Websites and Web Applications

A collection of related hypermedia content stored on a web server is referred to as a website. A website comprises a collection of web pages, which can display one or more types of content. The web pages are programmed using a language known as Hypertext Markup Language (HTML).

Websites are the most widely used approach for businesses, news providers, educational institutes, governments, individuals, and every other entity that wishes to share information with a wide audience. Unlike many applications that need users to purchase a license to use them, web browsers are free. Most operating systems come with a default browser installed, such is the popularity and need of the Web.

Websites can be of multiple types:

• Informational Websites: These websites offer information to users. This information could be about a business, information about products and services or news updates.

• Multimedia Streaming Websites: These websites offer audio or video content to the users. Users can listen to songs, and watch TV shows and movies, on these websites.

• Transactional Websites: These websites allow users to conduct transactions with a business, such as banking transactions or shopping.

The main difference in the third type of website is that there is a lot of user input and not just content delivery from the server to the browser. The shift from being only content delivery websites to having complex transactional websites is what has made the Web so integral to our lives. Today, almost every transactional application can be deployed on the Web and accessed using a web browser, without requiring any download and installation of software on the user's computer.

Websites that allow user transactions are often referred to as web applications. While they both use the same concept of web browsers and web servers, web applications have a far more complex architecture, design and additional technology to develop the application logic required to process the data. Simple websites only have to deliver requested content and do not have to process any user inputs.

Websites generally deliver only content, such as text, images, and videos, and allow a few minimal interactivities, such as filling out a registration form. Web applications not only deliver content but also full-fledged transactional capabilities, such as shopping, banking, travel reservations, and communication via email and chat. The global collection of these websites and web applications is what we know as the World Wide Web.

Websites and web applications can be accessed from smartphones using the same underlying protocol and technology, using web browsers specifically designed for smartphones, thus allowing a seamless experience for users whether they are on their computers or smartphones.

While there are many types of applications and their architectures present in the market, one of the most common types of applications used today is web applications. Today, The Internet and the World Wide Web have become an integral part of our work and personal lives. Most applications, such as business and personal ones, are now being developed as web applications.