Characteristics of a Web-Application
Modern web applications have very high user expectations now a days. The web applications are expected to be available round-the-clock from anywhere in the world, and usable from any device for any screen size. Security is must for end users data, should be flexible, and scalable to meet high demand occasionally. Additionally, it should have rich user experiences built on the client.
It is really hard to say for any application that it is good or bad. The web applications should have some characteristics which decides that the users will stick to that website for long or not. Following are few of the characteristics which the web application should have:
Availability
Round the clock availability of the site is not an option. Even few seconds of site shutdown is a huge loss to the E-commerce websites. For E-commerce websites, the advantage of online sales is that they are available at any time and available to be accessible from any part of the world at anytime. Read more in following article.
Performance
A little extra time in page load for the user will make the user go away to other sites where the performance is better, and this results in revenue loss. You cannot afford the delay in presenting content to its visitors. Example, A one-second delay in loading your web pages is an 11% drop in an e-commerce site’s page views and a 7% drop in the conversion rate. Your website’s performance greatly impacts your business and can make all the difference during periods of heavy activity. Read more in following article.
Scalability
You should have sufficient infrastructure to support your website and its visitors. A website should be able to scale to a number of visitors. At the same time the back-end servers, database, APIs, and services too should be able to scale. The amount of traffic they host can change by a factor of three or even more during periods of high activity such as sales during Thanks Giving.
Security
Security is a very important factor to be considered to make sure that your website follows industry standards and guidelines. Some examples are like password encryptions, using SSL encryption, to reset the password asking the security questions to the user is must. Also, Protecting personal data is a major concern for the end-users and your customers’ trust in your website’s security is more essential than ever. E-commerce sites are choice targets for hackers due to the immense value of the information that goes through them, such as credit card numbers. It is vital that you protect yourself and your customers.
Functional
A website is created or designed to serve a purpose, may be to address some specific area. Mixing the different types of functionalities in the website is not at all suggested. Example, you cannot write a blog on an e-commerce website.
Ease of use
A website should be easy to use with friendly and quick navigation to move around different pages on site. Quick navigation is always suggested for more useful pages or for the flow of pages.
Content
Irrelevant content is not at all a good idea on any website. Users loose the interest the moment they come across any content which is not relevant for the website. Example, do not sell any second car on a cooking blogging site.
Modern
Using current trends and technologies always benefits. The website should be upto date with current trends and continuous changes in the technologies.
Optimized
It is mandatory to optimize the website and its content for different devices, browsers, data speed, search engines, and users. If it is not done in the right way, users may leave your website. Example, If the website is not optimized for popular smartphones and their sizes, users may not want to visit your website after first use.
Responsive
Now a days, the application are built with the Mobile first concept. Responsive web design is a need for all websites now. A responsive website changes its layout and options to fit the device and browser size.
