An API is a set of requirements that allow applications to interact and communicate with each other while an OpenAPI can be defined as a publicly available application programming interface that offers developers programmatic access to a proprietary software application.
Developing OpenAPIs for software products is a valuable tool for any business today. However, did you know that your customers can also benefit if you allowed third-party developers to integrate their software products with yours?
Some developers might be anxious when they think about opening their digital doors to others. However, the fact is that they could be holding themselves back from the kind of growth that they deserve by keeping all their development work in-house. When OpenAPIs are done correctly, they contribute greatly to enhancing user satisfaction and growth. They have also had a major contribution to today’s digital transformation.
Here are a number of benefits of OpenAPIs to your consumers.
Increasing User Engagement
Making a product more valuable over time is one of the best tactics for improving your user engagement. If you make your customers more reliant on your OpenAPI, then you are guaranteed of getting more users. OpenAPIs create a two-way street that makes it easy to increase the value of your products by creating a reliance on the products. This increases user engagement which is a huge factor of success for any application. But how do you get an OpenAPI if you already have an API developed? Well, APITransform allows you to convert your Postman collection to OpenAPI by simply uploading the Postman collection and letting them do everything else for you.
Once your OpenAPI is adopted by third-party applications, your products will easily evolve based on the market itself. Instead of reading or trying to understand what your customers are looking for, third-party developers will create integrations that will help in fostering a high sense of value over time. However, by keeping an open conversation with both your third-party developers and customers, you can get some potential integrations that, with time, will increase your user engagement. With such insights, you can develop similar products hence creating more value for your users and even other products.
Increasing Product Functionality
Even if you launch one of the best products today, you will always find ways to improve it over time. However, did you know that the best ideas for increasing functionality might come from another person? There are so many extensions, applications, and integrations that have been born from other developers trying to make other applications better than they currently are. In the long run, your consumers are able to get more functionality and applications that meet all their requirements. For instance, Slack uses a model that allows consumers to combine a number of tools that a team currently uses into one messenger app. This openness brought about by OpenAPIs has increased the functionality of all the tools used by the team members.
Decreasing User Difficulties
In the early 2000s, it was quite difficult for one to develop a functional website. This was highly contributed by the lack of partnerships back then. However, things have changed today and users have gained a lot from OpenAPIs due to the growing simplicity when trying to create applications.
For example, WordPress offers software that has made creating websites a very easy task and mastered how to allow others to develop. They have over 40,000 plugins and many themes available to users. This, in return, offers a simple solution to users for any problem that they might face when creating a website.
If you are looking to increase user engagement, increase the functionality of your applications, and decrease user difficulties, then OpenAPIs will get the job done for you.
