What is a web application, and when do you need one?

A web application is software you use in the browser, without installing anything. You sign in and work with data: you schedule, record, order, approve. That is the difference from a website, which mainly informs. Webmail, online banking and a booking system are web applications. A business needs one when several people have to work with the same data and Excel or email no longer does the job.

Website, web application or app: the difference

A website tells people who you are and what you do. The visitor reads, and at most gets in touch.
A web application lets people work. They sign in, and what they do is saved. The application runs on a server and can be reached from any device with a browser.
An app is installed from the App Store or Play Store. Needed when you really use the camera, notifications or offline use. The distinction is worked out in native app or web app.

The line is not sharp. A web shop is a website with a web application behind it, and a customer portal often starts out as a closed-off section of the website.

Examples from an ordinary business

Scheduling: who goes to which customer and when, with an overview everybody sees at the same time.
Case management: everything about one customer or one project in one place, instead of scattered across folders and mailboxes.
A customer portal: customers see their own orders, documents or appointments. When that pays off is explained in when is a customer portal worthwhile.
Quotes and invoices: drawn up from data you already have, instead of typed out again every time.
Recording on site: work orders, measurements or inspections, filled in on a tablet and immediately available at the office.

The advantages over installed software

Nothing to install. A new employee gets a login and can start.
One version for everybody. A change is there for all users straight away.
Works on any device: computer, tablet and smartphone, at the office and on the road.
One place where the data lives, with one backup and one place to manage access.

And the drawbacks

A web application needs an internet connection. For work in places without reception that is a real objection, and that is when an app with offline use comes into the picture. And because the data sits on a server, the question of where that server is and who manages it is not a detail. Ask about it, certainly when customer data is involved.

Standard package or custom web application?

For general problems, such as accounting or email, good standard software exists and custom work is a waste of money. A custom web application pays off when your way of working differs from what packages assume, and you start organising the work around the software: exports you merge by hand, data you key in twice. The trade-off is set out in off-the-shelf or custom software.

What determines the price of a web application?

The number of screens and roles: who may see and do what.
The integrations with systems you already use.
How much existing data has to be migrated, and what state it is in.
Maintenance after delivery.

An amount without a conversation tells you nothing, for the same reason as with an app. Start with the smallest version that is genuinely usable, and extend from there.

Frequently asked questions

Is a web application secure?

That depends on how it is built and managed, not on the fact that it runs in the browser. An encrypted connection, proper sign-in, permissions per user, updates and backups come as standard. Ask who is responsible for them.

Can a web application be used on a smartphone?

Yes. A well-built web application adapts to the screen. For many uses that makes a separate app unnecessary.

Who owns the data and the software?

You settle that in advance. With custom software you should know who owns the source code and whether you can take it to another party. See who owns custom-built software.