If you're a business trying to decide which side to bet on, step into the digital arena and see which one best suits your needs. That is why we've prepared this blog so you can understand the nuances of a website vs. a web app.
Understanding the Basics:
Before delving into the differences between the two, let's start with the basics and clearly understand what websites and web apps are.
What is a website?
"A collection of publicly accessible, interlinked Web pages that share a single domain name." Some of the most well-known examples of websites include Google and Amazon.
Advantages of a Website:
Below is a list of some benefits that come with having your website.
Cost-Effective: A website is relatively affordable, given that it is a long-term investment and will pay you off in the long run. Furthermore, the benefits far outweigh the price you pay for it.
Online Presence: Your website is your first point of contact with your audience. It can be a brand's most significant asset or its greatest liability. So make it count because it's one of the simplest ways to target your audience and convert them into leads. It also helps to establish your brand's digital presence while increasing its credibility.
Consumer Insights: Integrating various marketing and analytical tools into your website will allow you to gain insights into your website traffic, target audience, and customers. This will enable you to make minor adjustments to your strategy as needed, ensuring you stay on track.
Disadvantages of a website:
Everything has pros and cons. Here are the disadvantages of having a website.
False Information: Some websites even provide their users with inappropriate content, such as violent or pornographic material, which can be harmful to children.
Online Presence: Your website is your first point of contact with your audience. It can be a brand's most significant asset or its greatest liability. So make it count because it's one of the simplest ways to target your audience and convert them into leads. It also helps to establish your brand's digital presence while increasing its credibility.
Not as secure: Protecting your website from hacking attempts, malware attacks, or data breaches is difficult. You are especially vulnerable if your website contains sensitive information. It can be costly to keep your website up to date with the most recent security features.
Competition: There are approximately 2 billion websites on the Internet. Although most may be irrelevant to your web development Saudi arab company or industry, it is still difficult to stand out.
Examples of websites:
- YouTube
- and Amazon
What is a Web App?
A web application, also known as a web app, is simply an application program stored on a server and accessed through a web browser.
Web apps are not to be confused with mobile applications, which use a specific SDK. They are created using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript programming languages and are compatible with any platform that can run a browser.
Advantages of Web Apps:
Easy maintenance: These applications are easier to build and maintain because they use standard technologies and languages.
Platform-agnostic: Web applications are not platform-specific and can run on almost any device with a web browser.
No app marketplace: These apps are not available on Google Play or App Store, and they are not required to follow their SOPs or obtain their approval before launch.
Low cost: Since these web applications are not platform-specific, they usually do not need to be written in a specific programming language. Instead, they use languages common across multiple platforms, such as HTML and Javascript, resulting in lower development costs than fully-fledged mobile applications.
Disadvantages of web apps:
Poor discoverability: Promoting and marketing these apps is much more challenging than mobile applications because they are unavailable in the marketplace, resulting in low visibility and difficulty gaining traction.
Need Internet: Since these apps can only be accessed through web browsers, users must have an internet connection, which can be inconvenient.
Less functionality: A web app KSA cannot compete with a mobile application in terms of functionality because it cannot take advantage of the full power and capabilities of the device on which it is used.
Website Vs Web Apps:
| Purpose | Websites | Web Apps |
|---|---|---|
| Integrations | Limited integrations | Highly integrative with other systems |
| User engagement | Limited engagement and basic interaction | Offers highly engaged experiences with personalisation |
| Notifications | Notifications are routed through the browser. | Messages are sent directly through push notification. |
| Programming Languages | JavaScript, HTML, and CSS | HTML, PHP, and Ruby |
| Compilation | Doesn’t mandate pre-compilation. | Pre-compiling is mandatory prior to deployment. |
| Maintenance & Support | Easy to maintain and manage. | Difficult to manage and maintain. |
| Development Time | Take a few days only. | May take months. |
Examples of Web Apps:
- Netflix
- Amazon
- Google Docs
- and Microsoft Office
Which One is Better for Startups in Saudi Arabia?
Now that you know the difference, you're considering which platform to invest in. There is no single best option, and your specific business goals and needs heavily influence the decision between the two. Here are some factors to consider when making your decision
Choose a website if:
Content updates are frequent. A website is your best option if you work in a business or organization that requires frequent content updates, such as a blog or news site. It provides SEO benefits and allows you to manage content without web development Saudi arab companies' assistance.
You only need an online presence - if your primary goal is to go online and provide a digital business card showcasing your products and services, a website is the best option.
Compatibility is a must - if you want to reach the widest possible audience regardless of device or browser, websites are far superior to web apps.
Choose a web app if:
User engagement is a priority. Web apps can make users' experiences more engaging by providing personalization. You can collect and analyze user data to give each customer a personalized journey.
Need interactivity - If your business requires customers to interact with it to complete a task, web apps are the ideal solution. For example, if you are a retailer and want to open an online store where customers can make online purchases, you will need the web app KSA.
