If you’re looking to build a website, develop an app, or just provide access to general business assets, APIs can help. In fact, they can be a huge time and money saver. APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) are basically the boundaries or communication connections between two systems. An API is the interface in which users interact with other applications. APIs are all over the internet, and for good reason. They allow website owners to leverage existing data and provide added value to end-users by improving functionality. One of the best examples of an API is Google Maps. If you’re going to build a site, it’s not likely that you’ll create your own map with directions, traffic reports, satellite and street views – everything that Google maps already has. Not only would that be a cumbersome process, the costs and development time would astronomical. Instead, you’d use Google maps API and pay Google a small fee to leverage their data through an interface. APIs can be skinned to match the look and feel of your site, but you won’t have control over the actual data, and they can be plugged in to your site through a CMS such as WordPress. There are thousands of popular APIs – from social streams, feeds and blogs to calendars, video viewers and URL shorteners. If you have a need for a common web tool, there’s likely already an API that exists that you can leverage. Depending on how much web traffic you get, you may pay by volume or by one-time fee. But one thing’s for sure – it will be cheaper than developer your own tool from scratch.If you’re looking to build a website, develop an app, or just provide access to general business assets, APIs can help. In fact, they can be a huge time and money saver. APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) are basically the boundaries or communication connections between two systems. An API is the interface in which users interact with other applications. APIs are all over the internet, and for good reason. They allow website owners to leverage existing data and provide added value to end-users by improving functionality. One of the best examples of an API is Google Maps. If you’re going to build a site, it’s not likely that you’ll create your own map with directions, traffic reports, satellite and street views – everything that Google maps already has. Not only would that be a cumbersome process, the costs and development time would astronomical. Instead, you’d use Google maps API and pay Google a small fee to leverage their data through an interface. APIs can be skinned to match the look and feel of your site, but you won’t have control over the actual data, and they can be plugged in to your site through a CMS such as WordPress. There are thousands of popular APIs – from social streams, feeds and blogs to calendars, video viewers and URL shorteners. If you have a need for a common web tool, there’s likely already an API that exists that you can leverage. Depending on how much web traffic you get, you may pay by volume or by one-time fee. But one thing’s for sure – it will be cheaper than developer your own tool from scratch.