What is Web Application Development? - Updated 2024 Guide

Revolutionizing user experience and transforming businesses, web application development has become the cornerstone of modern digital success. By embracing the power of web apps, businesses can enhance interactivity and reduce operational costs, securing a competitive edge in the market. 

With the majority of websites today being web apps, they are preferred by businesses to extract valuable information for effective marketing campaigns and generate revenue and profits. 

If you still have doubts about web apps, this blog is itself an ultimate guide to understanding the intricacies of custom web application development or full-stack web application development. 

So, by the end of this blog, you will become proficient in.🏆

👉What a web app is?

👉Best tools and platforms for web application development

👉 The process of Web Application Development 

Let us empower you with the knowledge of web app development. First, the basics!

What is a Web Application?

The web application in simple terms is an interactive computer program that uses the web browser to perform any function. It operates on a web server and its purpose is to collect valuable data from user interaction and provide it to the development team.

Some great examples of web apps are Gmail, Microsoft Office, Facebook, Trello, MailChimp, and Basecamp, etc offering an immersive & tailored experience.

Considering building one; first, read the reasons why you need one👇

Why Should You Consider Building a Web App?

If you are confused about whether you need a web app or not. Then there are the reasons which might convince you.

• Your users can access web apps from any device-a tablet, smartphone, or even better a laptop. Speaking of laptops, there's a wealth of information and insights about them and other tech products at Not Just Laptops.

• Web apps increase your visibility by appearing more easily in Google (and other) search results.

• For you, web apps can be highly cost-effective, and easier to maintain and update than desktop applications. 

• They are hosted on the cloud and require fewer hardware resources to run.

• Users can have a personalized experience on any operating system whether it is Android, iOS, or PC, etc. 

• Users do not have to download apps & burden their hard drives. 

• Web apps provide you with real-time user data presenting an overview of your business.

Believe it or not, 38% of the users will move away from the websites just because they are not engaging; generating strong demand for web development.

So, here is the web application development process flow to show how you can build a web app.

Web Application Development Process

In the web app development process, due deliberation and planning are required. So for you, below is the 4-step flow which has helped InvoZone complete 300+ projects over the course of 8+ years.

1. Conceptualization & Planning

2. Design

3. Development

4. Test & Implement

5. Maintenance & Hosting

 

1. Conceptualization & Planning

The first step in the process is to define the problem. In this stage, clarify your purpose and the end goals. During this phase, we mostly ask our clients.

• Who is the audience of the product?

• What features and functions should it have?

• What type of app do they want?

2. Design & Prototype

This stage is all about including interactive elements and improving the design of the web application. Following things are done in this stage

• Designers play with color schemes, icons, and templates.

• Keeping in view user experience tabs, buttons, and transitions are finalized.

• Here the design is shared with the client to review.

PS: The design iterations go on until the client is satisfied with everything.

3. Development

Here MVP is created, and the developers do the coding to create functionalities. The wireframe is then offered to the users for feedback & iterations are made.

The next step is the post design, where to build the application's following steps are taken.

• For database creation, developers decide what data & data types are required for an app to perform well.

• The developers create the front end based on the needs highlighted in the wireframe process.

• They create interaction between the server and the user.

• Developers code from scratch or use front-end or back-end frameworks to develop web apps.

• Programming is done based on the application type which is client-side/client-server/server-side.

4. Test & Implement

It is an inevitable & ongoing process throughout the software development life cycle. The testing can be automated or manual.

• The testing team checks the app for bugs & glitches.

• They look for any possible improvements and upgrades to make in the future.

• The app’s usability, compatibility, functionality, security & performance is checked.

In in-house testing and development, the company has to train and create communication channels to use the app productively.  

However, when you outsource to a company like InvoZone, they do all the mandatory software usability testing to ensure that your app functions smoothly. Interested?

5. Maintenance & Hosting 

At InvoZone we configure domain settings if required by the client or we also guide the client in domain purchasing. Be it a simple web app or a complex one, routine checkups are mandatory. The maintenance of the web app may include

• Ongoing QA testing & Bug fixing

• Adding features as per users' feedback

• Improvements & regular updates.

Our Successful Projects!

By following this flow we have created dynamic web apps.

 

Web application development Frameworks

Here are some of the top-notch web app development frameworks for you.

1. Back-end 

• Laravel

• Ruby on Rails

• Django

2. Front-end

• Svelte

• React

• Vue.js

However, there are some web application frameworks such as ASP.net, which can handle both front and back-end duties.

6 Top Web Application Development Tools

Below are the six leading tools in the web app development world.

 

 

1. GitHub

It is an open-source platform whose cloud-based Git repository hosting service provides a web-based graphical interface.

Features

• Contains everything required to create a repository-bug tracking tool & a text editor.

• It can automate tasks such as CI/CD, testing, onboarding, and project management.

• It allows setting different levels of access & permissions for different contributors.

• Has a code-scanning tool that recognizes security flaws & contains security audit logs to track the actions of team members.

• It has vast integration options and is SOC1 and SOC2 compliant. 

2. Chrome Developers Tool

The Chrome Developer Tools is a set of debugging & web editing tools built into the Google Chrome browser.

Features

• Developers can easily view & update web page styles, and kill bugs in JavaScript codes in addition to optimizing the website speed.

• It provides helpful shortcuts and commands for navigating its UI & running certain tasks like disabling JavaScript.

• It has a profiling tool- Chrome Task Manager which views memory usage of pages. Oftenly used to identify memory leaks and bloats. 

• Allows users to build live expressions & pin them at the top of the console to monitor their values in real time.

• It saves any changes to any web page on the local computer and automatically overrides its data. 

• Helps in testing the website design responsiveness and modifies the device performance and network speed. 

• This tool has built-in security features allowing users to verify the authenticity of the website by viewing the SSL certificate and TLS status.

3. Sublime Text 

It's a lightweight all-in-one text editor for code and markup etc and offers advanced features like any other great text editor.

Features

• It allows users to swiftly switch between files and functions plus displays the density & shape of codes to users.

• Its text-smart syntax-based features are easily accessible with Typescript, JSX, and TSX.

• Using the Python API helps users install external plugins to extend the functionality of Sublime text.

• It enables the users to find, change, rename, and manipulate multiple code lines.

• Sublime’s single software license runs on any computer and operating system.

4. Kubernetes

It is an open-source system used in the deployment automation and management of containerized applications. 

Features

• It arranges the application containers into logical units for easy discovery & management.

• It can run on various infrastructures, including on-premises data centers or public, private, and hybrid clouds.

• Kubernetes secret secures sensitive data such as passwords & authentication tokens, etc.

• Kubernetes provides the automatic scaling of each container based on resources available & custom metrics.

• Regularly performs health checks on the app to prevent potential issues & enables load balancing when the traffic surges.

• It optimizes the application performance by monitoring and replacing unhealthy containers.

5. Flutter

The Flutter is excellent for creating custom app designs or cross-platform applications and includes built-in tools.

Features

• It lets the developers make code changes and also view them in real time; this enables faster development.

• It streamlines the testing & review processes.

• Thanks to its declarative nature & layout system the app can adjust to various screen sizes. 

• It has an app builder and UI widgets to help offer a better in-app user experience.

• Flutter offers various custom widgets for developing fully functional applications.

6. Visual Studio Code

Visual Studio Code is an open-source code editor that runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Features

•  It has built-in features such as syntax highlight, auto-complete, and Git commands to make coding efficient and easier.

• Supports the top programming languages like C++, JavaScript, and Python.

• Its huge extension library provides themes and plugins available within the marketplace.

• Being customizable, it debugs the code with breakpoints, call stacks, and an interactive console.

• The split view allows the users to work on two projects at the same time.

• The users can utilize different options such as commit, pull and push.

7. Ruby on Rails

RoR is the popular full-stack framework used in developing reliable web apps quickly.

Features

• Allows users to test code without installing third-party tools or external plugins and has built-in libraries.

• The RubyGems inside, allow users to download gems & extend the functionality of the web app.

• Its integration with front-end frameworks like Angular, React, and Vue.js. is phenomenally seamless.

• RoR has default features against security attacks 

• Its active community strives for continuous improvement to make the development process easy.

PS: It is one of the most popular web technologies for startups and eCommerce businesses for web development.

• Mainly, because this framework can be used for server-side development-management of servers’ databases & files. 

• On the client side, it can be utilized to update web pages in real-time and render HTML.

Top 5 reasons you want Ruby on Rails. Click here to know

The Best Platform for Web Application Development

Some of the best platforms for web app development are given below.

1. Bubble

With the help of Bubble a fully-functional, data-driven web app can be launched. It is fueled by a powerful point-and-click editor that allows users to build workflows ranging from simple prototypes to complex solutions.

2. Webflow

It helps in building custom databases for dynamic content types including online stores. All in all, it helps the developers in constructing a website without coding. Furthermore, it helps in the creation of immersive interactions and animations.

3. AWS Amplify

AWS Amplify is an end-to-end solution that allows mobile and front-end web developers to develop and deploy scalable full-stack apps. Amplify also helps to configure the apps’ backend in minutes.

Web Application development cost

How much does a web app cost? Well there is no precise answer to this but we can break down the price range for you

• For simple web applications the $5 – 15K. Good examples of this are a calculator, a blog or a weather app, etc

• The apps with medium complexity can cost up to $15 – 50K. The best examples are e-commerce websites, booking, and job search platforms, etc

• The highly complex apps come with price tags ranging from $50 – 200K-the ERP systems, SaaS, and online marketplaces are examples.

Although there is variation in the price range depending upon the company you hire and the feature you want.

InvoZone: Your Ultimate Web Application Development Partner!

At InvoZone our expertise shine through as we leverage cutting-edge tools like RoR, Kubernetes, GitHub, Elixir, ReactJS, Laravel, and Node.js to craft exceptional web apps. Our web application development services are focused on quality plus we provide full-cycle quality assurance to ensure your project's success. From concept to deployment, we've got you covered. 

 

Trust in our proven track record and take your business to new heights. Reach out to us today, and let's create something extraordinary together.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is web application development?

Web app development is the process of creating and building software applications that can be accessed via web browsers. It involves designing, coding, testing, and deploying web-based applications that can perform various functions and provide interactive user experiences. 

What is an example of a web application?

An example of a web application is Facebook. Here the users can create profiles, connect with friends, share photos, and videos, and engage in different online activities. The platform is accessible via a web browser, enabling users to interact with the application's features. Other examples are Amazon, Google Docs, Gmail, etc

What language is used for web applications?

The Popular languages for web app development are

• JavaScript

• HTML/CSS

• Python

• PHP

• Ruby, and Java. 

JavaScript is necessary for front-end interactivity, while back-end development can be done with languages like Python, PHP, Ruby, or Java, depending on the requirements and preferences.

How to create web applications?

Follow these 5 steps to create web applications, follow these steps:

1. Plan the apps’ features & functionality.

2. Design the user interface using HTML/CSS.

3. Develop the application's logic and functionality.

4. Test and debug the application.

5. Deploy the app on a web server to make it accessible.

What is the difference between a website and a web application?

 

The website is a collection of interconnected web pages accessible through a browser, offering information or content. A web application, in contrast, is a dynamic website that allows users to perform specific tasks or interact with the application's functionality.