Web Sites Or Web Apps? The Difference Explained

Web sites and Web apps are two main products that are used to deliver digital products and services. There are times when any company needs both solutions.  In a world where everything is in the cloud and we are constantly bombarded with online apps and websites, it’s hard to keep track of whether you should build a website with WordPress or a web application.

There are many different types of websites and applications, but when it comes right down to it, websites and web apps are quite similar. Which one is better? This blog will look at some of the factors you should consider when choosing a website or a web app.

Websites:

A website is a collection of pages that are hosted on the World Wide Web. A recent study on websites states that they registered estimated monthly traffic of 76.86 million on their e-commerce website. The web pages are structured to display information or data, often in the form of text, graphics, or video.  All websites are composed of different resources such as HTML, JavaScript, and CSS that allow visitors to interact with them. These resources are stored in files called “pages” or “documents”. A document contains everything a visitor requires to view or interact with your website, including text, images, and links used by browsers to get around your site.

Examples: 

Some examples of websites are Amazon, Facebook, and Google. These sites provide access to the company’s products and services.

Web Apps:

The term “Web app” does not refer to the browser or the underlying operating system, but rather to the concept of a single application that can be downloaded from the Internet and run directly on your computer or in a web browser. This can include Web pages, HTML documents, and other types of files. A recent study on the Jumia Web app states that, compared to a traditional e-commerce website, their web app uses 25% less disk space and loads faster. Angular, Python or node are the mostly common platforms which are used to build web applications.

To put it another way, Web apps are websites that you can use from your browser. They’re not websites in the traditional sense of having a link to an app — they’re just plain old websites — but they’re powerful enough to be used like any other website.

Examples:

The examples of web applications include Gmail, Trello, Sheets, and other online storage services. The company provides a browser or mobile application through which you can access these apps.

Comparison between Websites and Web Apps:

 

Websites and web apps are fundamentally different and share many similarities but there are also some key differences:

 

Website

Web Apps

Websites are designed to provide information to users

Web apps are designed to provide users with an experience they can interact with.

Websites usually have fewer features than web apps because they’re meant to be simple and straightforward.

Web apps are generally more interactive than websites, which means they have more features that require user input.

Websites are static pages that display data in a user-friendly format.

Web apps, on the other hand, are dynamic pages that respond to user input and change based on that input.

Websites are normally hosted on a server.

Web Apps can also be hosted directly on the user’s device without needing server-side technology.

It is not necessary to authenticate on websites. Occasionally, a user may request registration in order to receive regular updates or gain access to additional features. These features are not available to unregistered visitors of the website.

It is important for web applications to be authenticated since they provide much more functionality than websites.

Websites can be viewed by anyone

Web applications can only be accessed by those who have access to them (access control)

Typically, a website consists of only static content that is publicly accessible to all visitors.

An application designed for end-user interaction is a web application

Web Sites don’t need to be pre-compiled

Before deployment, the web app must be precompiled

Why Websites Are Important For Business?

For a business to be successful, it must be able to reach out to its customers. In order for them to do so, the business must have a website. Without one, it is difficult for potential customers to find you and contact you.

 

A website can help you attract new customers and retain old ones. A website will also help you advertise your business in other ways aside from just having a physical storefront location. It will help you get your products into the hands of consumers who may not know about your business yet but who could be interested in what you have to offer them once they learn about it.

 

Why Web Apps Are Important For Business?

 

A web app also makes it easier for a customer to find what they need, when they need it. There are several options for providing enhanced customer service through web apps. Web apps may serve as the first point of contact between your business and potential customers. Customers can access customer support at any time through applications developed for customer loyalty.

 

Advantages of Websites:

 

  • Ease of Use: The internet is user-friendly, you can use it on your smartphone and tablet. You don’t need to carry a laptop or desktop computer to access the Internet.

  • Flexibility: You can access websites in any part of the world, which is not possible with desktop computers or laptops.

  • Interactivity: With websites, you are able to interact with others by sharing, commenting, and liking posts.

 

Disadvantages of Websites:

 

  • Cost: Websites are very expensive to maintain because most people do not know how to do it.

  • Privacy: Websites can be used by anyone to access your information or social media accounts, which is not very good for privacy.

  • Spamming: It is an easy way for hackers to get into your system and steal your personal information like passwords and credit card numbers from your account.

 

Advantages of Web Apps:

 

  • Interactive Experience: Web apps offer an interactive experience to the users by allowing them to interact with the content through various tools like drag and drop features, buttons, menus, etc

  • Less Resources Required: Web apps consume fewer resources than native applications in terms of memory space and battery life because they are not dependent on any specific operating system or device

  • Cloud Storage: They don’t require you to install an app on your mobile device, so you can work wherever you are, even if you don’t have a data connection or Wi-Fi connection.

 

Disadvantages of Web Apps:

 

  • Performance:  Slow loading speed of a web page, which is due to the size or the number of files being loaded in it. A slow response time for a user’s request to the server. This problem can be avoided by using cache and CDN services.

  • Security: Web applications do not have a quality control system. A result of this is that security and safety are reduced to a greater extent.

  • Availability: It is uncommon to find web apps since they are not found in either the App Store or the Play Store. Therefore, it is difficult to make audiences aware of the existence of such apps. The audience will only visit the respective website if they are aware of the existence of such apps.

 

Final Verdict:

The website vs web app debate has existed for as long as there have been websites and apps, but with improvements in technology, it’s become increasingly easy to build even complex sites with web apps. With this in mind, it’s worth taking the time to examine all of the benefits that come along with using a web app rather than building a traditional website. You might be surprised by the results!

 

You should choose the best option for your business depending on what it needs. If you want online ordering, then a website is probably better for you.

If you are still looking for website or web app development services in Australia, contact us and we will assist you with any questions you have. Extrateq can help you create amazing web design or web app collateral and will be there to support you every step of the way.

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