If you are a regular Internet user you have probably noticed that the majority of websites display a green browser bar or have their name written in green in the browser bar, followed by https://”. But what does this represent? If you have a website of your own, you absolutely need to be aware of the SSL certificate.
What is an SSL certificate?
SSL stands for “secure sockets layer” and it is a security protocol used to secure data between two servers using encryption. Millions of websites use it and this practice has already become standard, as it allows securing connections and keeping customer data safe.
How to recognize it
A website with an SSL certificate will display in the browser bar a green padlock, the https protocol, will also feature the secure site seal, and/or the website’s name written in green. All these are indications that the site you are visiting has a SSL certificate and the information you provide is secured from attackers.
The top 5 benefits of a website having an SSL certificate:
1. Improving SEO rank
HTTPS has been announced as a ranking signal by Google in 2014, as part of their strategy to protect the privacy of consumers. Studies soon after the SSL certificates have become popular circa 2015 have found that HTTPS was moderately correlated with higher search ranking on the search engine’s first page. However, Google has incentivized moving to HTTPS ever since and lately the measure of switching to HTTPS has become more effective in terms of SEO.
2. Improving speed and user experience
With regular data breaches affecting major companies and making headline news, consumers are becoming more aware of the importance of security. Not having to constantly worry about companies protecting personal information improves user experience; moreover, the worries that this protocol could make your website load more slowly are now a thing of the past. HTTPS works with HTTP/2, which enables much faster connection for all modern web browsers compared to the regular HTTP protocol, which means that your website performance will only benefit from the SSL certificate. Having a faster website will also boost your SEO, as Google rewards fast sites!
3. Securing your website from hackers
SSL is known to protect against hacking, as it secures a connection between a sender and a receiver to avoid unauthorized access to data from a third party. SSL technology makes encrypted messages meaningless to any hacker who would be able to intercept a message, and thus, useless. Moreover, SSL also provides authentication, which means you can be sure that you are sending information to the right server and not to a hacker trying to steal your information.
4. Encrypting sensitive information
Only the intended recipient can understand information encrypted through SSL technology, and this is vital considering that information you send on the Internet passes from computer to computer until it reaches the destination server. Such information may include credit card numbers, usernames, and passwords – you absolutely don’t want this type of data to be accessible to anyone except for the recipient. E-commerce websites are highly recommended to have a SSL certificate to protect their customer’s sensitive data
5. Inspiring trust and confidence in your customers that you are reputable
Having an SSL certificate will boost your business brand by making your company look more trustworthy and reputable. Nowadays, consumers are increasingly aware of security issues and will avoid sharing personal data with websites that don’t instill trust. Making users comfortable enough to share information with you is paramount, from simply encouraging someone to subscribe with their email address to attracting online sales through e-commerce platforms.
If this is not enough to determine you to get an SSL certificate for your website, there is something that will probably convince you: Google is now enforcing that every website has an SSL certificate if they want to be continued to be found in their search engine. The search engine giant is coming up with every possible way to make us feel secure on the Internet, and not adopting this requirement will determine Google to flag your website. As a result, your rank position could drop significantly and your business performance be considerably affected as a result.
Having your website designed by VMA means you won’t have to bother about getting SSL certification as we will handle this aspect for you. Feel free to ask us about this encryption technology and how we can secure your current website or any other issues regarding your website security!
The post 5 Strong Reasons Why Your Website Needs An SSL Certificate appeared first on Visual Marketing Australia.
Source:: https://visualmarketing.com.au