Technology has become a crucial part of driving the success of companies. Web applications, therefore, are becoming almost a staple in the pursuit of this success.
Custom web application development involves creating a custom software application for an organization or a client depending on their specific business needs. The process starts with understanding the customer's requirements and further optimizing them before developing the application.
The entire process is done under close supervision of the project manager and customer representatives so that customers can look at the web application in each stage and make changes accordingly.
We’ll discuss the different types of web applications you can implement and how they can benefit your business.
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What are Custom Web Applications?
A custom web application is a software built specifically for one company or for a specific purpose. Small businesses can often benefit from custom web applications because they are a cost-effective way to solve a problem.
Custom web application development is usually done by a team of programmers who specialize in creating custom software solutions. They have experience working with specific programming languages, frameworks, or operating systems required for a specific business.
A good developer will be able to advise you as a business owner on the best options for your business needs. When choosing a web application development company, it's essential to make sure they have experience working with similar businesses like yours and understand your industry.
A good developer should be able to work closely with you throughout the entire process and keep you updated on the progress.
Examples of Web Application Uses
Customized web applications are often used for a variety of purposes, including:
- Inventory management, customer relationship management (CRM), accounting, invoicing, etc.
- Organizations use customized apps for employee training, event planning, and collaboration.
- Schools use customized apps for scheduling and student registration.
- Individuals use customized apps for personal financial management, shopping lists, and more.
Types of web applications and how they can benefit your business?
You can use web applications to create any website, from an e-commerce site to a social networking site. The main advantage of web apps is that they are easy to use and manage. Most web apps are created using HTML and CSS, making them easy to customize and create new features. Below are 7 main types of web applications and how they can benefit your business.
1. Customized E-commerce Sites
Customized e-commerce sites are usually developed for companies selling products online or having an online store. These sites can be tailored to suit your needs and include features such as shopping carts, payment gateways, product catalogs, reports, search engines, and more.
2. Customized Content Management Systems (CMS)
Content management systems allow you to manage your website's content in one central location. CMSs can also manage static pages or dynamic web pages, or both. Drupal, Joomla, and WordPress are some of the popular content management systems today.
3. Integrated Web Applications
An integrated web application combines multiple modules into one more significant application. This type of application can be pretty complex. Still, it does have its advantages over numerous applications because it allows for better integration of features and functions than would otherwise be possible with multiple independent applications working together at once on the same server.
4. Social Networking Websites
A social networking website is where people connect through various activities such as messaging, commenting, and sharing content. Popular social networking sites include Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
5. Mobile Apps
By installing a mobile app on their device's operating system, users can access information from their smartphones or tablets (iOS or Android). Mobile apps can be used for everything from ordering food delivery to watching videos online.
6. Online Communities
Online communities are websites where users can come together to discuss topics related to their interests. They often have forums where people can ask questions and share information in real-time through comments or chats with other community members (often referred to as "members").
7. Web Service
These applications run in a web browser using server-side code (an example would be Google Docs). These services are usually desktop applications that have been converted into an online service by using JavaScript or AJAX technology so that users can access them from anywhere via their browsers without having to download anything or install anything locally on their devices.
How to build a web application
1. Without coding
There are many ways to build a web application without coding. If you don't want to learn how to code, many services will allow you to create a working website without having any technical expertise.
1. Wix
Wix is one of the most popular web builder tools online. It allows you to create a website without any coding experience at all, and it also has a lot of features that make it easy for you to manage your site once it's up and running. You can even use Wix to build an app.
2. Squarespace
Squarespace is another great option if you don't want to code and want something more professional-looking than Wix provides. It has many features and templates available, so it's great if you want something more customized than what Wix offers.
3. Google Sites/Blogger
Blogger and Google Sites are both free tools from Google that allow you to build blogs or websites quickly and easily without ever touching code. They're great if you want something simple like a blog or essential website with minimal customization required.
2. Custom Development
Depending on the objectives of your project and the programming language you pick, different tools and techniques are required to create a custom web application. The following are some of the most commonly used tools:
- HTML, CSS and JavaScript. These are the foundational languages of every web application. They tell your browser how to display text, images, videos, and other content on your screen. HTML is used for basic formatting, CSS for styling purposes, and JavaScript for interactivity — such as form validation or adding more features to elements on your page like buttons or media players.
- A server-side language like PHP or Python. Server-side languages are used to create dynamic pages that can process data from a database or make decisions based on user input. They're also responsible for displaying content back to users when they visit your site by sending them HTML files that have been processed by their engines first. PHP, Python, and Ruby on Rails (RoR) are the most popular server-side languages. Midis is a full-service web development company that is an expert in developing custom solutions for the Business.
- A database management system like MySQL. Databases let you store all kinds of data — everything from simple text fields to complex arrays — in one place so that it's easy for software programs like databases to access later on. Databases usually come with an interface called a query language (SQL).
Web Application Technology Stacks
Web application technology stacks are the software frameworks, libraries, and tools web developers use to build websites and web applications. These technologies are often bundled into reusable libraries (called "bundlers") that can be used in many projects.
The major web application technology stacks are:
- PHP (PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor) is a server-side scripting language designed for web development but also used as a general-purpose programming language. PHP code may be embedded into HTML or JavaScript code, or it can be used in standalone files.
- Python is a general-purpose programming language widely used for web development due to its support for multiple programming paradigms and its clean syntax. It also has an extensive standard library that includes modules for many everyday tasks like connecting to databases and sending an email.
- Ruby on Rails (Ruby on Rails, RoR) is a full-stack web framework written in Ruby that provides default structures for handling HTTP requests, HTML templating, and caching responses.
- LAMP — The LAMP Stack (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) is often used for high-traffic websites because it's stable and scalable. Most WordPress sites use this technology stack, as do many large-scale CMS platforms such as Drupal and Joomla.
Where to find developers?
There are many ways to find web developers, depending on your budget and how much time you have.
1. Inhouse
If you're a small business or organization with a limited budget, you may have a few people in your office with some basic coding knowledge. You can use these resources to get started on your first website or when you need to make changes to an existing site.
2. Freelance
Freelancers are independent contractors who work from home and set their rates. You'll find them listed on Upwork, Fiverr, and Codeable. They'll be able to build a site from scratch or help with specific tasks like SEO or social media management.
3. Hire a developer house company
You can also hire a development company that specializes in building websites for clients like yours. Our company has multiple developers working together on projects, so they can complete them faster and at a higher quality than individual freelancers might be able to do alone.
How much Does it Cost for a Custom Web Application?
When planning to build your web app, there are many factors to consider, from the features and functionality to the platforms and devices it will be used on. It's also important to consider how much time and money you're willing to invest in development and what skills your team has.
The price range for developing custom applications varies widely depending on these factors, but here's a rough estimate of what you can expect:
Expect to pay from EUR 10k to EUR 50k for a basic e-commerce website with some basic content management features, depending on how extensive your requirements are and how much customization you require.
Conclusion
Custom web application development is a subset of custom software development which includes projects where the source code of the software is built from scratch as per the specific needs and requirements of the client.
It depends on the particular needs of the business and is meant to help that business achieve its goals within a shorter time frame. To have a successful custom web application, you need to have a detailed, precise, and crystal clear idea of what you need when it comes to the app's functionality, design, and structure.
The most popular custom web applications are e-commerce, social media, enterprise resource planning, business intelligence, and customer relationship management. These involve building unified systems with integrated sets of features.