites?
- It can be developed using HTML, CSS. It can be developed using simple platforms like WordPress, Joomla, and others.
- A web app is developed using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and others. programming languages like PHP, Ruby, or Python. The development also includes frameworks like Rails, Django, and CakePHP.
Go through the below image to get a basic understanding of technical differences between web app vs the website.
What is a Website?
A set of interlinked web pages compiled in a single domain name that is accessible globally is typically known as a website. A website is informational but static, for instance, a blog or news website. They deliver information to the users, like Foxnews or a website like AppVerticals.
Minimal interactions that are possible using a website are subscription for a weekly newsletter, submitting a question via the contact form or a search bar feature, and a few others like these,
Here is an example of a website.
What are the Benefits of a Website?
- An effective online presence
- A useful digital brochure for a business
- Social proof of your existence
- The right way of branding your products or services.
- Help achieve business goals
- Improve customer support
- A Platform to showcase your blog
- A great marketing channel
Main features of a good website
- A good website displays quality and relevant content.
- Interactive design and responsive web design
- Easy and Clear navigation
- Fast loading speed
- Compatible with multiple platforms like laptops, smartphones, tablets, etc
- SSL certificate
- Lead capture forms
What is a Web Application?
A set of interactive web pages is known as a web application is. A web app allows users to give in inputs, retrieve it, and get results in different ways. A Web application is similar to mobile app apps, but the difference between a mobile app and a web app is that it is available on the internet and can be accessed on a web browser.
Major web application examples development is Google Docs, Skype, WhatsApp Web, and an online clothing store. Here is a web application example.
What are the Benefits of Web Applications?
- Sine web applications run on web browsers; it does not require to be installed.
- Web apps are supported by all modern browsers, like Google and Bing.
- A web application can be updated without sending an update notification to users.
- They are easy to maintain.
- Web apps have no compatibility issues.
- A web app is secure and easy to backup.
- Web application development is more affordable than mobile app development.
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