BigCommerce is a platform that allows businesses to easily create and customize their own eCommerce store. In addition, it offers a wide range of features – such as built-in marketing tools and support for unlimited product variations – making it a powerful tool for businesses of all sizes.
One of the great things about BigCommerce is that there is an API available that allows developers to build custom integrations and extensions. In this article, we’ll take a look at the benefits and drawbacks of using the BigCommerce API.
What are APIs?
Application programming interfaces, or APIs, let one application (like your eCommerce platform) provide services to other applications, including catalog data, order tracking, pricing data, and customer information.
An API, in simple terms, enables systems to “communicate” to one another. Data is joined together through a well-defined API, which also makes it simple for authorized machines or apps to access data.
No matter what internal data structures and technological platforms an application uses, APIs provide greater levels of communication and data sharing.
Benefits of a BigCommerce API Integration for an eCommerce Platform
Increased security
Security of eCommerce websites is key because online shops are troves of clients’ financial and personal information. This is where APIs may help by adding a layer of protection between your software systems and the users requesting data from them.
Reusability
The ability to reuse programs across platforms and applications is a significant benefit of APIs, especially System APIs, as it saves time and money.
Scalability
Scalability refers to your capacity for growth and expansion while your current system scales along with you. You can expand your current eCommerce ecosystem utilizing APIs without changing the underlying architecture. As business demands develop and change, APIs can offer better scalability and flexibility.
Extensibility
Again, APIs help with this by making it possible to swap out solutions and add to or subtract from your current system through straightforward integrations. There are countless connections and combinations you can generate to meet your precise demands as long as you have an API to function as an intermediary.
Drawbacks of BigCommerce API
Yearly sales threshold
There is a yearly sales cap with each BigCommerce plan. In other words, if the annual sales cap is reached, you will be automatically moved to a higher plan. Costs may rise more than anticipated as a result of this.
No email marketing tools
Contrary to its rivals, BigCommerce doesn’t offer any email marketing solutions at all. Third-party software will cost you money.
No subscription features
You must pay for a third-party app if you wish to accept recurring payments or sell subscriptions.
In Conclusion,
We hope this article has given you a good understanding of the BigCommerce API and how it can be used to improve your eCommerce business. We also want to remind our readers that while the BigCommerce API is powerful, it is important to consider all aspects of automation before making a decision about whether or not to use it.
At Grit, we are committed to providing accessible automation solutions for eCommerce leaders and would love to hear from you if you have any questions about the BigCommerce API or any of our other products.
