API: The Most Critical Business-Wise Component of a Web App

Most business procedures are operating actively on the internet nowadays. There are also some companies that are completely dependent on their apps to provide services as well. Even businesses require a good team of IT that can help operate their app in a very stable way within their own infrastructure. But little do others know that everything else will fail once the API of a business fails at the same time.

Business Benefits of An API

The Application Programming Interface or the API is what makes data exchanges happen, and what makes systems interact with a different one over a network. That’s why many businesses know well that APIs can lead to business advantages such as the following:

• Creates Demand– API is widely used as a method on the internet for upselling products and services. New products on the scene can be promoted well through the means of this feature as long as the product is available.
• Develops Affiliates– Affiliate marketing is a common thing that happens online thanks to API. The assistance of API helps other apps become affiliates to you. It also results in a win-to-win situation on their end as you become an affiliate to them.
• Unifies Compatible Businesses– You can develop partnerships with the 3rd party apps that are integrated to you, allowing them to grow with you at the same time.

We are already in an era where everyone wishes to get connected in a faster way. That’s why the following benefits won’t just grow your business, but other businesses as well. In that way, contribution towards one another will develop to the point where business partnerships may even form.

An Important Matter When Monitoring APIs

The main reason why monitoring APIs is extremely important to monitor is that it hugely relies on the data that your site or web app processes. It also relies on the way business manage how end users, programmers, and customers rely on data for the sake of their convenience. These two reasons are also what makes the two types of APIs that are needed to be monitored regularly.

That’s why API monitoring must consist of checking the endpoint of an API if it’s returning an error about the server. The API must also be trusted enough for saving and re-using the variables present in its data. It should also undergo authentication properly and must be able to complete transactions. The response time of the API must also be checked if it’s returning quickly and if it’s working well during production and pre-production. All of these must be checked, along with the correct data that the API is returning as well. In that way, you can finally determine if the API is smoothly running.

Take note that this can impact your business a lot if the API goes down. Just imagine the fact that API failure can spell trouble to major social networking platforms can affect businesses that heavily rely on using its data for their respective services (e.g. dating apps that contain social networking platform data). That’s why the availability of an API should be present at all times as it’s one of the components that build a certain web app into whatever it may serve for the public to benefit at.