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API development
January 21, 2025 - by Devico Team
More than half of business representatives consider enhancing products and digital experiences, as well as boosting innovation as the main advantages of API, according to the Google Cloud report.
Do you want to introduce these and other benefits into your business with the help of this technology? Sometimes, there is no off-the-shelf API solution that meets all business needs. In this case, it is necessary to create it from scratch. For this, you need to choose the right API development partner for high-quality results and a seamless cooperation experience. How to do this? Read this article to find out!
Choosing an API partner is the first and most important thing you need to do if you decide to implement this technology into your business. Your decision on whom to cooperate with will directly influence the quality of development and, therefore, the profitability of it for your company.
It is essential to pay thorough attention to this stage, as the wrong choice of partner can have multiple negative consequences, such as:
Missing deadlines. Bad IT teams may not have enough skill and discipline to get the project done on time. This will lead to delays and, therefore, financial loss as time is money when it comes to business.
Insufficient security measures. API security is crucial as this technology is often connected with sensitive information that should be rigorously protected. Inexperienced engineers may allow vulnerabilities to be present in the system, which can be fatal. Data leakages can lead to significant losses, reputational damage, and other serious problems.
Extra expenses. Some unfair IT companies may have hidden fees in their pricing policy that the organization did not initially budget for. Additional money may also be needed for other specialists to correct, improve, and update poor-quality work done by previous underqualified developers.
To avoid the above-mentioned problems, it is crucial to be attentive and cautious during the process of API partner selection. The right choice will bring you multiple benefits with the main of them:
Boosted digital transformation. A well-designed API improves the functionality of your products and stimulates the growth of your business.
Maximized efficiency. Good IT partners can develop a solution that is tailored to your individual needs and solves your business challenges as effectively as possible.
Improved user experience. Integration of your products with convenient payment systems or with social networks will allow your customers to have a smooth and convenient experience of interacting with your business.
We have already found out that to have peace of mind about a quality job done timely, you need to entrust the job to true professionals. But how to find them? Next, we will consider the parameters you need to take into account when selecting an IT company to develop the necessary solution.
In the market, there are thousands of outsourcing IT companies that are ready to offer to be your API integration partner. However, how to choose the best option from such a huge variety? Below, you can find the 12 most essential parameters you should primarily consider when looking for a suitable external IT team.
Some companies only offer out-of-the-box solutions for integration. However, they do not always cover all the needs of a particular business and take into account all its peculiarities.
Therefore, it is better to choose an IT team that can develop a customized API from scratch. For example, Devico offers the development of unique solutions that fully meet all your needs.
Pay attention to whether the company has successful cases specifically in the area of API development and integration. Devico has experience in developing different types of APIs such as internal, public, partner, and composite.
Also, make sure that the company has a track record of success with businesses in your niche. This is very important as every industry has its own peculiarities. Devico has massive experience working in various areas, such as:
eCommerce;
retail;
travel and hospitality;
telecom;
education;
adtech;
fintech;
healthcare;
logistics;
media and entertainment, and many more.
We offer customized solutions to integrate your products with payment, shipping, SMS gateways, and social networks.
You need to choose specialists who have up-to-date knowledge in modern technologies for API development. Since the IT field is constantly evolving, it is important for professionals to continuously develop and keep up with new opportunities and trends in this area. For example, all members of the Devico team always monitor new technologies and never stop improving their skills.
Stay away from companies that operate under outdated models. It is better to select partners who prefer agile development methodologies. This will help reduce the time to market and achieve the most high-quality and customized solution. For instance, developers from Devico use agile work patterns with frequent deployments and constant improvements of the code.
This is one of the key points. Research the experiences of previous clients. This will allow you to understand how reliable and conscientious the IT service provider is. You can check the reputation by looking at the following things.
The detailed success stories are a testament to the fact that the professionals are experts in the field. Pay attention to the fact that the cases should describe such points as:
the business challenges that needed to be solved by IT specialists;
the objectives set;
the role of professionals in their fulfillment;
the technologies used;
the result;
the benefits obtained by the client thanks to it.
Pay attention to what previous clients have to say about working with the company. From feedback, you can learn a lot about:
the company's communication with customers;
working style;
problems that may have arisen in the course of the work and how they were resolved;
the quality of the finished work, etc.
It is especially great if you can find video testimonials. This format ensures that the feedback is real.
To conduct thorough research on the reputation of an IT service provider, it's important to check not only testimonials and case studies on their website but also impressions on third-party independent resources. Check the reviews, testimonials, and social media feedback to explore the company’s track record and get previous customers’ references.
Make sure the company representatives are for honest and transparent communication. It is also important that they have a sufficient level of English to discuss all work-related issues. Moreover, it is better to discuss in advance whether the partners are ready for ongoing communication during the work process and how it will be organized. The following points should be clarified:
what channels of communication they are comfortable using;
how issues related to time zone differences will be managed;
whether it will be possible to organize calls and how often.
Devico cares about comfortable and productive communication with clients, so they:
are open to discussing any channels convenient for the customer;
are ready for regular video calls for productive discussion;
organize work taking into account the time difference;
contribute to their employees’ level of English, providing lessons for them.
When developing API, project management is very important as its effectiveness affects:
the quality and level of customization of the outcome;
the likelihood of meeting deadlines precisely;
the customer's ability to control the development process at all its stages.
To make the work of all team members well-coordinated and easily controllable, a company needs to use modern and convenient project management tools. They give an opportunity to organize and structure workflow and monitor the progress of task completion. Therefore, clarify in advance which tools the company uses for this purpose and whether you will have access to them to monitor performance.
The Devico company uses modern project management tools to organize the workflow and provide its customers with access to them for effective progress control.
When choosing a contractor, it is advisable to pay attention to the scheme and stages of work offered. Make sure everything is appropriate for you before you start collaborating. To give you an example, here's a pattern of how Devico builds its API development services process:
Defining the business needs and goals. Experts will examine the characteristics of your organization and target audience to understand what characteristics a desired API should have.
Designing and architecting. This stage involves careful planning of what functions and features the completed API will have.
Developing and testing. Our experienced developers write code that implements all requirements and specifications, while skilled QA engineers ensure the absence of bugs.
Deploying and documenting. At this stage, the code is being deployed in a reliable environment, and detailed documentation contributes to the easy and trouble-free integration and user experience.
Providing post-deployment support. The experts are ready to provide their services after the launch to keep the code secure and optimized.
Security is one of the most crucial points in API creation, as you need to be sure that sensitive information is safe. Therefore, it is better to clarify in advance what measures and technologies the IT specialists use during development.
Devico uses the following techniques to secure the APIs:
Safe authentication methods, such as OAuth;
HTTPS encryption;
Request limits;
Input validation, and others.
It is very important to adhere to industry requirements and standards when implementing APIs. Discuss whether the company is aware of all the regulations and how it will comply with them. Devico has experts who can ensure that all standards, such as, for example, RESTful principles, are met.
It's important that the partner not only develops quality code but is also willing to provide support after its launch. Devico specialists don't abandon their clients after the main task set has been completed. They are always ready to provide the services of API support and maintenance after deployment.
This is also an important factor. You need to find out the prices of the services, as well as the models and payment methods that the company accepts. Make sure prices are within your budget, and models and payment methods are convenient for you before you start collaborating. It is also essential to document all agreements regarding payment in the contract to avoid misunderstandings.
Contact Devico to learn more about our pricing models and calculate the approximate cost of the project, taking into account its individual features.
Once you have chosen a company, considering the factors described above, you need to have a call with its representatives to make sure that they are the right fit for your project. What questions to ask to check the professionalism and expertise of the IT service vendor? You can use some options from the table below.
Technical
Do you have specialists with proven specific expertise and experience in the API development area on your team?
What types of APIs have you already developed?
What business goals and needs are addressed by the APIs you have already developed for other companies?
What programming languages and tools do you use to develop APIs?
How do you ensure the code quality?
Project management
What project management tools do you use?
Do you give access to the project management tool to the client?
How do you resolve issues if some arise in the process of work?
Security and compliance
What methods do you use to ensure the safety?
What standards do you need to meet when developing an API and how to do this?
Support and maintenance
Do you provide post-deployment support?
What exact kind of services do you provide at this stage?
You have already found out what factors to consider when choosing an IT service provider and how to select a good one. But how do you recognize unreliable partners? Here are a few red flags that should alert you.
It is very alarming if a company specifies some terms on the website while saying very different ones in an interview, and even then changes them at the stage of contract signing. This may be a good reason not to sign an agreement with such an IT service provider. Cooperate only with companies that have nothing to hide and openly discuss the terms of cooperation.
If the company representatives show insufficient English or lack appropriate professional ethics during the interview, this is a reason to refuse to discuss the project further. It can also be a red flag that the company is not willing to provide the proper environment for communication with the customer during the collaboration itself. For example, specialists are not ready to use communication channels convenient for you or are against organizing calls.
It is better not to partner with IT teams that:
can't describe their previous experience in API development in detail;
have little knowledge of security protocols;
have not ever worked with companies from your niche.
You should be wary of cooperating with the companies that:
lack testimonials that look real;
cannot provide references from previous satisfied clients;
don’t have detailed and convincing cases and success stories;
have a lot of negative client feedback.
The absence of such a service can become a big problem because not all organizations have in-house employees who are ready to take on these tasks. Moreover, if a company refuses to support its product in the future, it may indicate the poor quality of development.
Choosing the right IT team to perform this service can bring you an abundance of benefits, such as:
The ability to stay concentrated on your core business processes. External specialists will develop the code and implement the APIs while your in-house staff can stay focused on the tasks that lead you to your global goals.
Enhanced efficiency. Conscientious partners will do their best to make the workflow maximally productive.
Top-notch quality. The product will be as customized as possible, allowing it to fully cover your business needs.
Robust security. A good IT company will use a set of modern methods to protect information from leakages.
Improved user experience. A well-designed API will make the experience of using your products smooth and convenient.
Boosted scalability. A well-thought-out code will have opportunities for updates, in line with the growth of your business.
Wise use of the budget. A reliable partner will provide you with a fair and transparent pricing policy, as well as allow you to avoid additional costs associated with correcting and redoing substandard work.
Optimized time to market. A good IT team is precise in meeting deadlines, which will allow you to integrate an API developed from scratch as soon as possible.
Peace of mind kept. By choosing a reliable IT service provider, you don't have to worry about the high risks of something going wrong in the course of cooperation.
Choosing the right partner for API development is critical as the quality of the final result depends on it. If you turn to an unreliable IT company, there is a high risk of missing deadlines and getting results that do not meet your needs or do not comply with modern security standards.
On the other hand, if you select the right IT team, you can get multiple benefits, such as good price and quality balance, maximized customization, advanced security and scalability, and many more. When looking for the right partner, it is better to give preference to the one that has:
Individual approach to each client;
High API expertise and background in your industry;
Using up-to-date tools and technologies;
Agile development methodologies;
Positive reputation;
The appropriate communication;
Adequate management and control opportunities;
Convenient pattern of cooperation;
Modern security measures;
Rigorous standard compliance;
Post-deployment support available;
Suitable and transparent pricing policy.
Contact Devico to learn more about our expertise, background, and cooperation terms, and get your trusted API development partner!
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