API integration for ecommerce websites is very essential as without the API integration ecommerce website cannot retrieve, add, delete and synchronize the data from e-stores built on them. It is very crucial to understand API integration and what shipping API is, in this article we will cover the information on shipping API and API integration.
API means Application Programming Interface and it is a set of codes that grant various platforms to interact with each other. APIs allow developers to move data from one piece of software to another and then present it to an individual person in a single user interface.
For example big companies like Facebook and YouTube offer developers a API so that they have to not build integrations and features from scratch. In this way smaller companies can take advantage of bigger companies’ existing functionality and can build an ecommerce website.
What is a Shipping API?
Api shipping allows businesses or ecommerce websites to integrate shipping features directly to your ecommerce website by giving you flexibility. To add perfection, you can configure the shipping application programming interface (API) for particular business requirements and shipping carriers.
Organizations find it difficult to provide best U-EX and Development. Analysing all the components shipping strategies including Shipping API will help to grow successfully.
Key Roles of Shipping API
Label creation, multi-carrier support, shipment tracking, validation of the address, connecting carriers, shipping manifests creation, and voids & returns are the seven key roles of shipping APIs. We’ll go through the most relevant features that brands can use to improve their distribution process:
- Label Creation:
A shipping API’s main objective is to produce shipping labels. Shipment data is sent to a build label API endpoint until both carriers and a brand’s store are integrated with a shipping API. The data is then sent to the carrier, who will then return the label data. A URL will be included in the label info, which can be used to download the label and print it right away or save it for later.
- Multi-Carrier Support:
Each postal carrier has its own set of benefits and drawbacks. FedEx distinguishes itself by specialising in time-sensitive deliveries, next-day delivery options, and shipping options that take two to three days.
Also companies like UPS have offices all over the world, a brand’s package would never have to be rerouted through several companies during the distribution process. Using multiple carriers to provide customers with multiple shipping options is often the best choice for an eCommerce company.
- Rate Shopping:
By integrating shipping API’s ecommerce websites has various options for multiple carriers with real-time rates and delivery options, in this way customers can choose from a variety of carriers and receive real-time pricing and delivery forecasts based on the items they’ve ordered and their location. This allows customers to choose cheapest and quick delivery options. Since 45 percent of customers leave shopping carts due to disagreeable delivery options, and 60 percent of customers choose a competitor with more convenient delivery options, this can be a huge differentiator for online brands.
- Shipment Tracking:
Shipment tracking is a very essential step in any ecommerce website as customers need regular updates for the product they have ordered. So being a best merchant in the industry you have to make sure customers are up-to-date with the latest information. Stating this with an example: by following this step customers come to know whether the product has been dispatched or not and at which date it will be delivered.
A retailer may use API Integration for eCommerce websites to incorporate real-time ecommerce order tracking data into a website, email, text message, or even a smartphone app. Brands have the option of offering real-time or polling monitoring. Real-time monitoring is the preferred approach since notifications do not require end-user intervention. With real-time monitoring, the API can send data to the appropriate software whenever a package’s status changes (for example, from in-transit to out for delivery to delivered). This alert can be used by a brand to send a customer update via their preferred mode of communication.
- Validation of the Address:
Validation of the address involves simple steps like when customers checkout for the final products and enter the address, the online store sends an API request to validate the address and search for potential deliverability issues. If the API shows the address is invalid the ecommerce website will notify the customer about the problem.
This is the process where companies can save their reputation and stop late order delivery, failed orders, and surcharges for address correction. It also removes the issue of voiding and reprinting shipping labels and other shipping papers, as well as other related logistics costs.
API Examples to Better Understand What API is.
With an understanding of what shipping API is, now let’s have a basic understanding of API’s. Let’s understand with an example if you are a user or customer looking for a ride, you go to any app that is offering taxi services and you sign-up for that application. After the sign-in process you search for your route and driver and finally if suitable paying for the ride without leaving the app.
So technically here such taxi service applications are using API’s to make all of this work. For example if you sign-in then API like Telesign can verify that you own a phone number that you provided at sign-up. Then with the maps API calculating of time and distance of the ride is done. SMS like API will notify you through message/SMS that your driver is at your pick-up location. And finally when it’s time to pay, you as a user or customer make the payment and that is likely processed with an payment API.
Which types of API’s are best to enhance customer experience?
- Security API’s
- Shipping API’s
- Price comparison API’s
- Site search API
- Payment handling API
What advantages do shipping API’s offer?
- Simplification
- Efficient and safe shipping
- Real-time shipping resources
- Validation of the global address
- Real-time tracking
What Makes API Integration So Beneficial?
- Order processing time is decreased: the response time is bound to be reduced as all orders are collected on a single platform.
- Operational Efficiency: for the regular orders, following particular or same procedure for every shipment.
- Continuous synchronizing: this syncs your catalog for every 15 minutes and keeps you on top for every new order that comes to your store.
- Process that is fully automated: automate your order fulfilment process from the start with continuous syncing.
Conclusion
APIs are designed with a specific purpose in mind to enable communication between applications. APIs have become an important component of app development. They make it possible and easier for developers to easily add new features to their app or website.
