The Relevance of Web APIs for the Mobile Publisher
The last couple of years have seen a sudden jump in the popularity of Web APIs, not only for mobile app developers, but also among mobile marketers and mobile advertisers. Now, APIs are emerging as a vital marketing tool for several forms of businesses. Mobile marketers are now realizing the true value of selecting the right data sets from an API for mobile Websites. In this article, we bring you the relationship between Web APIs and the mobile publisher and tell you how and why choosing the right APIs can be beneficial for the latter.
Definition of an API
An API, short for Application Program Interface, is a set of protocols, which acts as building blocks for programmers and web developers, helping them develop software applications for their chosen platform, mobile or otherwise.
In the past, APIs were only related to desktop apps, but now, thanks to the emergence and evolution of mobile, the concept of Web APIs has now come into sharp focus.
Selecting the Right Web APIs
The mobile world is slightly different from the virtual world, due to the fact that mobile users behave differently, as compared to desktop users. Mobile marketers, who are always on the lookout for developing newer and better ways to engage mobile customers, have now realized that incorporating just the essential elements helps pull in the maximum number of customers to the Website.
Each mobile device and mobile platform behaves differently. The mobile real estate is limited as compared to other forms of advertiser.
Hence, the mobvertiser has to display only the most critical information, which will immediately register with his or her audience. This makes it vital to choose just the right sets of APIs for each mobile device.
The Partial-Response Approach
It takes some time and effort for the mobile publisher to find the right balance, in order to work out a complete digital plan. It is only on a trial-and-error basis that they can find ways and means to maximize the mobile user experience.
After choosing the right data sets for the APIs, the mobile publisher also needs to determine which parts of these they would want to license out to companies. Some companies follow a partial-response approach, which means, they permit third parties to ask only for the necessary information. Hence, instead of offering the complete data set, they grant partner Websites access only to certain areas, which the advertising company is most interested to display.
This partial-response system works very well on mobile for several reasons. The storage and bandwidth capacity of a mobile device are much lesser than what a regular Website offers. Also, mobile handsets can carry only a limited amount of data, as compared to the Web. The system, therefore, benefits the overall mobile API strategy, as it minimizes the limitations one faces on a mobile device. It also helps app developers, as they will not have to deal with too many requests.
Web APIs for Rich Media
Mobile publishers can effectively use Web APIs to give users a rich media experience on their mobile devices. The advertising company can use certain components of the code to create the particular user experience they desire to. This company can also decide just how much data it would like to offer to other companies.
Developing rich media ads is a complex process, involving a lot of code. The Interactive Advertising Bureau has set clear rules on how mobile advertisers can use APIs in such mobile ads, so that they know what they can and cannot include in these ads.
Garnering Partnerships
An increasing number of mobile advertising companies are today entering into partnerships with other firms, in order to further enhance their mobile API strategy. With different mobile systems and mobile platforms in existence today, and with newer ones coming up all the time, such partnerships enable both the companies involved to achieve mutual benefit from it. A tie-up between companies helps all of them join hands to leverage the true potential of mobile, through the entire range of mobile devices available today.
The above-mentioned points clearly indicate the importance of Web APIs for mobile publishers. Of course, success in this field depends upon how well advertisers are able to use the APIs available to them and how they can connect it with all the channels they want to work with.
Source...