Web App Development

Usability and interactivity of web apps have evolved to a stage where it rivals native and desktop applications. Even applications that were previously only usable in a native environment can now be used online. The next evolution of web apps known as ‘progressive web apps’ has further closed this distance with native apps.

You can leverage web app development to deploy applications for internal users or to external users such as your customers or business partners. This page will give you a comprehensive overview of how you can leverage web app development in your business.

What is web app development?

Web apps are software applications that run within a web browser. As web browsers are ubiquitous, it is an ideal option to deploy software applications to various stakeholders that interact with your business.

Stakeholders can be your team members that access your applications so they can perform their roles. External business partners can access your web apps so they can interact with your business in a cost-effective way.

The most visible application is where your customers access your web application. This allows you to enhance your point of difference in the market.

The key question is why should you engage in web app development? Like any form of capital expenditure, all capital outlays should provide you with an acceptable return on investment. The project should directly or indirectly improve the financial performance of your business.

Although web app development may seem like an attractive option, we should consider the pros and cons of this option.

Advantages and disadvantages of Web Apps

Advantages of Web Apps

Web browsers are ubiquitous

The ability to access your application from a range of devices without having to perform an install is a significant advantage. Web browsers are installed in most devices allowing yours user to take advantage of your service.

Easier adoption of your web app

As your application is available in any web browser, your users can try your application without having to install any software. Research shows that on average, half of the users don’t install new apps. This creates a significant barrier for new users to engage with your business.

You could implement the same functionality on a native application such as the Apple App Store or Google Play. However for your customer to use your application, they will need to be first convinced to use your application, then go the app store on the device they are using and ensure it is configured correctly and then download your app. The customer may also hesitate if they are not connected to wi-fi due to the data charges. Where with a web app, they can just go to a browser and try your web app.

Cost of web app development is much lower

Only one web application is needed to be developed that can run on many different screen sizes (e.g. a ‘responsive web application’). You don’t have to develop a different version of the application for different platforms (e.g. one for web, one for iOS and another for Android).

Some would argue that you could achieve the same result by using ‘hybrid apps’. These are applications that are developed in hybrid technologies that can be deployed as native apps. However, the fact remains that you still have to package these ‘hybrid apps’ up and then deploy them in the relevant platform that is an overhead. With a web app, you can deploy it on your web server and the client can access it with whichever browser they choose.

The other factor that reduces the cost of web application development is the costs of resources are lower than the cost of native application developers. There is an abundance of resources that are skilled in web application technologies that means that the cost of developing web apps is also lower. Native app developers are more specialised due to the complexities of the platforms and therefore are more expensive to hire.

You are in complete control that allows you to be more agile

With web app development, you can be more agile with your development process. Unlike the various app platforms, there are no submission and review processes for the different app stores. You are in complete control to deploy your web app as often as you like. This allows you to be more agile in your development processes.

Disadvantages of Web Apps

Performance of native apps

Although there are significant advantages in using web app development, the only detractor is performance. It’s always easier to get better performance when your software can operate ‘closer to the metal’ of your device (e.g. it has direct control of the resources on your device).

If you require your app needs to have the pure performance of a native app, then the native app is a better choice for your business. In our experience, this is not required for most businesses.