Wix has become one of the most trusted platforms to help professionals build stunning websites. With intuitive tools and visual design, Wix allows anyone to easily build a professional looking website.
Building on top of that foundation, we created Velo by Wix to help developers rapidly build fully functional web applications. The entire Velo platform is built with developers in mind and provides the tools they need to create incredible web applications.
So, what exactly is the difference then between a website and a web application?
Our view is that a website is primarily focussed on consuming content, whereas a web application is all about interacting with or creating content. Websites tend to be more static while web applications are dynamic.
This may seem like a simple answer, but this question has been asked in multiple ways and answered several times, always with a slightly different perspective. Look no further than this post on Stack Overflow from 2012 or this post on Quora from 2016 to see how people tried to find the right definition and the best way to express the differences.
None of this is to say that a website can’t have dynamic content or that a web application can’t be built around static information. They are two ends of a spectrum rather than a black and white binary. It’s also possible to find a website that has an application built into one part of it.
To get a sense of how broad the differences can be, think of Velo itself, which is a fully functional development environment within Wix. It’s a complete application living on the web. This blog, on the other hand, is a better example of a classic website, providing access to information but not specifically focussed on interactivity.
But perhaps the best way to illustrate the difference is by showing you just how capable Velo is and the kinds of web applications you can build.
A Complete Chatbot Built with Velo
When we publicly launched Velo at Google Cloud Next in April, we showed an example of a fully functional chatbot that was built using Velo.
The chatbot was created by a travel site alongside our own team. The site allows users to find and rent yachts. The company added a chatbot to help customers find the best offer for their needs and budget.
We wrote about this project in more depth in a post on DZone and it serves as a great example of what a web application looks like and what Velo is capable of building. The chatbot offers an engaging and interactive way for customers to find a solution that’s right for them.
It demonstrates the value of web applications and how they can help you take your business to the next level.
Of course, nothing is a substitute for hands-on experience. Sign up for Velo and start creating your own web application to really understand the difference.
