The most concrete example of differences between web apps and traditional websites can be found in the functionality of these online services. Generally, web apps offer a measurable service of some description – a tangible, interactive service for customers to use however best suits their needs. For example, Google’s web applications offer their users a search engine for looking up whatever they’d like, a web e-mail service to customize with their own account, a mapping service that allows them to enter the address they need to find, etc. In the same way, Amazon’s features like their online store and video-on-demand services also bear the hallmarks of a classic web app.
Websites, on the other hand, usually have a more informative character. They’re typically static - unlike web apps, which contain interactive, action-orientated elements for customization. These could be transactions or requests, or the use of the web app software for specific purposes (office applications, image editing, etc.). Because of their simple use across all platforms, their installation-free function, their external data storage, and their interactive elements, web apps look set to shape the future of internet-based web apps for years to come.