The megatrend towards digitalization is only going to gather pace in 2023. People are more and more likely to reach into their pockets for their smartphones to organize all aspects of their lives. Investing in a web app that can interact with existing and new customers isn’t about nice to have, it is about must-do. To get creative juices flowing and following on a previous Blocshop theme, we have come up with 17 Ideas for Web Apps in 2023.

What’s shaping the 2023 app market

Businesses of all sizes, from multinationals to web start-ups need to get with the program (or the app!) and generate new ideas for web applications. Investing in early-stage concept web app design is pivotal to the future of all companies and the holy grail is how to come up with simple, effective app ideas.

Businesses overly relying on face-to-face and brick-and-mortar business models face existential risks, as digitalization, which was already gathering pace, became turbo-charged during the Covid-19 pandemic. This trend is irreversible - digitalization is here to stay and evolve, with further data-driven personalization and automation of services. 

Gazillions of web apps and ideas for web apps are floating around the metaverse - so creating one that properly represents a unique brand is a huge challenge. Our list provides a number of areas of simple app ideas to help businesses transform their online presence through a web app. 

What is a Web App?

Before we delve into the exciting list of what we expect to be hot app ideas in 2023, we should first be clear on the basics. 

A web app is an application that anyone on an internet browser such as Chrome, Firefox, or Microsoft Edge can access. Key features of web apps are that visitors can interact with the features of an app in a similar way to a mobile app and that these apps do not require the downloading of software to do so. 

Another key feature of a web app, unlike a website, is that users can typically interact with its content and affect its data. In the case of a website, users can only view and read the content.

Read our detailed guide on Web app development.

Types of Web Apps

While web apps are consistently evolving and getting smarter, there are four main types at present: 

• Dynamic Web Apps, 

• eCommerce Web Apps, 

• Portal Web Apps, 

• Static Web Apps.

Dynamic Web App

A dynamic web app lets users affect data in real time. In a dynamic web app, a user action sparks a reaction from the server. Facebook or Instagram are good examples of such apps. When a user clicks on a “like” or “follow” button, the server responds and changes the status of the user accordingly - to “liked” or “following”. 

eCommerce Web App

This type of web app facilitates users to buy and sell goods and services online rather than in person at a retail outlet or transaction space. eCommerce web apps typically take the form of online stores or transaction platforms and examples are eBay, Amazon, Allegro, Asos and Zalando. 

Portal Web App

Portal web apps allow users to access contextual information by placing data on a web-accessible, secured and interactive platform. This type of platform takes information from multiple sources and provides data in easily-digestible formats, where users can typically manipulate and modify data as appropriate. Examples of portal web apps are government portals, student or patient portals and web portal software used by companies, such as SAP Enterprise Portal, Liferay Digital Experience Platform (DXP) and Oracle WebCenter Portal. 

Static Web App

Unlike the types of apps shown above, a static web app or website has stable content, where each user sees the exact same thing on each individual page. It contains read-only information and users cannot interact with or affect the data it shows. Nothing on a static app will change unless the site administrator goes directly into the code to change it. Static apps are developed using HTML and CSS.

Learn more on How to outsource Web App development.

17 Ideas for Web Apps in 2023 You Shouldn’t Miss

All businesspeople - from aspiring start-up entrepreneurs to seasoned executives - need to know what a great app idea can do to propel their business to the next level. All app ideas in the list have been rated on an upward sliding scale - Red Hot, Hot and Heating up

1. On-demand Services Apps

On-demand services apps connect customers with service providers. Many customers are looking for more personalized and instantaneous experiences and there is increasing demand for all kinds of services that can be delivered in minutes. Finding a niche in on-demand services is what business leaders should laser-focus on in 2023.  

Current examples of on-demand service apps: Uber, GoFundme, Netflix. 

Rating - Red Hot: On-demand services will diversify and specialize in 2023. 

2. No-code Learning Platforms

No-code apps enable people without coding skills to create websites and software using graphical user interfaces. Before no-code solutions came to prominence, website and app development relied on programmers to write code. With the growth of no-code, people who can create no-code apps will be in high demand in 2023 and beyond. Therefore, no-code learning platforms will be very important in helping people develop these skills. 

Current examples of No-code learning platforms apps: Codecademy, Mammoth Interactive, Code with Mosh

Rating - Red Hot:  No-code apps will continue to grow in 2023, and demand for talent who can create no-code apps will be extremely likely to outstrip supply. No-code learning apps are also very, very likely to multiply and diversify,  

3. Portfolio Builder Apps for graphic designers and artists 

The growth of the gig economy has been a key trend in the last decade. It has never been more important for creatives like graphic designers and artists to get their work out there digitally. Portfolio builder apps allow creatives to do just that, creating a template where they can showcase their work online. 

Current examples of Portfolio builder apps: Fueler, Flipsnack, Jimdo

Rating - Red Hot: The ‘great resignation’ trend has meant that creatives are much less likely to work in the corporate world - and there are armies of designers and artists eager to bring their work to a wider audience.  

4. Online Medical Apps 

The last few years have seen a huge drive toward data-driven personalization of medicare and remote telecare. Healthcare web apps help promote better coordination between medical professionals and outpatients for diagnosis, medication, and check-ups.

Current examples of medical apps: Teladoc, Medisafe Medication Management

Rating - Red Hot: The enforced moves towards remote personal medical care which exploded during the pandemic are here to stay. More niches should reveal themselves in 2023. 

5. Job Board Apps for Niche Content Creators 

Related to the above entry on online portfolios, job app boards for content creators facilitate freelancers to get their work out there. There is a huge growth in websites and apps - so there is also increased demand for those who can write the specialized content the websites and apps need. Job board apps for these niche content creators can make finding the right person a lot easier.  

Current examples of Job board apps for niche content creators: PeakFreelance, Superpath

Rating - Hot: The future of content creation is all about finding a niche - this is only going to expand and diversify during 2023. 

6. Niche Crowdfunding Apps for Start-ups

Niche crowdfunding apps can help start-ups build a list of investors, as well as make reaching out to them in bulk and managing custom pipelines much easier. Start-ups can attract finance through niche crowdfunding apps, whose profile and niche can match start-ups and investors. 

Current examples of niche crowdfunding apps for start-ups: CrowdStreet, CrowdSupply, Experiment

Rating - Hot: More and more industry-specialized crowdfunding platforms have been emerging, and this pattern is very likely to continue in 2023.

7. Chatbot Web Apps 

Automation is an ongoing megatrend that doesn’t show any sign of slowing down. As part of this transformation, Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbots will become ever more important. Chatbots mimic human interaction and have the advantage of being available through apps 24/7 and are very useful gathering in gathering business intelligence and routing customer requests.

Find out how AI is changing web development.

There are huge variations in chatbots and what they can deliver for businesses, but examples are; e-Commerce Sales Bots and Lead Generation Chatbots, Facebook Messenger Chatbot, Page Targeting Bots and FAQ Bots. 

Current examples of Chatbot Apps: HubSpot Chatbot Builder, Salesforce Einstein, WP Chatbot

Rating - Hot: Conversational AI chatbots have huge potential to provide more and more human-like interactions. 

Related post: Top AI tools for developers

8. Workflow Management apps 

Workflow management systems generally help organizations create, monitor, document and improve the tasks required to complete a specific task. Workflow management apps can help optimize workflow tasks to ensure projects are completed correctly, consistently and efficiently. Workflow management apps are online tools aimed at boosting business productivity. Such apps can help - find redundant tasks, automate work processes, gain efficiency and design projects. 

Current examples of Workflow Management apps: Jira, Wrike, Monday

Rating - Hot: There are a lot of apps aimed at boosting workflow management and it is all about finding a niche. One is Weekwise, an agency management tool that visualizes the time and resources project managers can allocate when resource planning for projects.

9. Pet Service provider apps

Finding services for beloved family pets can be something of a minefield. Pet service provider apps can include features like - buying food and products, hiring pet sitters, and finding the right vet for their pets’ individual needs. 

Current examples of Pet Service provider apps: PetParent, Rover, MyPetReminders

Rating - Hot: The trend towards personalization applies to furry friends too! Pet service apps are likely to grow in 2023 as pet parents seek more bespoke services. 

10. Niche Video Editing/tutorial Apps

Social media video content is more and more important for small companies to communicate with their customers. Niche video editing/tutorial apps help content creators turbocharge the quality of their content and help define a small company or start-up niche.  

Current examples of Niche video editing/tutorial apps: Wistia, BIGVU, Loom

Rating - Hot: Video editing is a broad category and as such there are a lot of apps out there. Again, this is about finding a niche to help content creators find theirs.

11. Dating apps 

Dating and hookup apps like Tinder, Bumble and Grindr have been spectacularly successful over the last two decades in bringing people together online. More recent trends in dating apps, however, follow wider patterns of personalization. Would-be daters and hook-uppers are using more specialized apps to find a like-minded person for a long or short-term relationship. This pattern is bound to continue to diversify in 2023 and it is up to businesses to find and deliver a niche that daters find as attractive as their perfect partner. 

Current examples of dating apps: Stir (for single parents), BLK (for black daters), Plenty of Fish

Rating - Hot: Personalization and specialization trends mean that more focused apps will appear in 2023 to help people more easily find that special someone. 

12. Digital Conceptualization apps

Related to the aforementioned growth of no-code apps, digital conceptualization apps help end users explain their thoughts and writings visually. Conceptualization apps can help professionals understand and convey thoughts more powerfully than mere text or audio. 

Current examples of Digital Conceptualization apps: Gleek, Uizard

Rating - Hot:  As the adage goes, a picture is worth 1000 words, so in 2023, apps like Gleek, a text-to-diagram tool that turns descriptions (in its own unique syntax) into diagrams, are likely to get more and more popular.

13. Employee Training apps 

Trends towards more multi-locational teams and organizations, and home office working gained breakneck speed during Covid-19 lockdowns and are not reversible. Employee Training Apps typically can be used by employees of an organization to create and submit applications and attend a training program or course, normally online. Apps can also be used to ensure employees complete mandatory training in all locations. 

Current examples of employee training apps: Cypher Learning Matrix LMS, Absorb, Docebo

Rating - Heating up: The development of these apps has exploded since the pandemic. The trick will be to find the next big (or small) thing in a crowded marketplace.   

14. eLearning/Classroom Apps

Like with employees and work, more and more education takes place online. Schools and universities look for online help both in the classroom and through distance learning. Top universities, like Harvard Business School, are marketing their online offerings - “Don't miss the application window for our world-renowned, interactive online courses.” The challenge is to find what works for a niche of learners - in a world that encompasses individual learning via apps like Duolingo, assisting school teachers, to learning remotely at the world’s most prestigious universities. 

Current examples of elearning apps: Khan Academy, edX, Canvas for teachers 

Rating - Heating Up: eLearning and classroom apps are evolving all the time. How to find a new way to improve learning online is what will drive successful app ideas.

15. CRM apps for start-ups and small businesses

Customer Relationship Management or CRM is vital for businesses of all sizes. CRM is typically about business intelligence and managing the information that an organisation holds about its existing and potential customers. Having a CRM app can enable a firm to build and improve customer relationships as well as automating repetitive work so businesses can spend time more efficiently.

Current examples of CRM apps: Monday Sales CRM, Freshworks, SalesforceIQ

Rating - Heating up: With the trends towards personaliztion and automation. Start-ups and small businesses need to find the CRM app which is the right fit for their limited resources, and for that reason, CRM apps will continue to diversify and evolve in 2023. 

16. Family Web apps

With busy lifestyles, juggling a family and all family members’ hobbies, educational needs, shopping, family trips, vacations and so on - not to mention parents’ work commitments - is no easy task. That is where family apps, which might take the form of a family calendar or family organizer, can be very useful. Parental control apps can also be applied to keep children safe online. 

Current examples of Family apps: Mixbook, Family Link Manager, Cozi Family Organizer

Rating - Heating up: There aren’t a huge number of family web apps on the market - so if developers can find a niche this might be a real growth area in 2023.

17. Remote Team Management Apps

Recent years have seen more and more remote working and the great growth of the gig economy, the mainstreaming of outsourcing and the use of freelancers. In response, remote team management apps can help managers and companies keep track of geographically and organizationally dispersed teams and projects. 

Current examples of Remote Team Management apps: ProofHub, Nimbus, Slack

Rating - Heating up: Remote working arrangements are here to stay, so companies will look for ways they can continually improve their remote team management arrangements.  

The list above can be somewhat daunting - but help with how to come up with web ideas and how to put them into practice - is at hand. Blocshop has a team of dedicated professionals who can help you come up with the big app idea of 2023.

Blocshop is more than familiar in working with complex business processes, and can draw on finely-honed development and implementation skills to work in any of the following areas: eCommerce & retail, online education, Fintech and traditional banking, health & fitness, HR systems, hospitality and more. Check out Blocshop’s case studies to learn how apps were developed to help businesses get to the next level.