Your app needs an effective and easy-to-use API.

The semantic web became the API web. API (Application Programming Interface)  is the glue that enables machines, devices and “connected things” to talk to each other. Amazing mobile apps, smart sensors and modern SAAS applications need an API to enable them to participate in the connected world.

The API must have two qualities:

• Be complete – expose all of the relevant functionality. The API by its definition needs to be consumed by machines to be useful. An incomplete API will prevent consumers from taking full advantage of the app.
• Be developer-friendly – adhere to standards and conventions. If the API does not meet developer expectations it will hinder the adoption.

Ideally API development should happen at the same time as the app itself. The best approach is to “dogfood” API inside the app. For example: build the UI layer on top of the same API that is exposed externally. This will take care of both qualities: API will be complete and it will be developer-friendly.