Do you know that, like humans, computer systems can talk, too?
No, I'm not talking about a plot from a sci-fi movie where AI is trying to dominate the earth. It's a real-world undertaking that is very simple, purely logical, and, most importantly, it happens for the benefit of humans.
Yes, we are talking about the significant growth of application programming interfaces or APIs that is at the root of digital transformation. Businesses around the world are adopting API integrations to reach their goals as soon as possible. Look what Kristin R. Moyer, the VP of Gartner, has to say about it:
“The API economy is an enabler for turning a business or organization into a platform… Platforms multiply value creation because they enable business ecosystems inside and outside of the enterprise to consummate matches among users and facilitate the creation and/or exchange of goods, services, and social currency so that all participants can capture value.”
With API integrations, businesses across several industry sectors are trying to innovate and reinvent themselves to cope with the trends and the competition in the market. The same is true for the e-commerce sector. The experts in this industry provide e-commerce app development services to guide businesses on how to use APIs as building blocks to pave the road to their success.
But before you start using APIs to your advantage, it is important to know what they are, how they work, and what kind of benefits you can get from using them. In this article, we will go through all of this so that when you finally employ e-commerce APIs to do your bidding, you will know what you are doing and why you are doing it so that you can get more effective results.
What are e-commerce APIs?
An e-commerce APIs is a type of API that allows developers to integrate their applications while developing an e-commerce store. The API integration can be done in several ways, but the most common way is through a webhook, which is an HTTP request that triggers an action in the store's backend.
E-commerce APIs are a means of integrating different applications and services. For specific purposes, APIs authorize the data exchange between two or more systems. These integrated systems work to streamline your business processes and make them more efficient.
The collaboration of two or more systems yields more effective results, which, in the end, helps companies reach their goals faster and save money in the process.
How do e-commerce APIs work?
We know that APIs are used to interact with other platforms and exchange information. E-commerce websites have to deal with tons of requests at the same moment. So, the APIs here will use the HTTP request method to request from the server the piece of information asked by the visitors.
These e-commerce APIs are based on REST architecture. They are much easier to implement using any tool and you have to just use a simple URL for it. REST APIs are extremely helpful in accessing the data sets from the server of an e-commerce website. Therefore, developers tend to include them in their search and query tools.
When using REST architecture-based APIs for your e-commerce website, you can also strengthen your site’s security as these APIs support OAuth 2.0 authentication, which is popularly used in apps like Google and Facebook.
Moreover, REST API also supports various programming languages along with cross-platform development. Now, the e-commerce APIs integrated into your site contain the following information:
- Resources – Objects determining the relationship with other objects and processes on how to handle them.
- Endpoints – They are the touchpoints for APIs where other systems interact.
- HTTP method – The process of interaction between the systems where GET is used to retrieve resources, POST is used to create resources, and PUT is used to change the resources.
- Parameter – Criteria containing the name, value type, and description to define what kind of actions you want to take on the resources.
- The Sample Request and Response Objects – They identify the resources’ outputs and inputs.
Benefits of API integration
API integration involves integrating your e-commerce platform with other systems and applications. Here are some of the benefits this process brings about API integration:
1 – Integration with multiple stores
The main benefit of using e-commerce APIs is that they allow for faster, easier, and more efficient integration with other systems and applications. By using e-commerce APIs, you can integrate your site with other ecommerce platforms and also link your store with the social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram that provide a marketplace. So, the e-commerce APIs will allow you to integrate with multiple stores and handle orders from each one separately.
2 – More effective data management
The data you receive from these APIs are already organized by the store itself. This arrangement means you don't have to worry about organizing it yourself or handling errors that may arise due to data inconsistencies.
3 – More accessible data repository
These APIs provide access to all kinds of data about products, inventory, pricing information, etc., so you can use them for any purpose you want. While doing that, you won’t have to create your data collection processes or manually organize them into some type of database structure or reporting tool.
4 – Increased sales
With API integration, you get access to the information that your customers are willing to share with you. This interaction will not only keep them engaged with your site but also increase the number of visitors. The connectivity here will just increase the value you provide to your customers, resulting in more lead generation and more sales.
5 – Cost-effective extensibility
Another benefit is that APIs help businesses save money on infrastructure costs by using existing systems instead of building new ones from scratch. This extensibility saves companies time and money, which can be used toward other business objectives such as hiring more employees or expanding their operations.
6 – Easy data access
API integration gives you access to data that is not available through the web interface. You can use APIs to pull data from other web services, databases, or even hardware devices. This access allows you to create more complex products, improve customer experience and add new features to your site.
Also, API integration can help companies improve their customer experience by giving customers fast access to information about their products or services through a single portal. For example, if you have an e-commerce website for clothing stores, you may want to allow customers to check out on your site without leaving the site where they are currently browsing through products.
Final thoughts
In today’s ever-changing digital world, businesses need to adapt and grow or risk losing to their competitors. In such times, APIs can help you build an agile marketing strategy and take advantage of channel explosion opportunities.
You can catch up on every trend and increase the functionalities of your online store easily, quickly, and efficiently with the help of e-commerce APIs. Developers don't have to stress out about coding from scratch as they only have to follow the instructions on API integration. On the other hand, the customers couldn't have asked for a better user experience.
APIs help you achieve your business goals and enable you to deliver your customers better value at far lower costs, resulting in a win-win situation for everyone involved. So, what is stopping you? The sooner you acquaint yourself with e-commerce APIs, the sooner you will start reaping the rewards of your step in the right direction.
