Today, almost every business depends on its website and other online properties to generate leads, increase brand awareness, and drive sales. As a result, digital transformation is now a top priority for businesses of all sizes. You may think that this only applies to big companies with large budgets and resources, but you would be wrong. Smaller businesses can also benefit from creating tailored online properties that cater to their customers’ needs. Even startups without much cash can leverage existing tools and services to build websites more efficiently than ever before. With this blog post, we will cover some of the basics of web development for enterprise applications. If you are new to this field or want to learn more about it, keep reading!
What is an Enterprise Web Application?
An Enterprise Web Application (EWA) is a type of software that companies use to create tailored digital properties for their employees, customers, suppliers, and/or partners. EWA tools let users create and manage content, track workflows, and perform other key functions.
An EWA can also refer to a professional service that helps businesses create and manage these types of applications. Enterprise Web Applications have become increasingly popular among businesses of all sizes because they let companies build tailored websites that cater to their customers’ needs.
In short, an Enterprise Web Application is an internet-based application that lets an enterprise manage data, tasks, and other resources. These applications can be used to power company websites, intranets, or online portals that serve customers, vendors, or other stakeholders.
Why Are Web Applications Important for Enterprise Businesses?
Web applications offer many benefits to businesses of all sizes, including:
Scale
A well-designed EWA can easily accommodate growth in users, data, and functionality. Even if your business grows substantially, you can easily scale your online properties to match demand without the massive technical debt associated with custom solutions.
Simplicity
Creating a custom solution is not easy. The process is often time-consuming, expensive, and challenging to maintain. If you have ever had to hire a team to create a custom application from scratch, you know how much it can cost. But with a web application, you can easily manage your data and create a responsive user experience for a fraction of the cost.
Customization
Web applications can be easily customized to meet the needs and preferences of different users. This lets you create a better user experience, which can boost engagement, sales, and productivity.
Flexibility
Web applications are usually hosted on cloud services, which means you can access them from any device with an internet connection. You can also adjust your web application to reflect changes in your business. This lets you respond to emerging trends, provide new products or services, or improve your existing products based on customer feedback and data.
How to Build an Enterprise Web App
Before you start building your EWA, you need to clearly understand your business objectives and the needs of your users. Once you have done this, you can outline your design and development strategy.
Define Your Goals and Scope
Start by clearly defining what it is you want to make. Having a clear goal and scope makes it easier to keep resources dedicated to useful development.
Research Your Target Audience
While you’re defining your goals, you should also research your target audience.
- Who are your customers, and what are their pain points?
- What are the top features that these users want from your application?
Try creating personas for your target audience to better understand them. The more accurate your understanding of the target’s wants and needs, the better your end product will be.
Outline Your Design and Development Strategy
Once you have clearly defined your goals and identified your target audience, you can outline your design and development strategy. You should first decide whether you want to build an SPA (single page application) or a traditional website.
Single-page applications are websites that load a single page and make asynchronous calls to load other pages or data without refreshing the page. SPAs are sleek, responsive, and great for engaging customers. However, they don’t work well in situations where you need to log in, manage permissions, or track data.
If you want to create a website that lets users log in, manage permissions, and track data, you should build a traditional website. You might choose to build a static website or go with a CMS-based website.
Design an App for Your Target Audience
Once you have decided on the type of application you want to build, you can start designing it. You can either hire a design agency to build a custom app for you, or you can use a design tool like InVision to create a mockup of your application.
Build the App Using the Right Tools
If you want to build an EWA, you will need to choose the right development frameworks and tools. This includes selecting a language, a database, and an application server. You also need to consider factors like stability, scalability, and developer adoption. Take the time to research the right toolset to support your goals. This will make long-term development support easier and keep you from investing resources into things that cannot help you.
Test Your App with Your Target Audience
Once your app is built, it’s important to test it with your target audience to make sure it meets their needs. Once you have collected feedback, make sure to incorporate it into your app. If your application is meant for enterprise users, you can also consider running a beta test with a select group of your customers.
Launch, Monitor, and Adjust
Once you have launched your EWA, you need to monitor its usage and adjust it based on feedback. You can use tools like Google Analytics to track your app’s usage, and you can use feedback to guide further development. You can also run A/B tests, experiment with new features, and add new content to keep your app fresh.
Get Help Developing Your EWA from KitelyTech
Enterprise-level applications can take a lot of work and resources to develop. Get help developing yours from KitelyTech. We work with companies to develop their digital assets. Call (800) 274-2908 to schedule a consultation today.
