The best business apps help you solve your day-to-day tasks, whether business or personal. They are easy to access from any device, fast, and constantly upgraded. We got used to them so much that going without a software tool seems inefficient.
Indeed, there is a web app for everything. Do you need to keep track of your marketing efforts? Take Google Analytics or Hotjar. Do your employees spend too much time working on a task? Jira or Basecamp will keep all the tasks in one place and simplify performance monitoring.
Unsurprisingly, Google has a billion results for the request “business web apps”. The topic is popular and will be for as long as people want to do things faster with fewer mistakes.
This post will present you with the list of the top 10 web apps used by our clients running businesses in different niches. You’ll see that these solutions are powerful though not perfect. If you find that your business needs have outgrown the capabilities of your tool, web app development services will come in handy.
Benefits of custom app development
The business web apps you can find online are intended for general use. That means they provide a specific set of features you can choose from to solve your tasks, and this set is the same regardless of your industry, market, or company size.
Some off-the-shelf business apps allow customization by adding integrations, adjusting the app’s appearance, or choosing what information it should collect from a standard list of options. However, if you need your app to treat your customers uniquely, it’s only possible with a custom solution.
Unlike pre-made apps, custom software is:
Goal-specific
Custom business apps are built with your requirements in mind. They are tailored to your working style, have a familiar look, and don’t take much time to master. Moreover, they perform the functions you need them to and thus can negate the need to have multiple general-purpose apps.
Better-scaling
If you plan to expand your business, you can communicate it to developers so they will build features accordingly. Thus, you will invest in an application once, and it will serve you for years even if your business scope gets wider.
More secure
You can choose to store data on-premises or use the cloud. You can also define various authentication levels to control employees’ accessibility and configure those settings as you need. This is only possible with a custom on-demand application.
Want to get a web app to serve you for years?
Syndicode can give you a solution like the one your competitors use, but better.
Contact us1. Google Analytics
This is one of the most popular web analytics services offered by Google. This business web app tracks and reports website traffic and can identify poorly performing pages. Using it, you can see where your website visitors come from, what devices they use, identify behavior patterns, and more.
The tool also has advanced features like custom visitor segmentation and funnel visualization, allowing you to analyze your website’s user journey visually. Google Analytics’ approach is to show high-level, dashboard-type data for the casual user and more in-depth data into the report set.
Key features:
- Reporting and visualization
- Funnel analysis
- Smart goals
- Tag manager
- Data activation
- Integrations with other Google products
Pricing: Freemium with a paid version for more data volume capacity and custom metrics. You can talk to sales to find out about the pricing plan for your business.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| Universal All website info in one place Free learning resources Free of charge | Not entirely independent (it’s Google reporting about Google) Complex Incorrect reporting sometimes |
2. HubSpot
HubSpot is an inbound marketing and sales platform that helps companies attract visitors, convert leads, and close sales. It provides tools for social media marketing, content management, web analytics, and search engine optimization. HubSpot can also be integrated with other business web apps to enhance its functionality.
Key features:
- Automated CRM database
- List segmentation
- Automated workflows
- Email analytics
- Paid ad tracking
- Content A/B testing
Pricing: Freemium with paid plans for more tools starting at $45/month.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| All-in-one platform for sales, marketing, and customer support Can be used as a CMS Free tools | Steep prices Inflexible contracts Limited reporting |
3. Voluum
Voluum is an affiliate marketing software tool to manage all your campaigns from a single place. You can track, optimize, and automate your advertising regardless of whether it’s native, display, pop, email, search, push, paid, or organic.
Moreover, this business app uses a traffic distribution AI that finds the most profitable combinations of ads and landing pages for your offers and audiences. In addition, Voluum detects bot traffic with its anti-fraud kit to protect your advertising investment.
Key features:
- Direct Pixel tracking
- Impression tracking
- Custom conversion tracking
- Real-time reporting
- A/B testing
- Auto-optimization feature
- Traffic distribution AI
- Automation tool
- Integrations
Pricing: business plans start at $499/month.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| High data security due to several data centers All marketing resources in one place Very fast Scalable | Steep price Limited data retention No customer support for lower-tier plans |
4. Slack
Slack combined the best technical tools and consumer chat apps’ features into an effective business app for project management. It allows you to discuss important issues within your team and with external parties and set private discussions. There are also options for channels, quick calls, and custom Slack bots to pull in data from your apps automatically. All these features are available in the desktop, web, and mobile business applications.
Key features:
- Limited-access channels
- Reminders
- Configurable notifications
- Voice and video calls
- Integrations
Pricing: Freemium with paid plans for more collaboration features starting at $6.67/month.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| Instant communication Searchable history Public and private channels Shared files | Messages get disorganized and chaotic Limited functions for the mobile version Addictive nature |
5. Basecamp
Basecamp is a well-known business app for project management with a streamlined and intuitive interface. It’s easy to invite collaborators, chat within projects, attach files, create checklists, and track your progress with this tool. You can also create helpful workflow calendars to keep everyone on track.
Key features:
- To-do lists
- Real-time communication
- Team productivity reporting
- Project progress tracking
Pricing: Freemium with paid plans for collaboration tools and integrations starting at $99/month.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| Universal search Auto back-up Separate inbox for notifications | No way to prioritize tasks No time tracking tool Limited functionality on mobile |
6. Trello
Trello is another famous web-based project management application for business. The main strength of this small business app is that it’s highly visual: on any given board, you can create several lists and move cards between them as the status of certain projects changes. You can attach files, create checklists, and assign members to each card, so they’re updated on the task status change. Team members can also chat on each card directly.
Key features:
- Preset templates
- Automation feature
- Cards and boards
- Integrations
Pricing: Freemium with paid options for more boards and collaboration tools starting at $5/monthly per user.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| Well-suited for Agile workflows Universal Helps keep conversations relevant | No time tracking tool No Linux app Comments can take a long time to get a reply |
7. Asana
This application was designed to help teams track their work. It’s more text-heavy than Trello, and this app is for you if you love checklists.
You can easily prioritize tasks and monitor progress with visual dashboard charts. You can chat with team members, assign due dates, attach documents or other files, and configure notifications.
The business web app integrates with many other services, including Evernote, Google Drive, Box, Slack, MailChimp, WordPress, ZenDesk, and more.
Key features:
- Workflow builder
- Automated reports
- Customizable dashboards
- Custom calendar
- Group discussions
- Automation tools
Pricing: Freemium with paid plans for bigger teams and more customization starting at $10.99/month.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| Enhanced collaboration Tons of integrations Better work organization | No time tracking tool Can’t assign multiple people to a task Limited exporting and importing functionality |
8. Microsoft Office 365
The well-known Microsoft continues its evolution to web applications. This is the online version of Microsoft Office with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, Outlook, Exchange, OneDrive, and SharePoint. With this online business app, you don’t need to install the software package on your device. Just register and use.
Key features:
- Accessible from all devices
- Real-time co-authoring
- Team chat
- External user access
- Workflow management with Microsoft Planner
Pricing: Starts at $6/month per user.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| Team collaboration Automatic updates Data loss prevention Enhanced data security with mobile device management | Compatibility issues Difficult to use on mobile Most features are never used |
9. Excel
From its original release on the Macintosh in 1985 to its brand new business web app edition, Excel continues to be one of the most popular spreadsheet tools. You can now crunch and chart numbers collaboratively with your team, pull in data from your apps, and use new add-ons to bring in the features you need. It even includes a survey and form tool for a quick way to gather data directly into a spreadsheet.
Key features:
- Paste special
- Absolute references
- Extend formula
- Flash fill
- Filters
- PivotTables
- Print optimization
Pricing: $159.99 for a one-time purchase or $6.00/month per user as a part of the Microsoft 365 package.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| Organization of large amounts of data Simple computations due to formulas Many other apps support data import from Excel | High cost Limited system compatibility Long learning curve |
10. LinkedIn
Yes, you read it right. Linkedin is an employment-oriented social networking service and a business app that can help you find an employee or set up a new business contact. LinkedIn allows members (workers and employers) to “connect” with each other in an online social network resembling real-world professional relationships.
Key features:
- Skill management
- Business showcase pages
- Anonymous profile browsing
- Connections export
- Advanced search
- Save search option
Pricing: Freemium with paid options for advanced lead and company search starting at $79.99/month per user.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| Helps build visibility Helps stay up-to-date with industry trends Free information about audience/competitors | Spam Limited interactions Skill endorsements can be fake |
There you have it—the top 10 web applications used worldwide. Some do a spectacular job of constantly polishing out their UI/UX and adding new features to meet their customers’ needs. And some have been used more out of habit than the lack of a better alternative.
Conclusion
But there is one thing to remember about all these business apps: they are meant to be universal and serve businesses of various types in various industries. Hence, there will always be a compromise between what you want your app to do and a reasonable investment.
However, you can avoid compromising with business web application development. Experienced and creative engineers at Syndicode will help you implement your web application ideas and ensure the solution aligns perfectly with your business goals and strategy. Check out our case studies to see what we can do!
Frequently asked questions
-
What is a business web app?
A web application is a type of software that runs within a web browser, unlike applications installed directly on a device and using its operating system. Web applications designed to address particular business challenges are known as business apps. It’s crucial for online business applications to be user-friendly and intuitive, ensuring that individuals with varying levels of technical expertise can use them easily. Popular web applications widely used by businesses of various sizes include Google Analytics, Microsoft Office 365, HubSpot, and Slack.
-
What are the benefits of web applications for business?
How can web apps help your business? They offer numerous benefits to businesses, streamlining operations and boosting efficiency. For example, tools like Excel allow you to centralize your data, reducing the risk of duplicates and making it easier to find specific information. Business applications can also gather and analyze information, aiding in the decision-making process. Google Analytics, for instance, is an essential app to start a business, providing insights that help in shaping strategies for success. Another important advantage of web apps is their availability. They can be accessed anytime, from almost any device with internet connectivity, without the need for installation. This constant accessibility ensures that business operations can continue smoothly without interruption. Finally, custom web applications can provide a business with a unique set of tools tailored to its specific needs, offering an advantage over competitors who might not have access to such customized solutions.
-
What are the advantages and disadvantages of business web apps?
Web applications for business offer cost savings, automatic updates, no need for installation, and the ability to use them across different devices. However, there are some limitations to consider. Notably, most popular web apps require a stable internet connection to function, which can be problematic for frequent travelers or in areas with poor connectivity. Additionally, even the best web apps for small businesses depend on web browsers, so their performance and availability are directly tied to the browser and website functionality. If the website hosting the web app becomes unresponsive, the app will not work. Web apps also have limited access to device features compared to mobile business applications. To overcome these challenges, business apps can opt for custom web applications. The key is to partner with a reputable software development company to outsource your idea implementation.
-
How to create a web application for business?
If you wonder how to build a web-based business process application, the crucial steps include requirement definition, selecting a development approach, developing a technical specification, choosing a development team, building and testing your business app, and launching it. Start by clarifying what you want your web application to achieve and how you envision it working and looking. Next, decide whether to use a no-code platform, which allows you to build applications without writing code, or to hire a web development agency. A no-code builder might be faster and more cost-effective for simple apps, while an agency can provide custom solutions tailored to your specific needs. If working with a development team, they’ll help you draft a technical specification. This document outlines the app’s requirements, tech stack, and development priorities and may include market research to ensure the app meets user needs and stands out in the market. Whether starting with an MVP to test the core features or launching a complete product, building involves coding, testing, and refining the application based on feedback and technical requirements. Releasing your application isn’t the final step. Gather user feedback and be prepared to make adjustments and updates to better meet market demands and user expectations. Overall, the process is similar to when you search for how to sell business management apps. Understanding your target users and their needs is as critical when building an app as it is in marketing one. A knowledgeable development team can handle the technical details, but your insight into your customers’ needs will guide the app’s direction and ensure it delivers value.
-
What are the most popular web applications for a small business?
Some of the top web applications for businesses of all sizes include Microsoft 365, HubSpot, and Asana. Microsoft 365 is a comprehensive set of office tools that includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and more, available online without the need for local installation. It’s designed to simplify document and presentation creation and data analysis and support collaborative work across teams. HubSpot is a robust platform designed to streamline marketing, sales, and customer service efforts. It offers tools for email marketing, CRM, lead generation, and analytics, making it easier to attract, engage, and delight customers. Asana is recognized as an exceptional management tool for small businesses. It helps in organizing work, setting deadlines, and updating team members on progress, improving overall productivity. Both HubSpot and Asana extend their functionality through mobile apps, ensuring users can stay connected and productive even when on the go.
-
What are the best mobile apps for small business?
The top 5 most popular business apps include Microsoft 365, RingCentral Office, FreshBooks, Avast, and PayPal. These apps offer a blend of productivity, communication, finance, and security solutions, catering to the diverse needs of small businesses in the digital age.