When businesses approach us with a new project, one of the first things we work out together is whether they need a website or web app, or a mix of both. The terms are often used interchangeably, but they describe quite different things, and the difference affects cost, timescale and how the project should be planned.
What is a website?
A website is mainly about presenting information. Visitors read about your business, browse your services, look at your portfolio, read articles and get in touch. The content is largely the same for everyone, and most visitors do not log in.
Websites are usually built on a content management system such as WordPress, so you can update pages, add blog posts and change images yourself. They focus on design, clear messaging, search engine visibility and turning visitors into enquiries.
What is a web app?
A web application is mainly about doing things. Users log in, enter and manage data, complete tasks and see information specific to them. Familiar examples include online banking, project management tools and booking systems.
For businesses, web apps often take the form of:
- Customer or client portals.
- CRMs and job management systems.
- Booking and payment platforms.
- Internal tools for quoting, stock control or reporting.
- Dashboards that bring together data from several systems.
Web apps run in a browser, so there is nothing to install, and they work on desktops, tablets and phones. They can also be set up so users can add them to their phone’s home screen, much like a native app.
Photo by Kaleidico on Unsplash
Website or web app: the key differences
- Users and accounts. Websites are mostly public; web apps revolve around logged-in users with different permissions.
- Data. Websites mainly display content; web apps store, process and update data, often lots of it.
- Logic. Web apps contain business rules, such as how a quote is calculated or who approves a job, that need careful planning and testing.
- Security. Both need to be secure, but web apps hold more sensitive information and need stronger controls.
- Integration. Web apps frequently connect with accounting, payment and communication systems.
- Cost and timescale. A web app is usually a bigger undertaking than a website, because there is more to design, build and test.
The grey area
Plenty of projects sit between the two. An e-commerce shop is a website with app-like features, such as accounts, baskets and order history. A website might include a booking form connected to a calendar. The useful question is not which label applies but which parts of the project are about presenting information and which are about managing data and processes.
Why many businesses need both
A common and effective set-up is a marketing website that attracts and informs visitors, alongside a web app that customers or staff log in to. The website is optimised for search and conversions and is easy for the marketing team to update; the web app is optimised for getting work done.
Our own portfolio includes both kinds of project. The OpsPilot CRM and CoachSync projects are web applications built around day-to-day operations, while our website projects focus on presentation, speed and enquiries.
Planning a web app
If your project is more app than website, start by mapping how the work flows today, who is involved and where the pain points are. Begin with a focused first version that solves the most important problem, then build on it. That keeps costs under control and means real users shape the features that follow.
We build both websites and custom web applications. If you are not sure whether your project needs a website or web app, tell us what you are trying to achieve and we will help you work it out.
