A web app dynamically changes your online content based on who’s viewing it. This opens up more opportunities for interactive elements and personal touches — like product recommendations and self-service portals — that would typically require a team of developers to pull off. And the best part is, with Ontraport you can do it all without writing a single line of code.

A website, on the other hand, is a static display of online content. Visitors can click on links and navigate around your site, but your content itself will stay the same (unless you make changes manually). There might be some wiggle room for personalization, but all your viewers will generally have the same experience with your site.

Web apps are all around us: Facebook, AirBnB, Zillow, Skillshare and Mindbody are just some examples. These web apps are powered by databases and offer functionality such as user-generated content, message boards, customer portals, searchable directories and course scheduling.

Here are some additional examples of functionality that comprise a web app:

• Courses and learning programs allow users to log in, complete coursework and track progress.
• Customer portals give users protected access to their account details and important information.
• Online summit/conference sites provide guests with the event agenda, information on speakers and topics, and registration options.
• Dynamic blogs provide readers with on-point article recommendations, categorized posts, comment threads and more.

Web apps can now be created with the same drag-and-drop ease as building regular websites. You’ll drag visual elements onto a canvas to create a blank page template for your web app. You’ll dictate which type of content or data goes in each area of your template and, from there, the system will automatically populate the right content from your database. For this to work properly, you’ll first customize your database to have all the types of data that suits your needs.

You can find step-by-step details on how to build a web app without coding using Ontraport’s Dynamic CMS in this support article.

Yes! Because web apps built with Ontraport have a direct connection to your contact database, you can personalize content for visitors based on any data you’ve stored about them. You can use conditional content to merge your visitors’ information onto the page when they visit, show or hide certain details, recommend their favorite products and more.

Ontraport’s no-code web apps are a faster, more affordable alternative to hiring a developer. You won’t need to find the right developer, negotiate a contract, explain your vision, request changes or deal with any of the hassle that comes with outsourcing your app. Instead, you’ll be able to build out the web app you envision with a simple visual interface.