Web application development for businesses
A web application is software your team and customers use in a browser, with a login and a database behind it. Macwin Software builds them on PHP and MySQL, designs them for the phone first and supports them after launch.
A web application is not the same as a website
A website mostly shows information. A web application lets people do things: log in, enter data, approve a request, track progress, see a report. What they see depends on who they are, and what they do is stored in a shared database.
If your business depends on forms, spreadsheets and message threads to get work done, that work is probably a web application waiting to be built. For the wider picture of how we approach bespoke systems, see custom software development.
What goes into a web application we build
Login and roles
Each person signs in and sees only the screens and data that match their role.
A MySQL database
Your records live in one place instead of across files and chats.
Phone-first screens
We design for the small screen first and keep every screen simple, then let it grow on larger screens.
Installable to the home screen
Users add the app from their browser. There is no app store download.
Push notifications
Approvals, reminders and updates can reach people on their phones.
Multi-language screens
The interface can be offered in more than one language where your users need it.
What it looks like in practice
Take a customer request portal, as an illustration rather than a past client. A customer signs in, submits a request with a short description and a photo, and later sees its status. Staff see a queue of open requests, take one, and change its status. Each change is stored with the date and the person who made it, and the customer is notified.
Underneath, that is a handful of database tables (customers, requests, status history), a role check on every page, and a manifest that lets the phone install the app to the home screen. The first version can be that small, and it already replaces a phone line and a spreadsheet.
Browser app, installable app or native app?
These get mixed up, so here is the difference as we see it.
- A browser-based web application opens from a link and works on any device with a modern browser.
- An installable web application is the same application, added to the phone’s home screen so it opens like an app and can send push notifications.
- A native app is built separately for Android and iOS and distributed through app stores.
We build the first two. For many business tools they cover everything needed, with one codebase and no store approvals. If you believe you need a native app, tell us why and we will say honestly whether an installable web application would do the job. On iPhones, push notifications require the app to be added to the home screen first.
From idea to a working application
- 1Define the core workflowDefine the core workflowStep 1
We agree on the one process the application must handle well before adding anything else.
- 2Sketch phone-first screensSketch phone-first screensStep 2
Simple layouts you can review before the code is written.
- 3Build the first working versionBuild the first working versionStep 3
A small version your team can actually use, released quickly.
- 4Try it on real workTry it on real workStep 4
Your team uses it for real tasks and tells us what to change.
- 5Launch and keep improvingLaunch and keep improvingStep 5
We stay after launch to fix and extend. Larger ideas, such as business automation, can be added step by step.
Hosting and your existing data
PHP and MySQL run on most hosting plans, so you have real choice about where the application lives. Tell us where you would like it hosted and we will work with that or talk through the options.
If your information is in spreadsheets today, bringing it into the new application is usually part of the first build. Tell us what format it is in and we will check what is involved.
Frequently asked questions
What technology do you use to build web applications?
PHP and MySQL on the server, with JavaScript in the browser. It is a widely supported stack that is quick to host and straightforward to maintain.
Do my users need to download anything from an app store?
No. They open a link in their browser and can add the application to their home screen if they want it to behave like an app.
Will it work on both Android and iPhone?
Yes. It runs in the browser on both. On iPhones, push notifications work after the app has been added to the home screen.
Can you move data from our spreadsheets into the application?
Usually yes. Tell us how the data is organised today and we will check what is involved before the build starts.
How long does a web application take to build?
It depends on the same things that decide cost: the number of user roles, screens and records, any connection to other systems, and moving existing data in. A small, focused application is a much shorter project than a system for many departments. We release a small working version first, so you can start using it before everything is finished.
Related services
Custom software development
Software designed around how your business already works.
Business automation
Apps that handle approvals, reminders and reports for you.
Custom business management software
One system for your records, roles, workflows and reports.
Software company in Ahmedabad
Who we are, where we are based and how to work with us.