By: Wyles Daniel
Application programming interfaces (APIs) are transforming how e-commerce platforms are built and how the stores that rely on them operate. Platforms like BigCommerce offer a new way for businesses to scale, and BigCommerce developers are provided with flexibility, faster integrations, and enhanced customizability. Indeed, these emerging market leaders reveal the potential value of an API-first approach.
What Is an API-First Approach in E-Commerce?
An API-first approach prioritizes using APIs to facilitate more efficient data exchange rather than relying on a monolithic system. These solutions allow for implementing a headless commerce system, which decouples front-end and back-end development to handle certain parts of the business independently.
Furthermore, APIs enable integration with customer relationship management tools (CRMs), enterprise resource planning tools (ERPs), and other solutions.
As a platform, BigCommerce helps e-commerce businesses take advantage of an API-first approach. In doing so, it helps these stores accelerate time to market for new features and updates, enhance omnichannel capabilities across web, mobile, and point of sale (POS), and create a foundation for future-proofing through modular scalability. This can support e-commerce businesses in growing and thriving in a competitive market.
Examples of Success in API-First Design
Not only e-commerce businesses but also confident leaders in the banking industry have begun to implement API-first solutions. In an environment that values caution over rapid change and the implementation of innovation, it is perhaps surprising that banks would introduce API-first models. In many ways, this suggests that the value of APIs may no longer be overlooked.
“Traditional banks once treated APIs as necessary evils,” Akhil Gupta wrote for the Forbes Technology Council. “This approach made sense when banks primarily served consumers directly, [but] BaaS providers now recognize that developers are the new kingmakers. When startup founders evaluate payment processors, lending infrastructure, or account management systems, developer experience has emerged as a key factor.”
Companies are transforming well-established architecture to favor an API-first approach, even in traditionally rigid industries. However, the enhanced flexibility, performance, and user experience offered by the integration of API solutions now require adaptation for the future of enterprise.
Shifting to an API-First Approach
As businesses look toward adopting API-first solutions, leading platforms like BigCommerce facilitate change. Though a company might lack the established architecture to integrate APIs, such platforms offer the flexibility necessary for developers to build new systems from the ground up. Doing so helps businesses stay up-to-date, developing faster and more flexible integrations that improve the customer experience.
An API-first strategy could help support future-proofing processes in many ways. Even if a business is not entirely reliant on the solutions an API may provide, it could benefit from the possibility of simplified integration of new technologies and services. This new architecture empowers developers and e-commerce businesses to build toward future innovation and growth potential.
FAQ
Q: What’s the difference between API-first and headless commerce?
A: Headless commerce is a subset of API-first systems. Where headless commerce focuses on decoupling the “head” customer-facing storefront from the “body” of back-end functionality, an API-first approach is intended to cover the whole stack of service integration. Ultimately, APIs enable headless commerce.
Q: Is an API-first approach better for all e-commerce brands?
A: While APIs have many applications, an API-first approach is not necessarily suited to every e-commerce brand. It is especially beneficial for a brand that needs custom workflows, multi-channel experiences, or frequent integrations to be achieved consistently and reliably.
Q: Is a team of developers required to build an API-first store?
A: In short, yes. An API-driven store typically requires skilled developers to implement and maintain operations effectively. However, this investment is often considered valuable for a brand that needs an API solution.
