Explains the different types of commerce contexts and how to build an API to enable the most lucrative context

1. API Strategy 2013
API seeks LTRs
Matt Bishop
Senior Product Architect
Elastic Path Software
@MattBishopL3

2. Elastic Path is a proven leader in digital commerce
• 160 global employees with over 200 customers in 13 countries
• Publisher of GetElastic, the world’s #1 ecommerce blog
• Relentless focus on customer success – zero failed projects since
founding
SOFTWARE & GAMING MEDIA & PUBLISHING TELECOM & CSP DIRECT TO CONSUMER
Leading enterprises run their online businesses with Elastic Path Commerce Everywhere
© Copyright 2012, Elastic Path Software Inc. All rights reserved.

3. Everyone Has A Virtual Reality
• Everyone has multiple touchpoints
• Phones, tablets, laptops, PCs, TVs
• All are just windows into their online existence
• Everyone has a Social Identity
• Facebook news feeds replace phone calls
• Everybody trusts the Internet
• Nobody uses Eudora any more
• Nobody reads the EULA
© Copyright 2012, Elastic Path Software Inc. All rights reserved.

4. Two kinds of Commerce Contexts
• Self-Directed
• Groceries, clothes, cars, TV sets, games
• Relational
• Subscriptions, finance, renovations
• Lucrative, but rare
• People only buy in the right context
• The Offer only succeeds if the context is right
• Do you buy on a whim, on the internet?
© Copyright 2012, Elastic Path Software Inc. All rights reserved.

5. Web Storefront is a Self-Directed Context
Goals:
• Top-of-fold SEO
• Upsells, sidegrades,
addons
• Jack up the AOV
Assumptions:
• They found you on Bing
• They’re never coming
back
© Copyright 2012, Elastic Path Software Inc. All rights reserved.

6. Web Storefront: Over-optimized Experience
Big Company web store
• Hero Banners
• Partner Offers
• Featured Items
• Lots of Whatever
© Copyright 2012, Elastic Path Software Inc. All rights reserved.

7. API Ecommerce Enables Relational Contexts
Goals:
• Intellectual Offering
• Trust-based LTR
Assumptions:
• Delighted customers
come back
• They tell their friends
© Copyright 2012, Elastic Path Software Inc. All rights reserved.

8. But How?
1. Identify your intellectual offering
• Benjamin Moore sells color, happens to come in
cans
• Best Buy sells proximity and security
• Disney sells happy children
2. Determine possible contexts
• Can your offering be relationalized?
• Can it be surfaced on mobile touchpoints?
• Can it be injected into partner contexts?
© Copyright 2012, Elastic Path Software Inc. All rights reserved.

9. Open API: extend offerings into partner’s contexts
© Copyright 2012, Elastic Path Software Inc. All rights reserved.

10. An API is the key
• APIs move your offerings into the new contexts
• Much harder to build new UI storefronts
• Cannot keep up with all the touchpoints
• APIs are the only extender that works
• The only mechanism to present the unified virtual
reality people expect
© Copyright 2012, Elastic Path Software Inc. All rights reserved.

11. Good APIs are Hard (but they don’t have to be)
• Make the API Easy
• The API is the new UI
• Needs to be rock-solid over time
• JSON, Hypermedia Controls, Level 3 REST
• Treat the API consumer as your business partner
• You succeed if they succeed
© Copyright 2012, Elastic Path Software Inc. All rights reserved.

12. Thank you!
Matt Bishop
@MattBishopL3
matthew.bishop@elasticpath.com
http://www.elasticpath.com
http://www.getelastic.com
© Copyright 2012, Elastic Path Software Inc. All rights reserved.