Web Application Development Company

It’s fair to say that the invention of the app has irrevocably changed our lives. From shopping and banking to work and exercise, it’s hard to think of a single aspect of our lives where apps don’t play a significant role. However, although we’re all very familiar with mobile apps and how they work, many people wouldn’t be able to explain what a web application is despite having used them many times without realising. If you’ve ever filled out a contact form on a website or sent an email through Gmail, then guess what, you’ve used a web application. As a web application development company, we see this confusion around what exactly a web app is from clients all the time.

A web app is an application that uses a web browser as the user interface. It doesn’t have to be downloaded from an app store as it relies solely on internet access and it can be launched on any device, be it a desktop, mobile device, tablet, an iPhone or Android phone. They offer similar interactive functionality to that of a mobile app and they’re responsive, so they adjust automatically to look good on any device. 

Essentially,  a web application is a kind of computer program that uses online technology to perform a range of functions and tasks. Whereas a mobile app is built specifically to incorporate all functions of say a food delivery service, from searching restaurant menus to purchasing and tracking an order. It’s best to think of web applications as an extension of existing websites. As a web application development company, 6B builds web apps to fulfil a variety of functions for clients in numerous different sectors, helping consumers and employees complete tasks more efficiently. From an external perspective, the web apps we build can help customers with purchasing or enquiring about products; from an internal perspective, the web apps we build facilitate remote working among employees, enabling them to share and edit documents and communicate with each other more effectively. 

So how are web applications actually built? 6B, as a web application development company, uses a combination of two different types of coding languages. Web apps retrieve and store information by using server-side scripts in languages such as PHP and ASP, while client-side scripts languages such as JavaScript and HTML5 relay relevant information on the user interface. A web app can be coded by a single developer or a team of developers led by a software engineer, and they function by receiving input from a user. 

Here’s how a web application works in simple terms:

1. A user creates a request to the web server through an internet browser via the app’s user interface.
2. The web server sends this request to the web app server.
3. The web app server executes the task and then generates the results of the required data.
4. Then the web app server sends those results back to the web server.
5. The web server carries the requested information to a desktop, mobile or tablet device.
6. The requested information appears on the user’s display.

Web apps can consist of single or multiple pages, and they may include functionality and design elements such as animation, access via a portal, a content management system, and ecommerce. Here are a few common examples of web applications that you may be familiar with: 

Google Workspace

Where Microsoft Office once led the way in office digital support, Google Workspace has now taken over with the introduction of Google Documents, Google Slides and Google Sheets. These collections of web apps have transformed how many businesses worldwide work in a remote setting; they allow employees to work collaboratively, they save work automatically, and they can be accessed whilst offline and sync as soon as connection is established again. They can be accessed from any device and on any operating system, and they are available to download as a mobile app. 

Slack 

Another tool that businesses have become more familiar with since a shift to remote working that is also a web app is Slack. This web app allows workplaces to communicate with different teams and departments in real-time and it works so much harder than a conventional messaging app. Equipped with features that enable the sharing of files, audio and visual calls, as well as one-to-one and group messaging, Slack encompasses everything that a modern business needs to thrive in a remote setting. 

Canva 

The goal of Canva was to make graphic design accessible through a website and web apps. Built with an array of user and beginner-friendly features, this application enables visual creators to design everything from presentations to animations. While it can’t compete with the complexity that Adobe Creative Suite offers, Canva is comfortable with its place in the market which is designed to appeal to entry level or occasional visual creators.

In today’s digitally dominated economy, having an online presence is non-negotiable. So one of the first considerations you’ll need to make as a business is whether you want to create a mobile application or a web application. At first glance, mobile apps and web apps look very similar, even indistinguishable from each other, but how they function, how they’re built, the cost, features and audience reach vary greatly. As a web application development company, we know the importance of understanding the difference between the two before you can truly realise the benefits of either a mobile app or web app. 

Mobile apps are designed to be used on smartphones, tablets, and other smaller touchscreen devices. Typically, you install a mobile app through a store like Google Play for Android or Apple for iOS, and the app will be specifically designed to operate on a particular operating system. In contract, web apps run in a web browser and shrink down to the size of the screen you’re viewing them on; they vary in complexity but they are compatible across all devices and operating systems, meaning they are more accessible to a wider audience of people. 

So what benefits does a web app offer that a mobile app can’t? Let’s take a look.

Functionality

As a web application development company, we know the main difference in functionality is that mobile apps are often built to focus on a single purpose and functionality is limited when compared to a web app. Take Adobe Photoshop for example, they offer a mobile app and web app for users. However, the mobile app has a lot more limitations in terms of functionality when it comes to drawing and painting, while the web app version allows users to use the full capabilities of the normal program. The same is true when we look at other examples of web apps such as Microsoft 365 and Gmail. 

Another key difference between the two is that web apps are self-sustaining. If you have an internet connection you can access a web app. Mobile apps require users to download and install the app onto their device, and only then can it be accessed much like a desktop app. 

Accessibility and compatibility

Once a web app has been built by a web application development company like 6B, it becomes instantly accessible to users via an internet browser regardless of what mobile device they are using. In comparison, a mobile app requires the user to first download and then install the app from a specific store before any content can be viewed, which represents a huge barrier when trying to convert initial interest into action. 

This issue also feeds into how compatible web apps are when you compare them to mobile apps. Because mobile devices are developed to be compatible with a specific operating device, separate versions of apps are needed for iOS and Android users. Whereas web apps can be accessed using URLs, meaning any phone’s internet browser will ensure content can be reached and URLs can be easily integrated into other mobile technologies such as SMS and QR codes. 

Time and cost 

One of the principal considerations we see as a web application development company when clients are deciding between a web app or mobile app is price. Web apps are not only far less time consuming to develop and build, but they are also far more cost effective. If your business is working towards a tight deadline, then a web app is the way to go – it is in effect an extension of an existing website, so much of the groundwork has already been done.

To maximise your share in the market as a business, you will want to target both Android and iOS users; to focus on one and ignore the other simply wouldn’t be a logical business decision. In order to target both users with a mobile app, you will have to employ two specialist software developers to work on either version, which means double the time and double the initial outlay. The beauty of a web app is that once it’s built it can be accessed by any user.  

Maintenance 

Once an application has been released to users, this doesn’t mean that the given product has reached the end of its lifecycle. Bugs will have to be repaired, improvements based on feedback will have to be implemented, and the app will naturally go through iterations as time goes by to keep users engaged. 

The investment considerations of mobile app versus web app don’t end with the initial launch. In order to properly support and maintain a mobile app – upgrades, compatibility issues, ongoing development, etc – it requires an ongoing financial commitment when compared to supporting a web app over time. If you want to change the design or content of a web app you can publish the edit once and the changes become visible. Updating a mobile app requires the updates to be pushed to users, which then must be downloaded in order to update the app on each type of device. 

Here at 6B, we’re a specialist web application development company. We partner with a range of clients across a whole spectrum of industries to deliver an innovative and cutting edge web application development process that will help enhance performance, achieve a business’ unique objectives, and deliver a substantial return on investment. Whether you’re looking for a new system to interface with accounts or want to expand on an existing web application, 6B has the technical expertise and experience to help make your vision a roaring success. 

At the heart of our success as a web application development company is a commitment to rigorous testing throughout the development stage. A combination of comprehensive user testing and rapid prototyping ensures any potential bugs or issues are identified and swiftly rectified before your business’ web app is released. The more informative, simple, accessible, user friendly, secure and faster your web application is, the better the perception and image of your company that is built in the minds of your users, increasing the chances of loyalty and brand advocacy. 

Here are the different phases that make up our testing process as a web application development company at 6B.

Functionality 

During the functional testing phase, we check to see if the web app is running as it should be. We run a series of tests and cross reference the results with product documentation and specifications. Functionality testing covers a whole range of tests, but the main functions we will assess will be checking links, forms cookies, databases, and validating your HTML/CSS.

The initial testing will be performed manually, and at a later stage, automated testing is deployed which will run for regression testing. 

Usability 

Having a functional and nicely designed web app is all well and good, but if users aren’t able to navigate content easily then they will turn to a competitor who can offer a better user experience. As a web application development company, usability testing is at the heart of our testing process. Essentially, we’re testing to see how user friendly the final product is and we’ll use user personas to get an accurate idea of how it will be received by your target audience. 

We’ll conduct our testing on your web app and use this as a benchmark to compare results to your closest market competitors, cross referencing content and design to ensure you maintain a competitive edge over them.

Compatibility testing

Compatibility testing is a process of ensuring that the web app is displayed correctly across different browsers, operating systems and devices. This can be classified in three ways. 

• Browser compatibility: making sure functionality works across different internet browsers.
• Operating compatibility: making sure the application operates smoothly in different operating systems such as Windows, macOS, Linux and UNIX.
• Mobile compatibility: ensuring that the application runs well on different mobile devices with different operating systems, such as iOS and Android, and their varied versions.

Interface testing 

Interface testing tests the interactions between the application, the web server and the database server. This includes checking the communication processes as well as making sure that error messages are displayed correctly.

This involves application testing to ensure requests are sent to the database and the output is displayed correctly, web server testing to guarantee the server is able to handle all application requests, and database server testing to ensure queries sent to the database produce the expected results.

Performance

In this stage of testing we test the application to determine how responsive and stable it is under certain conditions, evaluating performance under two categories: load testing and stress testing. 

Load testing shows us how stable the application is under varied conditions such as different hardware configurations, with a greater number of users and with low internet speed. Whereas stress testing will help determine at which point the application fails to function normally.

Security 

Once these phases of testing are complete, it’s time to give your web app the final seal of approval. As any decent web application development company knows, all of this hard work means nothing if your app doesn’t have the appropriate security measures in place. 

We conduct a series of tests to ensure that access cannot be gained by unauthorised users, restricted files or data cannot be accessed, and your app isn’t susceptible to attack from malicious software or harmful viruses.