A well-structured web application can either make or break your digital product development. From website and mobile app development to streaming platforms and virtual assistants, web application architecture is crucial throughout, as it defines how the components of a web application are constructed and how they interact with one another.

There is an array of different web application architectures to choose from for your digital product development, but where should you begin? You’ve landed in the right place. Today we’re going to introduce you to popular web app architecture patterns and how they might apply to your project.

1. Single-Page Application (SPA)

An SPA (Single Page Application) is a web application that loads a single HTML page and dynamically updates the content as the user interacts with the app, without reloading the entire page from the server. SPAs rely heavily on JavaScript to create a seamless, fluid user experience, often using frameworks like React, Angular, or Vue.js. SPAs are ideal for highly interactive web applications that require the user’s experience to be flawless. Think Gmail and Trello. SPAs rely on client-side rendering which means most of the work happens in the browser with API calls to fetch data as needed.

SPAs are as dynamic as they come, constantly updating as users interact with the content. This gives your web application a seamless user experience (UX) with zero page reloads. SPAs are the way to go for applications that need rich user experience like social media, product dashboards and business applications like Click-Up. SPAs offer a great mobile-like experience and they’re great for optimizing an application's performance or for API driven development.

While there are benefits to using SPAs for your website development or mobile app development, there are a few drawbacks that are important to consider. Search engines could face a challenge in crawling and indexing pages due to the complexity of ever-loading dynamic site content. Since SPAs rely heavily on JavaScript, the initial load time when a user lands on the page could be impacted and take longer and some users with JavaScript disabled may not be able to access at all. SPAs also can be quite complex to develop and debug if the time comes.

2. Server-Side Rendering (SSR)

Rendered using - you guessed it - servers, server-side rendering generates the HTML page dynamically on the server and upon user interaction sends it to the user’s browser as fully realized HTML. This makes SSRs incredibly SEO-friendly, making it easier for search engines to crawl and index pages. This can also result in faster initial load times, as users can see the content immediately. Since each page or data update requires a round-trip to the server. SSR is ideal for applications that prioritize SEO and content delivery, such as news websites, blogs, and e-commerce platforms.  

SSRs may not always provide a more seamless user experience for real-time interactions leading to poor user experience. There are some security vulnerabilities that come with SSR applications, as more of the server-side code is exposed compared to client-side rendered applications. As SSR set up is more sophisticated and oftentimes complex, the operational costs associated with server-side rendering ends up higher. 

For applications requiring frequent real-time data updates, like project management dashboards or CRM platforms, a single-page application (SPA) or client-side rendering (CCR) may be more suitable for providing smoother, interactive experiences.

3. Static Site Generation (SSG)

Ideal for content-heavy websites and platforms, static site generation implies that HTML pages are pre-rendered at the time of the build and are served as static files. When a user lands on the page and sends a request, the pre-built static HTML page is delivered, making load times incredibly fast. 

With no databases or server-side processing involved in SSG, the cyberattack surface is significantly reduced. SSG is one of the more cost-effective web application architecture solutions as hosting static files is cheaper than server-side processing within dynamic web applications. Digital experiences that run on SEO and static content like marketing websites, blogs, e-commerce product pages, portfolios, and educational websites thrive using the SSG structure.

Of course, static site generation isn’t the best solution for every digital product in development. Since content is generated at the time of the build, updates cannot be made without having to rebuild the entire site structure, making it hard to maintain fresh data. Speaking of the build, it can take longer than most other web application architecture patterns as generating static files is time consuming.

4. Monolithic Architecture

One of the more traditional web application architecture patterns, monolithic architecture is built as one single, self-contained codebase which minimizes the reliance on external systems. Since all of the code is centralized and components are tightly coupled including business logic, user interface, and data access - collaborative development and deployment is usually seamless. However, this also means every aspect of the application is interconnected and changes in one area may impact other areas. Banking applications, traditional e-commerce websites, content management systems (CMS) like WordPress, and customer relationship management (CRM) systems perform well when structured using monolithic architecture.

Scalability and management could be disadvantages when applying monolithic architecture to your website or mobile application (early mobile apps relied on the structure more than present day) due to its integrated web components. As a monolithic architecture application grows, managing the deployment and ongoing operational requirements can also be tricky due to its size and integration. A common complaint among traditional monolithic CMS users is that tight coupling between the database and visual layer can limit creativity and design. 

5. Microservices Architecture

Quite opposite from the monolithic architecture approach, microservices architecture focuses on small individual services that communicate with each other via APIs to build the bigger picture. Each service in a microservices architecture focuses on a specific business function and can be developed, deployed, and scaled independently. This contrasts with monolithic architectures, where all components of an application are tightly integrated and run as a single unit.  

The engineers here at Camber Creative want to make it clear that this is a structure they’ve seen the least success with when used by bootstrapping small businesses, and they recommend you proceed with caution when considering it as your web application architecture pattern of choice.

With that said, some digital experience can thrive using this architecture, such as e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon, streaming services like Spotify and Netflix, social media platforms like X and LinkedIn, and various healthcare applications. You’re getting the picture, microservices can be successful, but needs to be built and maintained with the large budget to do so operationally. There is a resilience that comes with microservices architecture in that the failure of one service will not take down the entire application. Microservices architecture also allows developers to use different programming languages and technologies to build a solid structure.

If you’re considering applying microservices architecture to your digital product, ensure you can also apply the manpower and monitoring required for all individual services. The development and deployment of microservices architecture is quite sophisticated and should be performed by developers with a deep understanding of the structure.

6. Serverless Architecture

Yes, there are still servers in serverless architecture. With serverless architecture the cloud provider (AWS, Lambda, Google Cloud Services) fully manages the infrastructure. This makes serverless an excellent web application pattern in that it doesn’t require developers to worry about server maintenance, patching, or scaling, allowing them to focus on writing and deploying code. Websites or apps configured using serverless architecture rely on event triggers from users such as file uploads, database changes, or HTTP requests. Serverless architecture is very scalable, cost-efficient (pay as you go!), and simple to manage making it a popular web application pattern today. Holiday traffic-heavy e-commerce sites, stream processing for IoT devices, cost-sensitive applications, and event-driven applications are all excellent use cases for serverless architecture.

Where there are pros, there are cons. Serverless architecture can prove difficult to debug and monitor due to the distribution of the structure. Since the underlying infrastructure is managed by a third-party cloud service, developers might run into blockers when optimizations or configurations are needed. Third-party management can also lead to security concerns and reliance upon one vendor’s ecosystem, limiting flexibility.

7. Progressive Web Application (PWA)

Combining the best of web and mobile experiences, progressive web applications deliver a seamless, app-like experience to users no matter what device they’re browsing on and even when internet connectivity is low or the user is offline. This makes an excellent structure for travel apps like Airbnb, music streaming apps like Spotify, and productivity tools like Microsoft Office Online. PWA is also incredibly fast to load, which helps boost user experience and retention. When it comes to SEO, progressive web applications can help search engines index your site, increasing discoverability.

Digital products using progressive web applications could face some challenges regarding browser compatibility as older browsers fail to support PWAs. PWAs also offer limited access to device features such as Bluetooth or advanced camera controls. It’s important to avoid applying PWA to computation-heavy operations as the structure can sometimes fall flat compared to native apps.

8. Micro Frontend Architecture

An excellent choice for robust, complex web applications, micro frontend architecture allows individual teams to develop and deploy parts of the user interface (UI). Think intranets and customer portals, or large-scale platforms like Amazon Web Services (AWS). Frontend development can be extremely scalable, flexible, resilient, and cut deployment time in half if orchestrated efficiently.

While micro frontend architecture is gaining popularity amongst large-scale enterprises, it’s important to remember that managing multiple micro frontends requires dedicated management and communication between teams. Lack of communication could lead to an inconsistent user experience across the web application, increasing your bounce rate and depleting user events.

How Do You Choose the Right Web App Architecture Pattern?

Consider what kind of digital experience you’re going to build and take it from there using this comprehensive beginner’s guide. While endless options may be overwhelming, rest assured there is a tailor-made web application architecture pattern that’s perfect for your project. The important thing is to choose the right one before you begin your build and don’t forget to water it. Let the pros at Camber Creative help. Our team of magic makers has experience successfully developing and deploying digital products for bootstrapping startups and large enterprises alike. Drop us a line to schedule your free consultation today!