An API or an Application Programming Interface is the middleman in the exchange of information between two different platforms. An API developer is a programming specialist with the ability to create these interfaces to allow information to stream seamlessly between these two or more platforms.
In its true sense, the API is also a gatekeeper. If a specific program tries to access information from another program, it first has to go through the API. This means it must be able to communicate with the API in the specific language that is created just for that API. This means a unique API for your Atlanta ecommerce site limits other sites from gaining access.
If the program initiating the communication has the right language, the API responds and returns the required data between the two programs or the programmer and the application. If the incorrect language is used, the API doesn’t respond, which effectively stops any communication between the two.
Finding a knowledgeable, experienced and effective API developer is critical for any ecommerce website. This will allow your website to connect and communicate with Atlanta shipping services, inventory management, accounting and even connection with third-party vendors such as Amazon or eBay. Without quality API data is lost, information is not sent and received and the ecommerce site becomes a problem to manage and use.
Understanding of Needs
One of the most important things that an API developer has to do is understand what you need. A good developer will ask a lot of questions and get a full and complete overview of what you expect your ecommerce site to do and the third-party sites that will connect.
Additionally, the developer will want to understand how much you will need to work with the API in terms of traffic. Some of the APIs have a limit or a cap on the number of requests that can be handled through the system. For most smaller websites this will not be a concern, but for large ecommerce sites this can be a very big concern, so making a choice that is scalable and can grow with the business may be critical.
Experience with your Software
The entire purpose of the API is to automate the website and allow different and separate systems and programs to be able to “talk” to each other. It is important to talk to the developer not only about the company’s experience with APIs but also with the specific software you will be using.
This may seem basic, but when the developer already has the experience in creating APIs to work with specific software programs the development is much faster, allowing your project to be completed quickly and efficiently.
