Today, Aweber announced the release of the Aweber API. This release will now all you as an Aweber user to easily integrate your online products and services into Aweber Email marketing software. The time savings and additional value for your business are limitless.
As small business owners that are already utilizing the power of Aweber, you will benefit simply because now there is an easy way to integrate Aweber into much of what you are already doing.
Read on for more information about the new API, what you should expect to see as an Aweber end user, and don’t miss out of the introduction to the first official app – a WordPress plugin!
What is an API?
Ok, I realize that there are many of you at this point asking: What is an Aweber API?
The term API is one of those geek speak things that gets thrown around like everyone should know exactly what it means.
API is short for “Application Programming Interface,†which may not sound very helpful, but in actuality provides a pretty good description of what it the API does for you. Well, for developers anyway. The Aweber API is a tool for developers to make applications (apps) that work with Aweber in a seamless manner. One of the more common places that you may have witnessed the benefits of an API, is with the iPhone. The countless “aps†that are available for the iPhone are the result of the iPhone API.
As I mentioned above, most professionals and small business owners will not interact directly with the API. They will however be the beneficiaries of the large number of applications that will now work in a seamless manner with Aweber.
Introducing the AWeber Web Form Widget for WordPress
As a direct result of the above discussion let me introduce you to the very first app: the AWeber Web Form Widget for WordPress.
For any of you who are already fans of WordPress.org and Aweber, this will allow you to connect your WordPress website with your AWeber account, giving you a very powerful list building tool. Now you can place AWeber forms on your WordPress.org site with just a few clicks, and without having to copy any code.
For users of the self-hosted version of WordPress, you can easily drag and drop web forms that you have created in your AWeber account into your WordPress blog, without having to log into your AWeber account or copy and paste anything. All you need is an AWeber account and a completed web form.
How do I use other apps?
For the more advanced users in the group, AWeber’s API (and APIs in general) you don’t need to work directly with the API itself to take advantage of the applications that developers create for it. Once an application has been created by a developer, you will simply install the app and then authorize that application to connect with your Aweber account. If you are a user/fan of Facebook and/or Twitter then you’ll find the process familiar.
Now Comes the App Showcase
For current Aweber users one of the immediate changes you will see in your AWeber account is the “My Apps†link in the upper right corner of your account.
Once you have authorized apps to your account they will be listed in this section. From you will be able to manage the connections to your account. However, the main attraction on this page will be the App Showcase. For the time being Aweber, will be highlighting apps created by the developers at AWeber, but in time independent developer apps will be created and you will see the most popular and useful of those apps listed here.
API Version One
With this being the first version of the Aweber API there will most certainly be features that are not included that will be added as more developers begin to engage with the API. Aweber, has already stated that there are plans in place for expanded versions of the API in the future, aimed at improving your ability to integrate your AWeber account with other sites and services even further.
Developers
If you or someone you know is a developer, interested in creating an application to work with AWeber’s API, just visit AWeber Labs, the official home of and hub for the AWeber API. There, you’ll find instructions on how to create and register applications to work with AWeber.
Chase Your Passion: Personally, I enjoy working w/ Small Biz Owners & Independent Business Professionals to attract new clients. 
