Website vs web app
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The document discusses the distinctions between web sites and web applications (web apps), highlighting that web apps are typically task-oriented and interactive, while web sites are primarily for consumption. It asserts that web apps mimic native app features by utilizing advanced device capabilities and providing a rich user experience. The document also notes that as the mobile web evolves, more developers are creating web apps, leading toward a future where clear distinctions between web apps and web sites may become less significant.
Website vs web app
- 1. Difference between Web sites and Web apps The term βweb appβ has been around for the past years β weβve all heard it and used it more times than we care to remember. Yet there remains a debate on where βweb sitesβ end, and βweb appsβ begin Definitions of web sites vs. apps Web sites are so deeply embedded into our daily culture that it is impossible to imagine life without them. Even as a developer, I find it hard to remember the times from my childhood when my chubby little hands didnβt yet know how to type. In the last two decades, the Internet has grown, expanded, exploded and became impossible to ignore, making any keyboard without an Internet connection pretty much useless. In the last few years, the web brought with it a new term that can be exciting and confusing at the same time: βweb appβ. But what is a βweb appβ, how does it differentiate from a βweb siteβ and why does it matter? Understanding this difference ultimately makes us better users or developers? Is a business going to blossom just by marketing its online presence as a βweb appβ instead of a βweb siteβ? The difference between Web sites and Web apps In the pre app store era, the word βapplicationsβ had been applied to Web sites that provided advanced user interactions and capabilities previously available only through installable software. Early examples of web applications include Webmail, Google Maps and Google Docs. Compared to the classic web, i.e. blogs and news sites, web apps provided a richer user experience and access to advanced browser capabilities. Today single-page web sites might still be referred to as web apps, but itβs more about the task focus than the technology itself. From this perspective, as Immortal Technologies explains, βThe use case of an application is always to DO something with itβ. The task centricity of web apps is easier to understand if you think of smartphones or tablets: an appβs purpose is to achieve a specific task, like making a call, checking your email or finding a taxi nearby. Some may argue that we can simply classify Web sites as being read-only and Web apps as being read-write. That certainly seems simple enough:Web sites are for consumption what Web apps are for creation. Does it sound right? For developers, it is easier to draw the line between web sites and web apps if we think of the technical distinctions. Web apps have some defining attributes that bring them closer to their native counterparts: ο· self-contained ο· rich/interactive user interface, possibly mimicking the native UI of the device ο· using advanced device capabilities β like geolocation, camera integration, or other technologies that the W3C Device APIs and Policy Working Group is developing ο· action-oriented rather than information oriented ο· not relying heavily on (or hiding when possible) the browser chrome (back button, reload button, address bar)
- 2. ο· working off-line, for example using HTML5 ApplicationCache, localStorage, or indexed database βSeeing how flaky our connections are β I am writing this on a plane β our apps should make people as effective as possible and this means we shouldnβt be dependent on a connection. The interface should be usable whilst we are off the grid and sync as soon as we go onlineβ. But how can we explain the difference to non-technical users? And, do we need to? According to us, a Web site can be presented as a Web app as long as users consume it in a similar way they do a native app. If itβs exposed as an iconified app and used for a specific task, it shouldnβt matter whether itβs contained in the browser or installed via an app store. Creation versus Consumption. Pearce asserts that read-only interaction should be classified as a site, but this criteria is not sufficient to distinguish between web sites and web apps. We still have cases like Flipboard (clearly oriented towards consumption) or Twitter and Facebook (with entirely user-generated content) that do not fit in any box. Linkability. Since both web sites and web apps can be launched by entering a URL into a browser or from a home-screen icon, this is clearly βnot a reliable way to distinguish between web apps and web sitesβ according to Pearce. User Experience. Visual pizzazz is an important argument, one that users might particularly relate to, but is also a fuzzy boundary. What if my site displays a fixed toolbar, but no back button? What if my list appears as hyperlinks instead of Γ’β¬Λtappableβ items? What if I use plain scrolling instead of smooth fancy bars? Architecture. In the case of single page webapps, is SEO the price to pay when choosing to give the browser far more autonomy and responsibility and take advantage of its HTML5 APIs like storage? Do Web sites have SEO capabilities while Web apps donβt? We are back to explaining the differences between the two by using technical terms. Should you be building web apps or web sites? This question might be regarded as a technicality with a pinch of marketing to spice it up. This reminds me of the βHTML5 is readyβ contest by Sencha that was announced a few months back, encouraging developers to draw inspiration from native apps and create similar web apps that show off the capabilities of HTML5. The creators of the competition correctly argued that βthe mobile web is the most fertile ground for leading edge web development because it doesnβt have the legacy of the older internet explorers that the desktop does. You can start your development with the assumption that your app or your content will be used in a fairly recent browser, so you can take advantage of a whole
- 3. host of features like Canvas, inline SVG, HTML5 video, CSS3 styling etc. that bring the experience alive for the userβ. Would it be safe to argue in favor of building web apps instead of web sitesespecially on mobile? Mobile users perform specific tasks on their devices, so a web app that offers the same experience as a specialized native app might gain more interest compared to a regular website. Long term the distinction should not matter. According to FTβs Stephen Pinches, it really doesnβt make any sense, on the long term, to speak about the future of the mobile web: βthere shouldnβt be βmobileβ and βdesktopβ but simply good, user-centered design, which adapts and responds to the screen size and features of the device upon which it is displayed. However, on short to medium term, there is a need to differentiate and ensure the user experience is as good as possible on a given device.β The βapp-ificationβ of the Web Whatever your preference may be, there is an increasing number of mobile developers targeting web apps. Based on VisionMobileβs latest Developer Economics survey of 6,000+ developers, already 23% of HTML5 mobile developers develop web apps, compared to 38% who develop mobile websites. With browsers increasing support for device APIs, and with a growing number of developers going direct to native with PhoneGap, Icenium or Appcelerator, or even with the recently launched Firefox OS, the web world is clearly moving in the direction of apps.