As a web developer, you have many options in terms of platform, coding, and design to make your web apps accessible, engaging, and easy to use. The best way to get ideas and inspiration for your apps is to check out some of the best-designed apps in use today. These hand-selected web apps should be a reference for every developer during the brainstorming and early development stages for inspiration and guidance. Implement features and design elements from these stunning, popular web apps to make your own web applications more intuitive and impressive to clients.
1. SquareSpace
SquareSpace is a do-it-yourself website builder app that lets users build entire websites through a point and click interface. This web app is inspiring because it takes complex tasks like web design and simplifies them into manageable interfaces that can be used by virtually anyone. Consider using your development skills to make otherwise-inaccessible tasks like coding available to the general public.
2. Contact Form Generator
The 123 Contact Form Generator is an inspiring and useful web app that is currently leading the way in user-made contact forms. This app allows you to create user input forms through a web interface for use on your own website. Implement the features found in this app to let your users create forms and other items all from the front page of your website. Don’t forget to include demo and download options as found in this application for a better user experience (UX.)
3. Progressive Web Apps
This web app created for WordPress developers can help you develop your own apps for use with WordPress hosting. This app is inspiring because it allows users to choose from hundreds of options and settings for a highly tailored development experience. Offer your users color schemes and plenty of interface options to appeal to a wider user-base.
4. Cloud9
Cloud9 is an online IDE for developing your code in the cloud. This app is inspiring because it allows you to work with others in real time while saving your work to the cloud. Allow your own users to save work to the cloud by including user accounts and real time updates to your web applications.
5. CrazyEgg
The CrazyEgg web app is an interactive traffic analysis application for website owners. This app generates heat maps along with other tracking and design analysis tools to show users areas for opportunity on their web projects. Draw from the concepts used in this app such as preview and heat-mapping modes and user-generated reporting to make your own super-useful web apps.
6. WooCommerce
WooCommerce is an online platform for creating stores and selling inventory through your website. This online application has helped over a million products leave the shelf and arrive in buyer’s hands. The popularity of this web app is due in part to its versatility as it can be installed on a variety of websites. This web app is compatible with WordPress hosting, which is another factor to consider for garnering maximal market-share of your own apps.
7. AEP
American Electric Power (AEP) offers several web app tools through their website including energy usage monitoring and self-service options. This inspiring app cuts down on customer service calls by letting users make changes to their accounts online and find answers to commonly asked questions. Use your own web apps to help customers access their data online to save money and overhead through your customer service department.
8. SolidShops
This web app acts a Content Management System (CMS) for users to setup online stores and e-commerce outlets. It’s been developed for ease of use by clients with little or no coding and technical background. When developing your own web apps, consider the user-base and their likely level of tech skills to make sure you’re not alienating your intended audience with overly complex or hard-to-follow commands, navigation system, and other processes.
9. Server Density
Server Density is a web app that monitors Software as a Service (Saas) usage across web servers. This high-tech tool is used by developers to track usage of their software and in and of itself is incredibly well designed. The app loads entirely in a browser meaning you can access it from any terminal for a look at graphical usage data and historical information. Consider loading your web app in a cross-browser friendly script like JavaScript to let users access it from a wide range of devices.
10. Grammarly
Grammarly is growing in popularity among students and writers, due in part to its easy to use web app. This web app is well designed and automates as many tasks as possible, leaving little for the end-user to do. Grammarly is a comprehensive development project that can be used as a web app, plugin, or desktop application. Consider making your own desktop and browser plugin tools for your web apps to give users more choice in platform and environment.
These web apps are all innovative and outstanding among their niches and fields. They each have much to offer in terms of development inspiration. Refer to these apps for ideas about functionality and design when developing the backend code and user interface elements for your web projects. Consider perusing these apps as an end-user to discover helpful features and functions that you can include in your own web apps.
