Before knowing how an API can make you money, you should first understand what an API does. API is a common term used for any component that can be used as a “middleman” between a client application and data (e.g., a third-party developer program and your internal procedures). APIs aren’t only for web applications. They are a part of operating systems that give external software access to low-level computer functionality. APIs can be implemented in many computer systems that allow third-party developers access to internal functionality while still controlling what a third-party can do with low-level features.

With web APIs, the API owner exposes internal business functionality that then calls internal procedures to return data. A software developer can create an application that calls these API endpoints. API endpoints are locations where each functionality is located. In a web environment, endpoints are created in the form of a URL. For instance, if you have an endpoint that gets customer information, your endpoint could look like the following:

yoursite.com/api/customer

The URL should always implement HTTPS as the protocol. HTTPS means that SSL/TLS is used to connect to the API. For cybersecurity purposes, all API endpoints should implement HTTPS to protect data. The URL should have a separate directory for the API, or you can use a subdomain to process API requests. The endpoint name (“customer” in this example) should give a developer an idea of what information will be returned. With this example, the developer can safely assume that customer data will be returned.

The advantage of using an API is that you control the data that can be used and returned. If you have API actions that edit or create data, you can control the way data is manipulated throughout the application. Instead of giving third-party developers full control of your internal data, they get only a portion of it and can only change or retrieve data that you have given them access to.

USING AN API TO INCREASE REVENUE OPPORTUNITIES

At first, it sounds like an API would be nothing more than an added staffing and technology expense. However, it can be a source of revenue and a way to gain brand recognition within a developer community. For an API that can be used in client applications, the best way to make money on it is to charge customers based on a per transaction or per usage subscription. Because a small business will use an API much less frequently than a large enterprise, most API owners have tiered pricing depending on usage. Pricing is set up as a subscription where the cost increases the more API calls a third-party developer needs to use.

Some businesses attract developers to their API by also providing a free tier in a subscription plan. A free tier can be for only a limited amount of time or for a limited amount of API calls. By providing a free tier, the organization offers third-party developers a way to investigate if the API will be useful. It’s also a way to give small developers the ability to work with the API. Small developers are perfect for word-of-mouth references, and many of them can then recommend the API to future employers and other developers.

A good example of a successful revenue-generating API is Salesforce. Salesforce is a CRM that allows businesses to track leads and sales. It provides an API to developers, empowering them to customize their Salesforce instance and how their data is managed and organized, and it’s one of the most popular sales platforms on the market. The Salesforce platform is integrated into enterprise environments where sales and customer service teams rely on it to manage millions in revenue for their organizations. The API has been a very successful revenue stream for Salesforce.

AN API CAN BE AN EFFECTIVE MARKETING TOOL

Marketing can be expensive, but using an API as a marketing tool can indirectly generate sales. By making the API useful to developers, you can market the business as more developers integrate it into client applications. The API must be useful and give developers reasons to integrate it, which means that the API must provide functionality that cannot be easily found in a competitor API or application.

After an API is integrated into a third-party application, it’s difficult to unwind. Most developers will continue to use the API as long as it’s continually maintained, functional and adds value to business software. Developers discuss APIs and third-party software that makes their jobs easier, so providing an API for the general public helps spread the word that your web application is better than your competitor(s). If your competitor has no API, your own API could be a good sales tool that could help influence customers to work with your business.

As developers integrate your API, it will be seen in open-source repositories on sites such as Github, and other developers will review it to see if it can be a good component to add to their own programs. To help with marketing, your own developers can create libraries that make it even easier to integrate your API into third-party programs. The easier you make the API to integrate into third-party programs, the more likely it will be used and made a part of a system for years. With a subscription-based tiering plan, your organization can generate revenue every month based on the frequency of API use.

CONCLUSION

It should be noted that, in order to work to its full potential, the API must always be maintained and running smoothly. Any performance issues can hurt developer interest and could force them to go to a competitor. A well-maintained API can keep developer interest for years, and provide remarkable enhancements to software that works as an effective passive marketing tool that can help your word-of-mouth developer recommendations soar.

The post How an API Can Be Leveraged to Boost Sales first appeared on STEP Software.

A system administrator handles the core of your IT setup. They’re the ones who design and maintain how users, groups of users, computers, and groups of computers behave. This is true whether you’re looking at a specific user or computer, or across the entire network. Adding IT consultants to your company’s roster of reliable resources can ensure your network is optimized and secure. 

In many small- to mid-sized businesses, the IT expert is expected to know everything about technology, even if it’s not necessarily computer tech, and even if they have no direct experience with the technology. They’re the ones who handle installation and configuration of systems and will be the go-to person when a program or corresponding hardware isn’t working as expected.

Businesses with larger demands often create an IT help desk that augments the sysadmin. The sysadmin of a large system doesn’t have time to reset passwords or plug in the printer that is constantly unplugged by someone walking by, especially if they’re creating a system to rival Fortune 500 companies. An IT consultant can augment a busy help desk by applying expertise when and where it’s needed most. 

Go to a sysadmin if you have no IT layout at all. If your business tech is a few computers or laptops thrown together by you or a one-off IT contractor, a sysadmin can design and implement a more focused system and help you plan for the future.

Your business may need to use unique software in unique ways, or you may need to customize the setup for standard programs to do something unique and automated. In many ways, a sysadmin can help you with those changes.

If you need big changes or want your own program with your own features, you’ll need someone with scripting experience. Proceed with caution, as even an experienced sysadmin is not necessary a programmer. IT consultant firms supply developers or sysadmins as needed and will often help you to appreciate their differences. 

SCRIPTING VERSUS PROGRAMMING

Code! What does it mean? What doesn’t it mean?

To keep things simple, the difference between scripting and programming is about digging into the deep details and making small, nuanced changes versus pushing big commands together to build or augment your custom technology solution.

Scripting is the act of launching specific tasks using command line language. People with scripting experience will use a specific scripting language to open X program at Y time, install X program on hundreds of computers, or to reset the passwords of multiple users by simply double-clicking.

In the early world of automation, scripts became a way to make many IT tasks easier. If you do the same task repeatedly, why type out or click around through multiple folders repeatedly when you can click once and enjoy a cup of coffee? Hiring the right IT consultant can help you make the most of your clicks, streamline your operations and refine your IT processes.

Programming is a completely different issue. The similarities stop at typing what looks like code commands because while programming can use scripting, its scope is often far beyond the scope of scripts. 

Think of programming as digital crafting. They are respected as the carpenters, masons, architects, and artists of the digital world because what the best programmers do is similar to creating cars out of clay.

That said, most programmers don’t start from the clay. They work with programming languages such as Java, C, Python or Ruby, which have libraries of code to give a framework for people who want to create something.

There are prebuilt tools for making a window, opening certain tasks, performing math calculations, and other tasks. Programmers can also borrow the best practices of established code that works in one situation to create something entirely new.

Many information technology and computer science professionals work in multiple languages. It’s in your best interest, however, to confirm their skills and experience. If you want a professional who can automate tasks, scripting experience is fine, and programming skills might be too much. If you want software built, make sure the applicant has expertise in an actual programming language(s) and has a corresponding portfolio for you to review.

NETWORKING AND SECURITY ARE NOT THE SAME

If you need someone to handle the routers and switches in your building, a network professional is your best bet.

People with networking certifications or years of confirmed networking experience can keep your network up and your internet connections working, at least as long as your internet service provider (ISP) is doing their job. The IT networking consultant can also handle managing your ISP account for you.

Network security and general IT security are separate from networking but need networking skills and so much more. The biggest, most automated threats in the tech world are internet-based and need networking experience to battle, but the issue is quite complex, requiring a very specific skill set. An IT consultant with expertise in security can test your network for vulnerabilities and recommend an appropriate course of action. 

Make sure that your cybersecurity professionals know their way around a network, the systems you use, and the world of cybersecurity news. They don’t need to waste time discussing cybersecurity news to prove themselves, but they need to be familiar with at least monthly or weekly threats.

Knowing networking as a security professional will prove useful whenever something is unusual on the network. If strange addresses are connecting or if resources are being overused with no other obvious symptoms, security experts will enhance your IT security by knowing where to look.

They also need to know how to diagnose computers at the digital and physical level. What prompts an end-user to report that their computer is acting up when there is a multitude of tasks running, and how many of those tasks are viruses? Who will identify that a computer sounds like it’s dealing with a higher number of processes than it normally should, especially when there’s nothing showing up in task manager? 

Networking is often the beginning of cybersecurity talk, and networkers need to know a bit of security. Cybersecurity experts need to know the symptoms of all IT-connected systems and a bit more, so their skills can be harder to measure.

If in doubt, bring in multiple cybersecurity experts to discuss their expertise and to talk about your challenges. Unless they’re all working together against you and your paycheque, you can pare down your new team based on both their knowledge and their performance. 

Managed IT services companies often offer multiple services. This can come from an organization with an array of professionals with multiple skill sets, or a company comprising diverse individuals who are each experienced in multiple disciplines, covering every applicable department. They can help you reduce downtime, protect confidential data, and act as an extension of your problem-solving team that you can call upon when needed.

Their leadership can help you home in on which technology approach makes the most sense to contribute to your ongoing success. Contact a managed IT services consultant when you need to discuss scalable upgrades, software customization, repairs, cost reduction, changes to requirements, or to brainstorm creative tech innovations to keep your business moving forward.

The post Focused IT Consulting Fosters Small Business Innovation first appeared on STEP Software.