Web app development in Geneva & Zurich

A web app is a web solution with a navigation similar to a mobile app and with certain features that you would rather expect in a regular mobile app. A web app has its own URL and can be accessed via a browser, so it is accessible across devices (computer, tablet, apps). Web apps usually focus on performing certain actions (like booking a hotel stay), vs. a regular website which focuses on sharing information.

Web apps in Switzerland are increasingly more and more popular.

The main advantage of developing a web app is that you do not need to download an app from the app store, users can simply access it from the browser. This means that is can be accessed on any device and that you can use SEO and search marketing to drive traffic. Web apps are also very fast and feel very responsive compared to regular websites.

A PWA (progressive web app) is a web app on steroids. It has certain features beyond a regular web app. It is installable (though with some caveats) and it will have its own app icon. Once you open the PWA by clicking on the app icon, the app will be opened in a standalone window and not in the browser.
A PWA provides a certain amount of offline functionalities as it caches certain information.

Mobile apps can be downloaded from the app store and they provide a more comprehensive set of features vs web apps:

• they can offer more complete offline functionalities
• the speed and performance will be always better, just think of using the Facebook mobile app vs using Facebook in your browser
• better access to advanced phone features, like Face ID, Bluetooth, camera, AR etc.
• push notifications

At the same time mobile apps take more time and budget to develop and your users need to take the additional step of deciding to download it

We recommend developing a web app in certain specific cases:

• Your use case is where your users would like to perform a certain type of well-defined action, like checking out real estate for rent, booking an appointment for a service, checking the status of your flight etc.
• You don’t need advanced functions that only mobile apps provide
• Search engine is key for your users to discover your web app
• You need access across devices, not only mobile phones
• Or when you already have mobile apps, but you want to provide an alternative to those users who don’t prefer to download them

If you would like to learn more about the technologies, please see our detailed guide about web apps vs PWAs vs mobile apps

The Swiss Railways (CFF / SBB) approached us to create a web app for an indoor map solution for the Lausanne train station. The train station is being renovated now for multiple years and certain passages will be closed, so travelers will need to find their way through the renovation works.

In order to facilitate the navigation of passengers, Swiss Tomato has developed a web app that has a 3D indoor and outdoor map of the train station at multiple levels. Users can quickly select or search for their destination and receive a step-by-step guide on how to reach it. The navigation also has an option for people with reduced mobility to avoid stairs.

The interface is very intuitive, fast and easy to use, just like a mobile app but without the need to download an app.

See other web & app development case studies

There are multiple technologies that you can consider for developing a web app, you need to choose the right front-end or back-end technology.

Front-end
React JS is a very modern Javascript-based technology originally developed by Facebook (today Meta). More than 220’000 live sites use this technology, including companies like Apple, Paypal and Netflix as well as companies in Switzerland. It is fast, flexible and it has a great performance.

VueJS is the second most popular front-end technology for web apps, which allows you to create great UX, it is highly customisable and loads very fast, it is also a Javascript-based technology.

Back-end
You can either go for a CMS like WordPress or Drupal or you can create a custom back-end solution, we recommend either NodeJS or Laraval frameworks, both are modern and solid technologies that you can count on in the long run.

Developing a web app takes about 3-5 months depending on the complexity of the web app.

Developing a modern web app needs a solid team which works together towards delivering state-of-the-art software.

Our team is made up of Switzerland-based account managers in Geneva & Zurich supported by our senior software engineers and designers who are based in Hungary.

It depends on a lot of factors, but as a rule of thumb you can count on 300-1’000 work hours and this has to be multiplied by the hourly fee of the respective team members.

As we explained above you need a big team and quality time for a professional web app. We combine an expert team located between Switzerland and Hungary to propose you outstanding quality for a fair price.

Below you will find hourly estimations for web apps of different complexities. The hours are determined by the number of different functions and the complexity of those functions.

To calculate the price, you need to multiply the working hours with the hourly fee, please contact us for details.