Do I Need a Website or Web Application?

For many people, a website is what pops up when you type a URL into your browser. But, not every URL you visit is actually a website. Sometimes you’re visiting a web application. This isn’t just semantics – the difference between a website and a web application is important to know for business owners.

Often times, clients come to us asking for a website and after they’ve explained what they are looking for, it’s clear what they really want is a web application. The difference between a website and a web app boils down to this:

• A website is informational
• A web application is interactive

For example, if you visit your local hardware store’s URL and you get the hours, location, and prices of the goods they sell, you’ve just visited their website. Now, if you visit the hardwood store’s URL and you can see the hours, location, prices, but you can also place an order, you’ve just visited their web application. This ability to interact is what sets website and web apps apart from one another.

Why You Should Know the Difference

It’s important for business owners to understand the difference between a website and a web application when they begin the search for a software firm. Not every software firm or developer has the same skill set, and if clients are knowledgeable about what they need now and plan for what they want in the future, it’s far more likely they’ll make the right decision in choosing a software partner the first time.

A new start up may only need a small, informational website for now, but if the company has growth in its future, it’s better to acknowledge and plan for that from the beginning.

At SOLTECH, our discovery process is thorough and we strive to understand every client’s want and need so that together we can help our clients reach their full potential with a great custom software solution that works for them now and into the future. If you’re considering a web application for your business, reach out to us. We’d love to hear your ideas.