Did you know that 70% of companies are either working on or already have a digital transformation strategy in place? That’s a lot! Web application development is a big part of this transformation. For small and big businesses, old systems are being replaced by new web applications that are making users more engaged by 400%. Startups are especially loving SaaS web apps right now.
Whether you have a startup or a big business, web applications are the way of the future. If you want to stay ahead of your competition, you need to know all about web apps.
In this blog, we’ve put together a guide to web application development in 2024. This will help you make smart decisions before investing in them. Let’s get started!
How is web app development transforming businesses in 2024?
Businesses really like web applications in 2024 because they can make a big difference in their success. Take for instance the popular cab company in India called “Ola.” They made a web app that was much smaller than their Android and iOS apps, and it helped them get a lot more customers in smaller cities.
Web apps are becoming more popular than regular apps because they are cheaper, safer, and more dependable. They offer a lot of benefits for businesses that they can’t ignore.
Check out this table to see how web apps are changing businesses and helping them reach their goals:
| Existing challenges | Goal | Potentail web app solution | Real-life examples |
| Limited online visibility | Establishing digital presence | A web portal that lets a business connect with customers | GCBF, a UK based loan provider needed a web application that makes it easier to apply for loans and lets GCBF track, approve, and disburse business loans to the eligible businesses. They built a web app that automated and simplified the entire process for both GCBF and their customers. |
| Limited revenue and stagnant growth | Unlocking new revenue streams | To build a subscription-based SaaS web app that turns in monthly recurring revenue | Monzo, a UK-based digital bank, decided to build a web app that allows users to manage their finances seamlessly and offers subscription-based premium features to generate additional revenue streams. |
| Limited reach | Expand an established business | Move from an on-premise infrastructure to cloud-based web app | Vertual Ltd, a medical training company was facing hurdles in delivering training because their users needed to install their software on desktops with high-end hardware specifications. They created a SaaS-based web application “VERT on Demand” that let users access the training app remotely and virtually, hence fixing the installation problem. |
| Inefficient legacy systems that risk errors, non-compliance, and data loss. | Upgrade an underperforming software | A web application with sophisticated features and automation | London Women’s Clinic was struggling with the efficient provision of treatments for their patients because they were relying on a legacy MS Access based system to manage their operations. So they built an interactive web app “iMatch” that lets them manage, view, and update information about orders, treatments and their outcomes easily. |
| Manual tracking and error-prone processes hindering the entire organisation | Automating operations management | An enterprise management web app with workflow automation features | Unilever, a global consumer goods company, developed a web application for supply chain management to optimise inventory management, streamline logistics, and enhance collaboration with suppliers, resulting in cost savings and operational efficiency improvements. |
| Limited access to data and outdated analytics tools | Enhancing data analytics | A web-based analytics dashboard with real-time data visualisation and predictive analytics capabilities. | Barclays, a multinational investment bank, developed a web-based analytics platform that leverages and analyses large datasets, identifies trends, and generates actionable insights for strategic decision-making and business optimisation. |
| Lack of visibility into adherence to compliance and security protocols in a regulated industry | Improving regulatory compliance | A web-based compliance management platform with audit trails, automated workflows, and regulatory reporting capabilities | Alpaca is a UK-based company that aspired to make compliance easy for financial service firms. They built a web app solution that streamlines their compliance processes and adapts to evolving regulatory requirements in real-time. |
There are so many awesome reasons to create a web app, it’s pretty obvious why you’d want to do it.
But how you actually build the web app is super important if you want to make sure you get all those cool benefits.
So, let’s take a quick peek at the different ways you can go about building a web app.
What are the different types of web application development approaches?
When it comes to making websites, there are different ways to do it. Some ways are more complicated than others, depending on how much code you need to use.
Each way of making a website uses different programming languages and tools. They all have their own strengths and weaknesses.
To help you decide which way is best for your website, here’s a simple table to compare the different approaches:
| Development approach | Use case | Coding frameworks |
| Custom (traditional) web development | Complex web application with extensive features (ERPs, real-time collaboration tools, SaaS platforms, etc) that require: • Highly interactive user interface with real-time updates | Frontend framework examples: Backend framework examples: Full-stack framework examples: |
| Low-code platforms | Simple business applications where businesses want to speed up development and reduce the technical barrier, for instance: • Validating business ideas with MVPs and prototypes | Low-code development tools examples: • OutSystems • Microsoft Power Apps • Bubble • Adalo • Salesforce Lightning • Zoho Creator, etc. |
| No-code platforms | Web apps and websites for individuals or small businesses lacking coding expertise, minimising dependence on technical resources: • Personal or small corporate business websites | No-code platforms examples: • Bubble and Airtable for database websites • Wix and Squarespace for small corporate websites • Shopify and BigCommerce for eCommerce apps • WordPress, Weebly, and Webflow for content management systems (CMS) |
How do low-code/no-code and custom web apps compare against each other?
When you’re trying to decide how to make a website, there are a lot of things to think about. It’s not just about how long it will take or how much it will cost. There are other important things to consider too.
Here’s a simple way to compare the different options and see which one might be best for you.
Look at the table below to see which approach is better for each aspect of making a website: using a simple tool or building it from scratch.
Let’s have a look:
| Aspect of development | Low-Code/No-Code | Custom Web App Development | Argument |
| Speed of development |  | Low-code/no-code platforms can be built using pre-made modules and templates and can be developed faster. | |
| Ease of ese | | Low-code/no-code are less complex than custom web apps and are easier for a non-technical person to develop. | |
| Maintenance | | Low-code/no-code is low maintenance because the maintenance is usually carried out by the platform used to build the app. | |
| Upfront cost | | Low-code/no-code has a low upfront cost because the code used to build the app is minimal. | |
| Cost of ownership | | Custom web apps don’t need a monthly subscription to stay active and most operations are a simple one-time fee. | |
| Performance | | Custom web application development offers optimised performance tailored to specific business requirements, ensuring efficient operation and a seamless user experience. | |
| Customisation | | Custom development provides unlimited innovation possibilities, allowing businesses to implement unique features, functionalities and user interface that drive competitive advantage. | |
| Flexibility | | Custom web application development allows for complete customisation, offering tailored solutions that meet specific business needs and adapt to evolving requirements. | |
| Scalability | | Custom web apps are built on scalable architectures, ensuring they can accommodate growing user bases and increasing demands without limitations. |
Low-code/no-code and custom web apps are like choosing between a pre-made puzzle or creating your own masterpiece from scratch. It may seem easy to pick one, but it’s actually a tough decision.
Think about what you want your web app to be in the future and then decide which approach is best for bringing your vision to life.
Choosing the right development approach
When you start making a website, it’s important to think about what you want it to be like in the future. Here are some tips to help you decide what to do:
- Validating market viability of new ideas: When you’re trying to see if your new ideas can make money, use easy-to-use platforms to quickly make models. This helps you test if people will like your idea without spending a lot of money. Then you can decide if it’s worth putting more money into based on what people say and if they want it.
- Scaling proven business models: When growing a successful business, it’s important to have custom development. This means creating special features and connecting different systems to help the business keep growing and handle more customers.
- Innovative applications with unique value propositions: If you want to come up with really cool ideas that will totally change the game, you gotta do custom development. This is what helps you make stuff that’s totally one-of-a-kind and better than anything else out there. Off-the-shelf solutions just can’t compete with the awesomeness you can create with custom development.
- Building internal business tools: When making tools like keeping track of stuff or managing employees, you can use low/no-code solutions to get the job done without needing to write a lot of complicated code. This makes it quick to set up and easy to keep running smoothly.
- Data-intensive applications: Creating custom apps is super important when you need to deal with a ton of data, keep that data safe, and use fancy technology like data analytics and machine learning to make the app work better for each user.
- Customer-facing apps with brand significance: When you want an app to really show off your brand and connect with customers, custom development is the way to go. You can make the app look and feel exactly how you want it to, giving users a unique experience that matches your brand perfectly.
- Integration-heavy apps: If you need to connect your app with other stuff like databases or services from other companies, custom development is the way to go. It gives you the power to make sure everything works together smoothly and data moves around like it should.
- Regulated industries and compliance-driven applications: In important areas like money, health, and law, it’s super important to follow the rules and keep information safe. That’s why making your own software is a must. It helps you follow the specific rules and keep everything secure.
- Long-term platform development with evolving features: If you want your platform to grow and change as time goes on, it’s a good idea to have custom development. This means the platform is built in a way that makes it easy to add new things, change existing features, or get rid of ones that aren’t needed anymore. This helps keep the platform up-to-date and able to compete with others in the market.
| Features | Low-Code/No-Code Web Apps | Custom Developed Web Apps |
| Upfront cost | Low | Higher |
| Lifetime cost | Higher | Lower |
| Solution flexibility | Generic/Templated | Innovative/Tailored |
| Control over the app | Partial | Full |
| Customization options | Minimal | Maximum |
| Development time | Quick | Longer |
| Scalability | Limited | High |
| Integration capabilities | Limited | Extensive |
| Support and maintenance | Limited | Flexible |
| Adaptability to complex needs | Limited | Versatile |
Plus, there’s one big reason why picking a custom web app development method is a no-brainer compared to using low-code or no-code options. Let’s check it out!
When and why custom web apps outshine low/no-code solutions
Low-code and no-code apps are super quick to make and don’t cost as much at the beginning. However, there’s a big problem with them called “platform dependability.”
Basically, if you decide to use a low-code or no-code method to create a web app, you’ll have to rely on other platforms like Bubble, Webflow, or Shopify.
You can never afford to lose control because third-party platforms can:
- Disable your accounts
- Ban your transactions
- Refuse to share data
- Hurt your reputation
On the other hand, using a traditional approach, you can:
- Keep 100% control of your app
- Manage your transactions
- Secure your data
- Protect your reputation
Well, good news! There’s something called the ‘Agile approach to web app development’ that can speed things up and make them better too. So, you can spend less time working on your project and more time enjoying the results. Cool, right?
Agile approach for fast and effective web app development
If you need fast and flexible solutions for your business, then Agile development is the way to go! Instead of waiting a long time to see results, Agile breaks down the project into smaller parts that are completed in short cycles called sprints. Each sprint usually lasts a couple of weeks, and at the end of each one, you’ll have a working part of the project.
This approach allows for adjustments to be made along the way, ensuring that the final product meets your needs. So, with Agile, you can see progress quickly and make changes as needed to get the best results for your business.
Get top-notch web apps developed through Progressive Robot
If you want to make a cool web app, you gotta have a super awesome team of developers.
Did you know that almost all IT leaders have a hard time finding really good developers for their teams?
But don’t worry, Progressive Robot is here to help you out! They can make web apps just for your business, so you don’t have to stress about finding developers. You can just focus on running your business and making it even better!
FAQs
Why would you develop a web application?
Creating a web app is super cool because it means lots of people can use it on their phones, tablets, or computers. This makes it easier for everyone to get involved and have fun. Plus, you don’t have to worry about updating the app yourself because it’s all done in one place. So, no more stressing about making sure everything works on different devices!