What is a web application?
A web application is a type of web site hosted on a server. While a web site generally just imparts information intended for public consumption, a web application will usually allow a certain amount of interaction by users and/or administrators. The effectiveness and value of a web application to its users depends on the level of interaction that is afforded to them.
For example, a web application may enable a certain amount of social interaction through its site, such as, Facebook™ or LinkedIn™; while a static web site will usually only link a number of pages together and offer users the ability to send the owner an email, for example. Web applications require a considerable amount of development, interaction design, testing and data management when compared to a “static†web site.
Some web applications do not appear to be applications to their visitors. This is because the interaction and management elements of the application are used by administrators to deliver the web site to visitors; these tend to be Content Management Systems, such as WordPress™ and Joomla.
Note, a “mobile app†can be a similar kind of arrangement but these tend to be web-style applications that users can download and use from their devices, interacting with a web server as required to store and retrieve data.