As online shopping is becoming more and more widespread so is the use of various APIs. API stands for application programming interface. APIs aid both a particular company and its customers. Whenever there is a notification informing the individual about the status of a parcel, that is thanks to an API. Various types of APIs exist to make things convenient for all parties. What follows is a brief overview of the legitimacy of APIs as such and API types. Then, we will turn to the different kinds of shipping APIs specifically and their advantages.
Contents
APIs In General
We live in a data-driven environment, where data is, indirectly, what keeps preventing your potential customers from purchasing from your competitors. At the end of the day, it all boils down to technology-driven apps that are designed and implemented to improve user experience. In other words, an eCommerce business can only stay in the race if its customers’ shopping experience is consistently enhanced. Your eCommerce business can only appeal to online visitors successfully if you integrate various APIs into your website. APIs will then do their magic in not only engaging but prompting potential customers to go ahead with a purchase. For the more tech-savvy, what an API does is translate shopper data into business intelligence.
Types of APIs
APIs are of different sorts depending on what function you utilize them for. Security APIs are important to ensure that customers have the trust to purchase from your website. Unless you have encrypted domains and SSL security certificates along with an authentication API, visitors are likely going to leave. The security measures you are offering to your customers should be clearly visible. Related to this are payment handling APIs that make transactions transparent via a simplified payment interface.
Full-stack payment processing is becoming a thing these days further reducing the hassle of secure payment on websites. Price comparison APIs are vendors’ best friend. Implementing an integrated price API allows you to stay up-to-date on relevant product price fluctuations. Thus, you can adjust your prices in a timely manner and remain competitive. Site search APIs cater to impatient customers, who want to search in a goal-oriented way for their favorite products. You do not want to lose anyone because searching on your website is too time-consuming.
Finally, shipping APIs draw on the convenience of transport. Being able to place an order today and receive the parcel the following day on your doorstep is because somewhere a shipping API is doing its job correctly. A well-functioning shipping process workflow as well as custom shipping labels integrates processing, tracking, as well as delivery both locally and internationally.
Shipping APIs In General
You can think of a shipping API as a very powerful digital middleman between customers and couriers. Depending on the particular shipping API you opt for, scopes may vary. However, there are three basic functions that you can take advantage of no matter which shipping API you use. These are shipment tracking, address validation, and multi-carrier support. There are numerous shipping APIs that you can integrate into your website. Examples include Shippo API, which can generate labels along with the above mentioned processes, and EasyPost that offers insurance among its other services.
Why Use Shipping APIs
If the three basic functions of shipping APIs were not enough, you can find further pros of integrating this type of API into your eCommerce business. Such pros are that you can obtain information about the current shipping rates or show available self-service locations to your customers. Further, you can offer full insurance coverage on all packages. The only thing to keep in mind is that your objective is to provide as much a trustworthy shopping experience to your customers as is possible.
Conclusion
To sum it up, in our eCommerce-dominated world, it is in both your and your customers’ best interest to integrate different APIs into your website. The more APIs you make use of, the more you can enhance the customer shopping experience on your website. It is unnecessary to say how valuable this can be in the long-run in terms of gaining competitive advantage. If you keep the main objective in front of you, that is to offer a convenient, straightforward, and user-friendly interface for your site visitors, you will reap all kinds of benefits.
