How Do I Develop an API Ecosystem?

Nearly all digital transformation projects involve the use of APIs. Whilst their role is often understated, it is becoming more evident that the humble API is moving from middleware tool to essential integration service. Organizations now build entire ecosystems around their APIs, curating the relationship between APIs and their partners, internal apps and services, developers, and end users. Restructuring your business workflows around an API ecosystem can sound intimidating. But it comes with significant payoffs for you. How can you build and develop your own API ecosystem? Read on to learn more.

The Customer Experience

Like all successful digital transformation strategies, you need to start by taking a look at the user experience. The customer is what drives your business and the ever-changing state of business technology. You’ll want to base your strategy on specific use cases rather than your existing business technology. For a successful API ecosystem, it’s best to start by picturing your ideal user experience. This is often called an outside-in or top-down strategy.

Note that the "user" is not always your business’s typical customer. When it comes to your API, you also want to keep in mind the experience for partners, developers, and internal stakeholders. This is especially true if you wish to create an open API. Anyone who interacts with your API should be considered in the planning of your API ecosystem.

The Ecosystem Framework

Building a successful API ecosystem just won’t happen if you hold on to the old mindset surrounding APIs. These bits of code have come a long way from their roots of just typing together internal apps. To make the most of current API technology, you need to reframe how you see them.

API are now considered products and services, and their use cases are far more diverse than ever before. Keep this in mind as you progress and look at which technology will develop the best customer experience. On that note, your aim should be to promote long-term loyalty among your user base rather than short-term victory over your competition. Don’t be afraid to partner with other companies in your field.

Finally, don’t overthink the process and insist on perfection or bust. API ecosystems allow for more flexibility than ever, thanks to their composable nature. Get your ecosystem running sooner and don’t forget to adjust it later if you find something isn’t working.

Collaborate and Create

You have your plan for the ecosystem, so now it’s time for action. You’ll need to find your partners that have the technology and data you need to develop your planned user experience. To do this, compare your ideal user experience with your current technology level and find where the gaps are. Use this as a guide to determine what technology you need. Then use this information to find your potential partners.

When it comes to building your ecosystem, an API life cycle management system can help you streamline the process. This allows you to build an API gateway and developer portal to aid in the user experience. An API cataloge will also keep track of existing API functions and let you reuse them as necessary.

Engage and Adjust

Now your API ecosystem is up and running. Congratulations! Next you’ll need to engage users and watch how they interact with the ecosystem. Create user personas (if you don’t already have them from the first step) to help you identify a target audience. You could also hold a hackathon to drive developer engagement and potentially find new innovations for your software.

As more users engage with your API and surrounding ecosystem, use this opportunity to monitor traffic and usage. You may notice gaps and areas for improvement. Be sure to fill them and adjust the ecosystem as needed. Throughout your API’s life cycle, this should be done continuously.

About DreamFactory

DreamFactory is an industry-leading full life cycle API management solution. Using this platform, you can build and manage your API ecosystem from the ground up. No code? No problem — you can make use of DreamFactory’s instant API generation by importing your existing data. Management tools to track key metrics will ensure you have the clearest picture of your API.

Ready to get started? We can help you build your first full-featured, secure, and documented API in minutes. Use this as the basis for your API ecosystem. Start your 14-day free trial and take a guided tour using our sample data or your existing database.