This week I’m starting a mini-series of blog entries about web applications. I want to start things off by telling you the difference between a web site and a web application.
We all know what web sites are. As an obvious example, you’re on a website right now. It’s our website, and it’s a collection of information about us: what we do, who we help, and how we could help someone like you. It’s largely static, meaning that it doesn’t change based on who’s looking at it.
A web application is different. Much more like a piece of software you might buy for your computer, a web application helps you do something. A good example of a web application is Google Maps. Instead of presenting you with a static set of information, Google Maps takes information from you and helps you figure out how to get somewhere.
The Tip of the Iceberg
Google maps is just one of a huge number of web applications. Others you may be familiar with are Basecamp, Salesforce, and eBay. Each one of these uses your input to help you accomplish something (or things).
Guess What. We Build Web Applications
Yep, we know how to do that stuff. We’ve got a super talented team of developers that know how to build custom web applications.
Who cares? You do. Wanna know why?
Because having your own custom web applications can save you time, money and manpower.
One of our clients, The New York Rural Water Association, puts on an annual conference. Their staff used to work countless hours taking reservations, answering questions, and putting together the layout of the conference floor.
But then we built them a custom application that allowed conference participants to do all that work themselves. They can see which booths are open, which have been reserved, and who is in which booth.
Once they find a booth they like, they can register for it, pay for it, and even print their conference name tags from it. All without picking up the phone. All without help from the NYRWA staff.
All told, the new system saves The NYRWA time, money and effort. This year alone, the new system:
- Saved the yearly work time of 1/2 of a person
- Created a 25% increase in vendor registration
- Increased customer satisfaction
- Helped to sell out the conference for the first time
See what I mean?
The Slightly Larger Tip of the Iceberg
And that’s just one example of how web applications can help increase your productivity, your participation, or your profits.
Pretty appealing, eh?
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