How can one distinguish between a website and web application? Often, there is confusion regarding the two because both work in browsers, need the internet to function, have front-end and backend processes and are similar, but they are not the same.
Let us first understand the distinguishing features between the two.
A website is a static entity that needs only HTML files, CSS styles and Javascript (if required). It is built with a minimal number of tools. A website contains text, visual elements and sometimes even videos, audios and other media. The number of websites as of July 2021 on the world wide web, according to internet live stats, is over 1.5 billion. Of these, around 200 million are active.
A quick glance at the types of websites
A blog can be defined as an entity on the world wide web that consists of either formal or informal content or post. It is generally written by an author or journalist or any individual who has an expertise to share about a particular subject.
A landing page is used in digital marketing for creative campaigns. It is a lone webpage that describes an event or events to attract visitors who are redirected to the page after clicking on a link anywhere across social media or emails.
A portfolio site is an augmentation of a specialist's (or alternately organization's) list of qualifications. It helps customers to see your work while additionally permitting you to develop your abilities and administrations. This, nonetheless, isn't a definitive reason for a portfolio site.
Now moving on to a web application, those except frontend, require a complex backend, which is built using various technologies. Let us take an example of a portal for online examination results. This provides links to personal information, results and other details of students. Similarly, a bank portal gives customers their bank account details and transaction history.
E-commerce apps are used to purchase products online. Some well-known e-commerce apps are Flipkart and Amazon
A dynamic web application produces pages or information progressively (in run time), according to the request. This prompts an individual reaction from the server end arriving at the user end. Following this, the customer-side code will accept a move as it should.
A CMS is a web app that helps clients make, oversee, and adjust content on a site without the requirement for particular specialized information.
Simply put, it helps users create a site without composing all the codes from scratch.
Some of the widely used CMS are Drupal, Salesforce, Magento and HubSpot.
Websites do not need to set up a verification process because users do not interact with the content.
In web applications, users can create content and transmit sensitive information to send private messages, which is why authentication is a must.