Ever since the concept of web apps was introduced to the world, it has been constantly embraced by smartphone users and online businesses due to its quality of being used as a native application directly from the web browser. A web application can be equally responsive to that of a native app and can either be downloaded or accessed directly from the browser and is multiple OS friendly.
Steve Jobs first proposed the concept of Web Application Development as an intriguing concept of “apps that may be accessed directly from the browser.” Ajax made it feasible to create dynamic and responsive web apps in 2005, transforming the idea into a reality. The era of data-driven static apps came to an end with this.
A focused development team, careful planning, dependable architecture, the correct set of tools, and top web application development frameworks are all required for effective web app development.
If you’re not sure how to create a successful web application, you’ve come to the right place. In this web app development guide, we’ll teach you everything you need to know about web application development, starting with the fundamentals.
1. What is Web Application Development?
Web application development is the process of creating software that is hosted on remote servers and transmitted to a user’s device via the Internet. A web application (web app) does not require downloading and is accessed via the internet. A web application can be accessed via a web browser such as Google Chrome, Safari, or Mozilla Firefox. JavaScript, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), and HTML5 can be used to create the bulk of web apps.
2. Benefits of Web App Development
Following are the benefits of web application development:
- When you create a web application, you don’t need to create native mobile apps to reach mobile consumers because web apps may reach them directly through web browsers.
- Creating a web application for your business can help you get a competitive edge in your sector by increasing brand awareness, increasing business traction, and showcasing your company’s philosophy.
- Web applications, unlike native mobile apps, do not need to be downloaded and installed from app stores; instead, they may be accessed directly via an instant URL on any device having a web browser. This saves a significant amount of time and money.
3. Type of Web Applications
Below are the different types of web applications you can build for your business.
3.1 Dynamic Web Application
As the name implies, dynamic web apps are both flexible and interactive allowing users to input data such as posting a remark, filling out a contact form, creating a user profile, searching for specific information and so on. They are more complicated in structure than static web apps. However, because you don’t need any form of server access to create a dynamic web application, integrating features is simple.
This type of online application is typically built with programming languages like ASP.NET or PHP and uses a content management system to change the content exposed to end-users. Facebook and Spotify, for example, are two of the most well-known dynamic web apps available today. If you want to create a web app like Facebook or Spotify, dynamic web app development is the way to go.
3.2 Static Web Application
Static web apps are the most basic sort of web application because they do not interact with users explicitly and are difficult to update or modify. They’re made with HTML, CSS, and JQuery, and they serve up the same information to all visitors as a collection of static web pages.
Basic animated components, videos, GIFs, and interactive banners can all be added to make it look more appealing. If all you want to do is provide information about your company and not take any user interaction, you should consider creating a static web application. The most well-known static web app examples are Siteleaf and Netlify.
3.3 Content Management System (CMS)
A Content Management System (CMS) allows you to produce, change, and manage content on your website. WordPress, for example, is a popular CMS that comes with all of the tool’s website administrators need to edit their websites. Drupal is another well-known CMS web platform. Drupal is now used by 2% of all websites that exist on the internet.
In basic terms, a CMS online application aids in the management of a company’s assets and is simple to create, even for non-technical people. There are many web application development platforms with pre-built tools on the market that you can use to create your own CMS web application.
3.4 Single Page Application
Front-end (client-side) and back-end code are required for single-page web apps (server-side). Instead of loading the complete site from the server end, such apps communicate with the user by simultaneously re-writing the current page. As a result, single-page apps operate in real-time rather than requiring a page reload.
3.5 Multi-Page Applications
Multi-Page Applications, unlike SPAs, require a reload to view changes on a page. In addition, MPAs, like SPAs, have a complex architecture. When a user requests data, for example, the page is requested to be refreshed in the browser with the updated data.
To put it differently, MPAs have several static pages with connections to their internal sites. The main benefit of creating an MPA is that it can be optimized for search engines. As MPAs have a hierarchy of pages and a multitude of internal links, search engines can index them more easily.
3.6 Server-side Web Application
Server-side web apps are more data-oriented and are concerned with processing data based on end-user input. Depending on the competence of the app developers, server-side web app development employs a variety of top-tier programming languages such as C#, Ruby, Python, PHP, and others.
In server-side web applications, every modification (from form submission to data updates) causes the server to generate an HTML file and the web page to reload. Changes are made on the server, and the client (web browsers) reloads the updated web page.
3.7 Progressive Web Application
Progressive Web Applications (PWAs) are the most recent and popular innovation in the web application space. A Progressive Web Application is more than a simple web application. It combines the best features of a regular website and a native mobile app to provide the best user experience of any type of web application.
In addition, unlike other types of web applications, PWAs allow users to save PWAs to their smartphone’s home screen, where they can be accessed with a single click. PWAs are not native mobile applications, but rather an extension of a web application that users can install. PWAs provide offline capability and push notifications, which help to retain clients by allowing them to use your app even when there is no internet connection.
4. Full Tech-Stack Needed for Web App Development
Some top-notch in-built technologies to power your business application are listed below. These front-end and back-end technologies will assist you in developing complex, high-performing web applications:
4.1 Front-End Web App Development
Front-end web app development, as the names indicate, is concerned with enabling the components/processes that users would engage with directly. Processing takes place on the client’s end. Javascript is the best choice for this task. Here are some front-end development frameworks that use JS:
4.1.1 AngularJS
AngularJS is a Google project that leverages HTML to create static pages for dynamic web applications.
4.1.2 ReactJS
JS framework for creating comprehensive and highly dynamic web apps that is subtle but powerful. The front-end framework is used for large enterprise-level applications with a complex structure and various objectives.
4.1.3 VueJS
The most recent JS framework with a wide range of applications. The framework has a wide ecosystem of core and supporting libraries that are designed to help developers create large, complicated single-page commercial applications.
4.1.4 MySQL
MySQL is a far-flung, subtle, and influential database for web development. This is the ideal solution for large-scale and complicated apps, truly justifying the aims of web app development.
4.1.5 PostgreSQL
An open-source object-relational database for web application development. It comes with a free database management system that is built on UNIX-like platforms.
4.1.6 Oracle
The best database for building extremely scalable commercial web applications.
4.2 Back-End Web App Development
Python, along with Ruby, Go, Node.js, Java, and Django are at the top of the list of best technologies for back-end web application development. When it comes to doing certain tasks, each framework and language has its own set of talents. Consider the following scenario:
4.2.1 Python and Django
When it comes to constructing the backend of scalable enterprise-level web applications, Python is the ideal programming language. Python, as an alternative to PHP, is a lighter, more versatile, and advanced language with a comparatively short learning curve. The finest tech stack for constructing backend web apps in Python and Django.
4.2.2 Node.js
The finest tech stack for building real-time and progressive browser-oriented applications is the JS-based fast and non-blocking runtime environment. Node.js allows you to run software on many hosts.
4.2.3 Java
Java is a global programming language that can be used to create apps for the web, Android, and iOS. Security and stability are well-known features of the technology.
4.2.4 Ruby
Ruby is an open-source programming language for dynamic web applications with a vibrant community, open-source dependencies, and extensive documentation. Ruby coding is straightforward and requires little learning.
5. Choose an appropriate business model based on your requirements.
After you’ve decided on a technology stack for your web application project, you’ll need to decide on a business strategy and model.
For web application development, there are three basic sorts of business models to choose from.
5.1 Material & Time
When it’s impossible to correctly estimate the size and scope of a project, Time & Material is typically employed.
It’s a dynamic business model in which you spend on an hourly basis, which means you only pay for the time it requires to complete your development task.
When your project is open-ended, ambiguous, or requires numerous adjustments throughout the project development lifecycle, this business model is applied.
5.2 RaaS (Resources as a Service)
RaaS (Resources as a Service) is a monthly business model in which you hire a resource for the entire month, such as a developer, designer, or quality analyst, to work only on your project.
You can hire resources in three distinct methods under this business model.
5.2.1 Offshore
The offshore business model entails recruiting a committed resource from a nation other than your primary business location to work on your software project.
When there is a long-term commercial partnership with a third-party IT provider, this business model is frequently selected.
You simply pay for a resource for the entire month in the Offshore model, and you can assign them tasks for your web app development.
This business model is a great choice to think about, especially if you desire complete control over the growth of your product.
5.2.2 Onshore
Onshore business models are very similar to offshore company models. The main difference is that the hired dedicated resources travel to your business location and work in your office instead of working remotely from their home nation. Onshore outsourcing isn’t as cost-effective as offshore outsourcing, but it does have some benefits that offshore outsourcing lacks.
To begin with, hiring a dedicated resource who works at your business location avoids the time zone synchronization issue entirely. Moreover, in times of emergency, you can always have a face-to-face engagement, which could be important for some businesses.
In a word, if time zones are a concern for you and you don’t mind paying a little more for frequent face-to-face meetings, onshore outsourcing for your project is a great option.
5.2.3 ODC (Offshore Development Center)
The offshore development centre, often known as an ODC, is a viable business strategy, especially if you want to dramatically reduce your web app development costs.
This business model is most commonly used by startups and product firms who are developing a new service or technology but want to make sure that the costs don’t eat into their budget too quickly.
You simply hire the whole team involved for a web application development project using the ODC business model, from designers and developers to testers and project managers.
In reality, numerous startup companies throughout the world have used this business model in their early days and then migrated the ODC to their permanent site.
5.3 Fix Price Model
When project specifications are essentially correct and there is no possibility for adjustments throughout the project development lifetime, the fixed price business model is typically adopted. Simply put, if your web application requirements are pretty obvious, in the sense that you know exactly what features and functions you want to build, this business model may be the best fit for you.
In this business model, both parties sign a contract outlining all of the work that the third-party IT company will perform in exchange for a certain amount.
6. Web Development Process
Now the final step of the approach is to ensure your development team follows the proper web application development process.
Here we have outlined the complete step-by-step web app development process.
6.1 Define the problem that your web app will address
Every web app development project begins with describing the problem that your target users will be able to solve with it. A well-defined problem presents a comprehensive path forward and assists in the development of the best solution.
So take considerable time doing research, doing polls, and so on to figure out what the users’ top roadblocks are. This will assist you in determining what form of web application you can create to address users’ primary issues.
6.2 Build wireframes
The next stage is to build wireframes for the full web application after identifying and defining the problem. Wireframes aid in the planning of all aspects of your online application, including platforms, resources, and tools. Wireframes are also quite useful for deciding on a development strategy.
The agile development strategy, for example, is the most common these days since it incorporates an iterative and incremental process.
To put it another way, the agile development method allows you to create multiple iterations based on continuous feedback, which are then integrated and deployed.
6.3 Decide on the structure
Any desktop, mobile, or web application’s architecture is its foundation. It allows the solution to respond to user queries quickly.
After thoroughly understanding the project requirements and end goals, this process is often undertaken by software architects and project managers.
The four tiers of a conventional web application architecture are as follows:
- Layer of Presentation
- Layer of Business
- Data Access Layer (DAL)
- The layer of Data Services
Each layer is self-contained, allowing for maximum performance and scalability.
6.4 Create a minimum viable product
Minimum Viable Product (MVP) is a concept that allows organizations to construct an early version of a product with only the most important and primary elements to test a web app idea in the real world.
To put it another way, MVPs allow businesses to give just enough features to entice early adopters while collecting feedback to decide whether or not a full-fledged version of an app is a good investment.
After deciding on the architecture, it is strongly advised that you construct an MVP first, rather than the entire web application, to better understand end-user expectations and determine what has to be fulfilled.
6.5 Test your MVP and gather feedback
Once you’ve finished developing the initial version of your MVP for your web application project, you’ll need to put it out there in the market and attract early adopters by offering incentives (if necessary) to receive valuable feedback and gain valuable insights.
This stage will help you decide whether you should continue with the project and add additional features, or abandon it and move on.
6.6 Iterate based on user feedback
If your web app has received favourable feedback as well as helpful suggestions, you should iterate your app based on user feedback and construct the next edition of your web application project. You may be required to change some existing features, the user interface, or add new features and functionalities that are judged necessary based on user feedback at this stage.
After you’ve produced the next version of your web app based on the input, you’ll need to properly test it before releasing it to the market with the appropriate statement.
7. How much will it cost to develop a web application?
The cost of web application development is unquestionably an important factor to consider. However, determining the exact cost of web app development is a time-consuming operation.
To put it another way, the cost of developing a web application is determined by a variety of factors. However, it is mostly determined by the following two factors:
7.1 The Project’s Complexity
The project’s complexity is defined by the individual project requirements. For example, if your web app only includes a few basic functionalities like login and navigation, the cost of developing a web application can be rather minimal.
If, on the other hand, your web app requires the development of various advanced features such as AI integration, 3D animations, or something similar, the cost to design a web application will almost certainly increase because you’ll need to recruit senior-level experts.
7.2 Costs of Developers
The cost of the developers you choose has a significant impact on the total cost of your web app project. The expenses of developers vary greatly depending on their level of knowledge, experience, and skillsets.
Developers are divided into three categories:
- Junior Developers: Junior developers typically have up to three years of expertise in a specific technology and earn between $35K and $50K.
- Mid-level Developers: In comparison to junior developers, mid-level developers have 3 to 5 years of experience and are also more skilled. A mid-level developer’s annual compensation ranges from $60K to $85K.
- Senior Developers: Senior developers have a minimum of seven years of experience and are experts in the most advanced skill sets. A senior developer’s annual compensation in the United States is between $87K and $100K.
8. Conclusion
Web application development has become increasingly important for enterprises, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Due to the long list of advantages that web apps provide, they are very popular among enterprises. Most corporations have turned to web app development as a significant resource, and it continues to benefit businesses by allowing them to access a larger audience. Web apps are becoming the focus of attention due to their ease of use, cloud/server storage, and ability to operate on a variety of platforms.
TechDel is ready to assist you with your bespoke web app development and marketing needs, ensuring that your investments are properly protected. We have a team of talented developers and designers who specialize in producing exceptional apps and web applications that help your business thrive. For more details, please visit TechDel Web Development Services and Contact Us.
