8 ways to create an API marketplace that caters to the right people

For an organization to realize the value of its API investments, it’s essential to get a consolidated view of all APIs across platforms, gateways, and repositories in one enterprise API developer portal. That’s what a universal enterprise API marketplace can do; and to be most effective, it needs to cater to two kinds of people: API producers and API consumers.

Your enterprise’s API producers need a tool that brings all their APIs into view for better governance, helping enforce security policies and other standards as APIs are exposed. API consumers – i.e., developers, whether internal or external – need a rich, self-service experience that enables them to easily find and use these digital assets.

Here’s how an API marketplace should support each of your users’ unique criteria and concerns.

4 API marketplace must-haves for API producers

✓ Proper representation of your APIs

While all your APIs must be represented in an API marketplace, how they are represented is just as important. For instance, you may consider grouping your APIs based on similar functionality. That way, you can make relevant recommendations to consumers that further drive API adoption.

✓ Appropriate security measures in place

APIs are becoming increasingly vulnerable to cyberattacks. That’s why a universal API management platform must support an API marketplace. While you’ll have the tools to discover unmanaged APIs and define user access control, you can also leverage prebuilt security policies for protection.

✓ Compliance with relevant standards

API providers are operating under the regulatory umbrella of various data security and privacy protection laws, from GDPR to industry standards like HIPAA and DSS. The API platform behind the marketplace should have built-in governance capabilities to meet these requirements.

✓ The interface is intuitive

We’ve all had that experience of leaving a website quickly because of poor user experience. The same sentiment applies to API marketplaces. The marketplace needs to offer a consistent, user-friendly environment for consumers. At the same time, the provider view must be intuitive so you can effectively manage APIs and track key business metrics.

4 API marketplace must-haves for API consumers

✓ Easy-to-find APIs

Developers don’t want to dig to find APIs for their project. They want APIs to be categorized and tagged in a logical way that directs them to relevant capabilities. Part of this discovery process includes having insights into API health and performance to make the best business decisions.

✓ It’s simple to subscribe to APIs

When it’s complex for developers to subscribe to APIs, it’s a roadblock to API consumption. An API marketplace should be built to make it as easy as possible for consumers to have these digital products delivered to them. Part of this includes a uniform subscription process across different platforms, no matter the endpoint or the location.

✓ Relevant API credentials are provided

To begin using an API, consumers need to have quick and easy access to any credentials that are required. For instance, if they request an API key, will they be able to see the keys that are generated for them? Then, they can begin to test the endpoints and make use of the API.

✓ Support tools are readily available

The more support developers have access to, the more they will get from an API. Documentation is one example of a resource that can answer FAQs about the API setup, use, and troubleshooting. The ability to reach support by phone, email, or chat through provided links also creates a richer consumer experience.

Amplify Enterprise Marketplace is built with API providers and consumers in mind. Its foundation, Amplify Platform, uses lightweight agents to automate the discovery, capture and validation of APIs into one registry where they can be managed, monitored, and governed.

While our turnkey marketplace solution will help you get your digital assets to the market faster, you’ll also be able to create a rich developer experience as the portal supports your enterprise’s management, security, and governance efforts.

Amplify Enterprise Marketplace is built with API providers and consumers in mind

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