If you are somebody who might not be aware of the certain Magento concepts, what the Magento API is and what it can be used for, we need to clarify a few background concepts. Let’s say you run or intend to run an eCommerce business, then you know of the need to have and use eCommerce software.
This software enables you to start your online business quickly, ensures your online store is always open, enables you to sell to anyone, anytime and anywhere, it helps you save time money and other resources and much more.
With that out of the way, we can now revisit the question, What is Magento API and what it can be used for?
In this beginners guide, we provide some brief but insightful highlights on this topic.
Contents
What is Magento API?
Firstly, Magento is an eCommerce platform that’s built on open source technology. This basically means the source code used to create this software is freely available to the public to see, edit and redistribute. Anybody who is a Magento developer can do this, in fact they can create a completely new product.
As a merchant, this provides you with a flexible shopping cart system plus control over the look, functionality, and content of your online store. This platform offers powerful search engine optimization, marketing, and catalog-management tools.
Moving to the second part of the concept, API stands for Application Programming Interface. If you are not well versed with programming and applications we will make this concept simpler.
An API communicates with the different components of the software and instructs the software on how to act, you can typically access all of the features of the User Interface, but you are able to do this through your own programming.
This allows the components to perform various tasks and share data. Put differently an Application Programming Interface is a set of rules that are created with a messaging protocol such as REST (Representational State Transfer), SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol), as a programmatic interface to the software.
Magento API, therefore, is a kind of framework that provides a method for developers and integrators to use web services that communicate directly with the Magento System.
Magento API’s basic features include but are not limited to:
- Support for REST, SOAP and XML-RPC protocols.
- Three types of authentication: Third-party applications, Mobile applications and administrators and customers authentication.
What Can The Magento API be Used For?
This API can be used to perform a diverse range of tasks for your eCommerce store.
1. Creating a shopping app
Using this API one can create a traditional app which a user can easily download on a mobile device. You can also use it to create an app that your employees can use on a showroom to help potential customers make purchases.
2. To integrate with Customer Management System (CRM) back end system
A CRM is a combination of strategies, practices, and technologies used by your business to manage and analyze customer interactions throughout the customer-life-cycle.
Why is this important and how can integration using Magento API assist your business?
CRM aims at improving customer service relationships and assist in customer retention and driving the growth of your sales. Such systems compile this vital data across diverse channels or points of contact between the business and the customer. These points of contact include your company website, live chat, telephone, direct marketing, and social media.
Using the Magento API to integrate your CRM system functions together with your website seamlessly. This in turn brings valuable customer info straight into your CRM.
3. Integrating with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) back end system
You can use this API to integrate the Enterprise Resource Planning tool with your business website. With this system of interconnected business applications, you can use the Magento system to manage your enterprise and automate many of the back-end functions.
Such functions include human resources, financial accounting, and many others through function-specific ERP modules. The advantage is that you don’t waste time and resources carrying out repetitive manual tasks. Instead, you can refocus your attention on improving other aspects of your business.
4. Create JavaScript Widgets
Magento API can be used to create JavaScript widgets on the Admin panel or on Magento admin panel. Such widgets make you are more visible and easily accessible online.
There’s no doubt, this API is critical to any eCommerce business. It lets the Magento system handle all the necessary data operations effectively via the internet; it collects and aggregates data from different computers in a sensible way.
Simply put, this API allows other programs to communicate effectively with the Magento system.
Conclusion
Why is an increasing number of eCommerce websites opting for Magento API? It’s because of the beauty of this system: it’s powerful, scalable and flexible. What’s more, its API plays a significant in helping eCommerce business owners get the most out of the Magento platform.
You don’t have to be an expert on the functionality of Magento API for you to reap the maximum benefits of this interface. You just need to get the services of an experienced development team that can use the programming interface effectively and boosts the efficiency of your eCommerce website.
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