How To Choose The Right Web Application Architecture For Your Project?

Introduction

Creating the Web application’s architecture is one of the most crucial parts of developing software. It’s a plan that the group follows while they’re building the framework of a web app. If you don’t have a well-thought-out web application architecture corresponding to your desired solution, your project will fail like a dish without a recipe. The clap creative team has analyzed and categorized all of the different kinds of web application architecture to help you decide the best web application architecture for your project.

What is Web Architecture?

The web architecture describes a system’s overall structure and layout and how its main components interact. Typically, when we talk about the architecture, we talk about the connections between these critical parts of a web app, client app, web server, cloud services, databases, and Third-party application programming interfaces (APIs). Thus, the choice of web app design will affect every aspect of your program, beginning with schedule and ending with scalability, going beyond only the technical specifications and even directly affecting your overall business goals.

What Are The Many Forms of Web Application Architecture?

Any web application consists of two key components: a client-side app that runs at the front end and a server-side program at the back end. The client-side app is the web interface that users may interact with in real-time (e.g., browse sites, submit requests, or utilize online services). Server-side applications receive, evaluate, and manage the requests from the client-side app and extract data from the database to answer user requests.

Server-side app

Server-side programs fall into monolithic applications, microservices, and serverless apps.

• Monolithic app: Monolith app design presumes that all modules are constructed using a single codebase. Even though this design type is basic and quick, it’s connected with more drawbacks than positives since it’s neither highly scalable nor stable.
• Microservices: Unlike monolithic programs, a microservices architecture refers to developing a solution in which every feature has one or several dedicated microservices driving it. Services are independent of one another, but they quickly become coupled when there’s a job to fulfill.
• Serverless: The serverless design implies that the web app operates on a third-party server backed by cloud service providers, such as the well-known Google Cloud, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Microsoft Azure. Simply said, the serverless architecture separates microservices into even smaller event-driven tasks.

Client-side app

On the client side, web apps are developed using the following approaches: single-page app, multiple-page app, progressive web app, and micro frontend.

• Single-page applications (SPA): A SPA gives a user one page that changes in response to their interactions with it. Since SPAs enable users to update just the required page area, users don’t need to refresh the page each time they submit a request. This is why SPAs are generally lightweight, quick, and responsive.
• Multiple-page applications (MPA): An MPA is a web app that comprises numerous different pages. This enables visitors to browse from one page to another using a menu or clicking links.
• Progressive Web Apps (PWA): PWAs refer to solutions that recall a normal website since they can run on practically all devices. What’s noteworthy about them is that they feature functions characteristic of native apps and can operate offline if a consumer uses them at least once while they are online.
• Micro frontend: Micro frontend might be compared with the microservices. It’s a method to create an app such that distinct features are maintained individually. This enables various teams to work on different features concurrently, speeding up development. So, if something fails, repairing the issue is cheaper and simpler since there’s no need to reload the entire thing.

How To Choose The Best Web Architecture?

With so many appealing perks, it might not be easy to choose. To simplify your decision-making process, we have compiled a list of the best web application architecture approaches.

Find a solution that caters to your project demands

Different architectures meet various performance requirements. For instance, if you need to cope with a large traffic rate, you may use microservices instead of a monolithic design. It’s also worth mentioning that your choice of architecture also relies on the sorts of features you wish to add and your future scalability.

Use a simple architecture for your project.

Opting for the most straightforward architecture makes it easy for your team to comprehend and operate with it. The simpler your web app design, the lower your chances of failure.

Use a lightweight web app architecture.

Your program will run faster and be more responsive with lightweight architecture. Such a design is often more straightforward to update and maintain, so you save money on debugging and problem fixes. A lightweight design is ideal if you expect to develop over time.

Ensure that your app architecture can detect and fix problems independently.

A design that automatically solves issues will help you cut the expenses associated with human monitoring and intervention. Besides, it provides an enhanced user experience, allowing the app to work efficiently without downtime.

Final Thoughts

Choosing the right architecture is a crucial step in developing your web application. It sets the foundation and determines its scalability, so it’s important to carefully consider the entire software development process before deciding. Changing your web application architecture can be time-consuming and costly. So, if you’re uncertain or have trouble deciding which architecture is best for your project, don’t hesitate to seek assistance from the Clapcreative team. They can provide valuable insights and help you make an informed decision.