As we move further into the 21st century, more and more businesses and startups are shifting their operations online. That’s because there are many advantages to having a web presence. For one, you can reach a larger audience than you would if your business was limited to brick-and-mortar locations.

As of July 2022, over 5 billion people use the internet — that's more than half of the world's population. What’s more, it's cheaper and easier to maintain a web application than operate a physical location.

However, as your web application gains popularity, you may find it challenging to keep up with the demand. That’s where scaling comes in. With scalable web apps, you can manipulate the backend to ensure that they remain fast and responsive even when many users access them simultaneously.

This article will discuss how to scale up your web application in 2024.

What is a Scalable Web Application?

A scalable web application can handle a large number of users without becoming overloaded or bogged down. In order to achieve scalability, your app must be designed in such a way that it can easily accommodate an increase in demand. That usually involves optimization that incorporates several backend systems to help with load balancing the work.

If you're in the process of selecting web development and software development providers, ensure that they offer intuitive UX/UI designs. A great UX/UI DevOps enables a better user experience for your customers and potentially attracts more. It's also essential to check whether the providers offer different APIs to streamline the whole scaling process for both the backend and front end.

Is Scaling Your Web Application Necessary?

The answer to this question depends on several factors, including the size and scope of your e-commerce business. If you expect a large influx of new users, looking at large-scale web application architecture may be necessary. However, if your app is already handling the amount of traffic you expect, then there’s no need to make any changes.

Choosing the right scaling solution for your needs is essential if you plan to scale up your web application. By selecting the right solution, you can ensure that your web application can handle many users.

Scalability Challenges and How To Overcome Them

Here are some of the more common challenges of scaling:

Ineffective Traffic Distribution

One of the primary things to consider in scaling up a web application is ensuring that it remains fast and responsive. That can be especially difficult if you’re dealing with many users. One common cause of slowdowns that creates downtime and detracts from the user experience is ineffective traffic distribution.

What is Ineffective Traffic Distribution?

Ineffective traffic distribution occurs when the load on your web application is not evenly distributed. That can cause certain parts of your application to overload, leading to poor latency and performance issues.

How to Avoid Ineffective Traffic Distribution

There are a few things that you can do to avoid ineffective traffic distribution. One is to ensure that your backend systems are scalable. That will help to ensure that your application can handle a large number of users without becoming overloaded.

Overloading the Web Server

One of the main reasons for a slow web app is an overloaded web server. That can happen when too many requests are made simultaneously, which can cause the server to crash.

How to Avoid Overloading the Web Server

There are a few things that you can do to avoid overloading the web server. Like the remedy for ineffective traffic distribution, to ensure that your app can handle a large number of users, design your backend systems to be scalable.

You should also ensure that you use an appropriate web server for your needs. For example, if you expect a high number of visitors, you may need to use a more powerful server that can handle more requests simultaneously.

Manual Scaling vs Autoscaling

When considering how to scale a web application, there are two main options: manual scaling and autoscaling. With manual scaling, you are responsible for scaling up or down your application as needed. A manual approach can be time-consuming, and it can be challenging to get the balance right.

On the other hand, as the name suggests, autoscaling is a process that is done automatically by the system. That means you don't have to worry about scaling your application up or down as needed; the system will take care of everything for you.

Which is Right for Me?

Both manual scaling and autoscaling have their pros and cons. For example, manual scaling is more flexible than autoscaling, so you have more control over how your application scales. However, this also means that getting things right can be more challenging.

Autoscaling is less flexible, but it is much easier to get the balance right. It’s also less time-consuming than manual scaling, which is a big plus if you’re short on time.

So, which is right for you? The answer to this question depends on your needs and preferences. Manual scaling may be the better option if you want more control over your application. Consider autoscaling if you want something that is easy to use and doesn't require much maintenance.

Lack of Updates and Faults in the Code

Another common cause of slowdowns is faults in the code or lack of updates to the code. These oversights can cause the application to malfunction. When this happens, it can take a long time for it to recover, leading to performance issues and downtime.

How to Avoid Faults in the Code

One way to avoid faults in your code is to ensure that it’s well-tested and error-free. You should also ensure that you use an appropriate programming language for your needs, such as Javascript.

You should also keep your code up-to-date. That means making regular checks to ensure your code is as modern, effective and efficient as possible. When you do this, you reduce the chances of errors occurring to ensure that your app runs smoothly.

Poorly Performing Queries

Queries that take a significant amount of time to execute can cause problems for the overall performance of a database. Writing efficient queries is key to a fast and reliable app, but there are many ways to write inefficient ones.

One common way to write a poor query is by using a subquery. Subqueries can be slow because they must be run separately from the main query. An excellent way to avoid this is to use an EXISTS operator on your subqueries. The EXISTS operator will check if the subquery returns any results, which can speed up the overall process.

Another common problem arises with queries when too much data is being returned on a query. That can happen when too many rows are selected or too many columns are included in the result set. In either case, this can cause the database to work harder than necessary and lead to poor performance. To avoid this, try limiting the amount of data being returned. You can do this by specifying the desired number of rows or selecting only the necessary columns.

How to Successfully Scale Your Web Application in 2024

Web applications are becoming increasingly popular, so businesses need to ensure that their app can handle the increased load that comes with the greater demand. Let's look at some tips on how to scale up your web application successfully in 2024.

Cloud Computing

One of the best ways to scale your web application is through cloud computing because it enables you to easily add more resources to your application. That means you can increase or decrease the resources you use depending on the current load.

Another advantage of cloud computing is that you can access your resources from anywhere in the world. As a result, you can quickly scale your application anytime, wherever you’re located. It also enables you to meet your user's needs in different parts of the world.

Finally, cloud computing is an affordable option. You can get started with cloud computing for a fraction of the cost of traditional hosting options. That makes it a cost-effective way to scale your app.

Horizontal Scaling

The capacity of a web application can be increased by a technique called horizontal scaling. When you use horizontal scaling, you add additional machines to your network to handle the increased demand on the server by spreading the load. This can be a useful option when you’re experiencing high volumes of traffic and need to scale your application quickly because it’s easy to set up.

This can also be a quick solution and also doesn’t require changes to your code, but it does often result in downtime for the setting up.

Vertical Scaling

Another way to increase the capacity of a web application is through vertical scaling. When you use vertical scaling, you increase the power available by adding additional processing resources to your machine or upgrading the machine itself. .

This can also be a quick solution and also doesn’t require changes to your code, but it does often result in downtime for the setting up.

Database Management

Database management is critical to scaling a web application because a well-managed database will help ensure that it can handle the increased load. A crucial task in managing a database is to optimize it by creating indexes on the queried columns. These indexes will help the database find data quickly and efficiently.

It’s important to monitor your database to ensure it continues running smoothly and tools are available for this job.

Finally, you need to plan for growth. As your web app, you will need to scale your database to match its needs. You can do this by adding additional resources to your database or by switching to a larger server.

Cache Configuration

Cache configuration is another essential task for scaling your app. A cache that is properly configured will assist your application manage the additional load.

Like the management of the database, you should also monitor the function of your cache and update it with additional resources when required.

Architecture Pattern

When scaling a web application, it’s essential to use the correct architecture pattern. There are several different patterns that you can use, and each one has both advantages and disadvantages.

• The most common architectural pattern is the layered pattern. This pattern divides the application into a series of layers, each of which handles a specific task. This pattern is popular because it’s easy to understand and scalable.
• Another typical architecture pattern is the microservices pattern. This pattern uses a collection of small services that communicate with each other. This pattern is also scalable and allows for easy separation of concerns in its design.
• Finally, you may want to consider the event-driven architecture pattern. This pattern uses events to trigger actions. It is also scalable and allows for easy system modification.

Content Delivery Network

A content delivery network (CDN) is a server network that delivers content to users. It’s used to provide content from various sources, including websites, videos, and software applications. You can also use CDNs to improve the performance of a website. When a user requests content from a website, the CDN will serve the content from the closest server. That can improve the website's performance by reducing the time it takes to download the content.

You can also use a CDN to improve the security of a website. When a user requests content from a website, the CDN will serve the content from a secure server, keeping the user’s data safe.

CDNs are also useful for distributing content to a large audience. When you use a CDN, you can ensure that your content is delivered quickly and reliably to users worldwide.

Clean Code

One of the most important aspects of scaling a web application is keeping your code clean to make it easy to understand and less likely to have errors. Having a clean code contributes to a more effective digital strategy.

There are several ways to keep your code clean.

• One technique is to break your code into smaller pieces. That makes it easier to understand and less likely to have errors.
• Another technique is to use comments to explain your code. That helps other developers understand your code and makes it easier to fix any errors.
• Finally, you should always test your code before deploying it to identify any errors so that you can fix them quickly.

Did you know?

The dark mode is a trend expected to grow in popularity in 2024. It’s based on the idea of using a dark colour scheme for web apps. The dark mode is currently available in browsers, including Firefox, Chrome, and Safari, as well as in a wide range of apps. You can enable and disable it in the settings menu or by installing a plugin.

Practices to Successfully Scale Your Web Application

If your application is starting to experience problems with traffic, it may be time to scale it up to handle the additional demand. There are several practices that will assist you to achieve this successfully.

Approve Scaling Initiatives with All Partners

When scaling your web application, getting all your partners' approval is essential. Having everyone is on board with the changes from the start will help avoid misunderstandings.

Specify Your Demands for Scaling Using Metrics

When working with your scalable web application, it ‘s essential that you understand the specific demands it will be required to meet. You can use metrics such as Network Input/Output time, Disk Input/Output operations, CPU (central processing unit) time usage, and utilization of memory to help you understand what needs to be scaled.

Once you have determined the specific needs that will have to be addressed, you can agree growth initiatives with all of your partners. Not only will that get everyone is on the same page, but it will also ensurethat the necessary resources are available to complete the work.

Leverage the Right Tools

Useful tools you may want to apply include load balancers, proxies, and caching servers.

• Load balancers distribute traffic evenly across multiple servers. This improves the performance of your application by ensuring that all of your servers can handle the demand on them.
• You can use proxies to improve the security of your application by preventing unauthorized access to your servers.
• Caching servers store copies of your content so that it can be delivered quickly to users. This reduces the load on your servers and improves the performance of your application as a result.
• As noted earlier, efficient database management will ensure effective data storage, making it quick to deliver when required.

Involve PaaS Vendor

When scaling a web application, you may need to use a PaaS vendor to get the job done. They can be expensive, so you may not have the resources to work with them. However, PaaS vendors do offer several benefits.

• They can help scale your application quickly and efficiently.
• They can reduce the load on your servers.
• They can improve the performance of your app.

Web Application Development Trends To Look Out for in 2024

Web application development is constantly changing and evolving as new technologies become available. Several new trends will be coming in 2024, including the following:

Data Storage and Management

Data storage and management are critical to successful web application development. In 2024, you can expect to see more emphasis on big data and data lakes. Big data refers to large volumes of data that are difficult to process using traditional methods. Data lakes are repositories for storing big data in a readily accessible format. These changes will make it easier for you to manage and process your data.

Real-time Applications

Another trend that is likely to emerge in 2024 is real-time applications. These are applications that can provide users with real-time feedback. That can be useful for applications such as chatbots and online gaming.

Template-Based Development

In 2024, you can expect to see more template replication, a development approach that uses templates to create repeatable structures. That can speed up the development process and reduce the amount of code that needs to be written manually.

Replication and Streaming

Finally, 2024 is likely to bring more replication and streaming. Replication refers to the process of copying data from one location to another. Streaming refers to sending data over a network in a continuous stream. That will make it easier for you to send and receive data quickly and efficiently.

Learn More About Web Applications at Brain Box Today!

As we move into 2024, it will become increasingly important to be on top of the latest app development trends. To successfully scale your web application, you will need to leverage big data storage and management, real-time applications, template-based development, and replication and streaming. .

Our team at Brain Box can help you get started with these practices and ensure that your web app can handle the increasing demand from users. Contact us today for more information!

Interested in learning more about successfully developing and scaling a web application? Visit us at Brain Box Labs, and we can even guide you on how you could use different tools to enhance your own company's performance profile.