What is a Website?
A website is a group of globally accessible, interlinked web pages which have a single domain name. It can be developed and maintained by an individual, business or organization. The website aims to serve a variety of purposes. Example: Blogs.
A website is hosted on a single or multiple web server. It is accessible via a network like the Internet or a private local area network via IP address.
What is a Web Application?
A web application is a software or program which is accessible using any web browser. Its frontend is usually created using languages like HTML, CSS, Javascript, which are supported by major browsers. While the backend could use any programming stack like LAMP, MEAN, etc. Unlike mobile apps, there is no specific SDK for developing web applications.
Web Applications came to prominence with the advent of Software as a Service (SaaS) movement.
Why you need a Website?
Here, are prime reasons why you need a website:
- An effective method to showcase your products and services
- Developing a site helps you to create your social proof
- Helps you in branding your business
- Helps you to achieve your business goals
- Allows you to increase your customer support
Why you need a Web Application?
Web applications are more popular because of the following reasons:
- Compared to desktop applications, web applications are easier to maintain by as they use the same code in the entire application. There are no compatibility issues.
- Web applications can be used on any platform: Windows, Linux, Mac… as they all support modern browsers.
- Mobile App store approval not required in web applications.
- Released any time and in any form. No need to remind users to update their applications.
- You can access these web applications 24 hours of the day and 365 days a year from any PC.
- You can either make use of the computer or your mobile device to access the required data.
- Web applications are a cost-effective option for any organization. Seat Licenses for Desktop software are expensive where SasS, are generally, pay as you go.
- Web-Based Apps are Internet-enabled apps that are accessed through the mobile’s web browser. Therefore, you don’t require to download or install them.
Characteristics Of Website
- Quality and relevant Web Content is which richly displayed.
- User-friendly navigation and web design
- Can be easily searched using search engines like Google.
Characteristics Of Web Application
- Cloud-hosted and highly scalable
- Mostly Cross-platform
- Modular and loosely coupled
- It is easily tested with automated tests.
Web Application vs. Website
Below given are the prime difference between web application and web site:
| Parameter | Web Application | Website |
|---|---|---|
| Created for | A web application is designed for interaction with the end user | A website mostly consists of static content. It is publicly accessible to all the visitors. |
| User interaction | In a web application, the user not only read the page content but also manipulate the restricted data. | A website provides visual & text content which user can view and read, but not affect it ‘s functioning. |
| Authentication | Web applications need authentication, as they offer a much broader scope of options than websites. | Authentication is not obligatory for informational websites. The user may ask to register to get a regular update or to access additional options. This features not available for the unregistered website visitors. |
| Task and Complexity | Web application functions are quite higher and complex compared to a website. | The website displays the collected data and information on a specific page. |
| Type of software | The web application development is part of the website. It is itself not a complete website. | The website is a complete product, which you access with the help of your browser. |
| Compilation | The site must be precompiled before deployment | The site doesn’t need to be pre-compiled |
| Deployment | All changes require the entire project to be re-compiled and deployed. | Small changes never require a full re-compilation and deployment. You just need to update the HTML code. |
Disadvantages of Website
- A website can crash which is not good for anyone. It is the biggest disadvantage for your business
- Contact form published on your website may invite lots of unwanted spam e-mails.
- The information on any website might be unreliable if it is not updated regularly.
Disadvantages of Web Application
- Security is not guaranteed, so it is vulnerable for unauthorized access.
- The web app may not support multiple browsers with equal precedence.
- The web application is built explicitly for a certain operating system, so it is difficult to discover from the app store.
- Limited scope to access the device’s features.
Summary:
- A website is a group of globally accessible, interlinked web pages which have a single domain name.
- A web application is a software or program which is accessible using any web browser.
- Developing your website helps you in branding your business.
- App store approval not required in web applications
- Quality and relevant Web Content are the most important characteristics of a good web site.
- Cloud-hosted and highly scalable are the most vital characteristics of a good web application.
