As a business owner, you’re likely always looking to maximize your ROI and to increase productivity and revenue. A custom application programming interface, or API, can do just that but it’s important to understand what it is and how it can be used by your business.
In the simplest of terms, an API is an intermediary that allows two separate applications to communicate with each other. It serves as the middleman in the relationship between programmer and application. Any time that you use a messenger feature, or access a stream of real time information, such as when you check the weather, you’re using an API.
These are just examples. A customized API is capable of so much more, and you might be surprised to discover how it can help improve your business in terms of productivity and revenue.
Let’s take a minute and talk about what custom API development can do for you.
Custom API Can Supercharge Your Mobile Game
Let’s start out with some numbers that can’t be ignored.
Last year, 75 percent of adults used a smartphone, and time spent using mobile devices increased from the previous year while time spent on desktop devices went down. It’s no longer a question of if your customers are using mobile. Now, it’s how can you best leverage mobile traffic for your business.
You already know that there’s a connection between customer experience and your bottom line. Custom API development targeted for your mobile customer can generate a more positive experience for them, while reducing your workload at the same time.
We can use a physician’s office as an example. The standard procedure is to show up 15 minutes early, juggle your bag and your coffee while flipping through a clip board filled with papers that would normally take twice the allotted time to fill out. So, you rush, giving the bare minimum in answers and even skipping some.
The patient is the customer and the doctor represents the business. In this case, does the business have everything it needs to meet the customer’s needs in the best possible way?
Probably not. We’ve all been on the receiving end of a rushed medical appointment and it eventually costs everyone more in terms of time, productivity, and money.
But, what if this office had a back-end developer create a custom API that allowed patients to download information from wearable health devices through mobile, easily transfer medical files that they can access instantly, or reschedule an appointment that they’re running late for?
The customer has a more satisfying experience, the staff wastes less time with paperwork, and the focus can be on providing quality care that financially benefits everyone.
A focus on API development for your mobile customers isn’t a luxury. It’s a necessity.
APIs Spur the Growth of Revenue Channels
There’s something amazing that happens when you find ways to reach previously untapped areas of your market.
More revenue magically appears.
Ok, so maybe not magically, but relatively effortlessly.
APIs can be used to facilitate the exchange of information between partnerships. They streamline collaboration, and make data transfer a breeze.
For your business, API development presents an opportunity to form partnerships with other businesses that share your market. Data sets can be easily shared between partners and their customers.
For example, if you run an art supplies store, you can partner with a museum or even a coffee shop that features the work of local artists. Each time a piece is clicked on, information from your site about the mediums used can be accessed along with directions to your location.
Suddenly, your audience is much larger than it used to be.
Integrating Multiple Services Leads to Increased Productivity
Stop and think for a second about how you’re marketing your business.
Maybe you’re taking care of all of it yourself, and to be honest, it’s exhausting. Or, you could have a few pros on your team, but the time they spend jumping from one application to the next rivals the times they spend actually creating winning marketing content.
Either way, someone is overwhelmed, and resources aren’t being used efficiently.
Let’s say you have a digital marketing campaign and you’re satisfied with the results you’re seeing. But, step back and look at everything involved. There’s analytics of your social media management, your landing page bounce rate and how many leads all those emails generate, and this is just the tip of the iceberg.
There’s a ton of data to analyze and integrate.
What if you had a custom API that integrated each of these tasks in a way that not only made access easier, but helped you to analyze them separately and as whole?
We bet you’d get a whole new perspective on what success means.
API development tailored specifically for your business can streamline the processes that are eating up your, and your staff’s, time. Information, coming from all directions, neatly packaged into one accessible tool makes it possible for your business to be more efficient and more productive.
Today, with the focus on digital marketing, many business owners are tech savvy, even if it’s out of necessity. You’re also taking on an incredible amount of responsibility. Whether your measuring the performance of your latest marketing strategy, finding ways for your staff to become more efficient, tweaking your own website for performance, or brainstorming over how to reach an untapped market, you’ve got a lot on your plate.
There’s a solution for you, and it’s only three letters long. An API could be the one tool you’re missing that can completely change how your business operates and who you’re able to reach. To be successful, you need to be connected. When you’re ready to take your business to the next level, contact the experienced team at Source Web Solutions. We’re ready to help you with custom API development that will lead to successful results for your business.