5 Reasons Your Site Should be HTTPS
In the past, simply creating a basic website and going live was an achievement. The site simply kept your business visible in a busy world. Inside the virtual world, however, technology slowly became more complex. Your website with an HTTP prefix is now an archaic designation. The trend today is converting to an HTTPS address. Don’t hesitate to take on this technology trend. There are important reasons why your site should be HTTPS designated.
1. Protecting Data
Your business website may not deal with extremely sensitive data that’s reserved for government transactions, but there’s still information that can be attractive to thieves. As technology has evolved, so has the hackers’ abilities to gain access to your data. An HTTP address is almost a wide-open invitation to the hackers of the world.
These individuals are looking for a variety of information, such as:
- Account numbers
- Credit-card numbers
- Proprietary data
If any information leaks to these hackers, both the company and customers are vulnerable to attacks. Accounts might have mysterious withdrawals or charges, for instance. Companies see their patients’ personal information advertised to the world. There are a number of different ways that an HTTP address can fail a company when it comes to security.
HTTPS-programmed sites are simply encrypted. Every data transaction occurring between your company server and the client is masked from view. A hacker would have to spend hours to decrypt just one line of this transaction. Hackers and thieves have the same mindset: they want easy targets. They’ll skip over to a site that doesn’t have the “S” ending on their HTTP address. Your site remains safe as long as the padlock on the address bar continues to brightly shine.
2. Curbing Unwanted Interruptions During Site Visits
There’s an underlying threat on a website that maintains the HTTP designation. In fact, site visitors may not even realize that their information is being compromised. Hackers can add in malware, which is software that’s incredibly destructive on the user’s end. This underlying software might continually pull information from the user or company where sensitive transactions take place, including medical or dental facilities.
Changing your website to an HTTPS-designated address is also important for ad suppression. Hackers from legitimate companies can submit ads onto a particular website that doesn’t have the proper security. These ads are often in contrast to the subject matter that’s even being accessed by the user. For example, a site supporting an orthodontist might have ads for Caribbean hotels along the margins. These interruptions are detrimental to both the site holder and user.
A side effect to these injected ads is possible fraud. A user may see an ad and click on it. The click leads the user to another site where they input their information in hopes of winning a reward or contacting a specialist. If their information becomes compromised, they perceive your company to be at fault. It was your website that held the ad in question. Securing your site simply stops these scenarios from occurring and marring your reputation.
3. Improving Your Search-Engine Visibility with HTTPS
Updating your website’s address does increase your visibility on top, search engines too. Listed websites are vying for attention. If the search engine produces a poor listing, customers will use another search engine for their needs.
Consider these perks of an HTTPS-based address and search-engine rankings, such as:
- Your updated site will outrank HTTP addresses
- First-page ranking is more possible than ever
It’s a fact that most people don’t click past the first or second pages during a search. For this reason, improving your ranking might be the biggest incentive to convert your HTTP address.
During your HTTP conversion, your site ends up with a SSL Certificate. These files are simply functional data that you use to create a secure environment on your server. As your system connects with the Internet, search engines recognize this certificate. Your address continually pings as a secure element, which maintains your ranking.
Don’t forget that search engines are constantly qualifying their results as algorithms change through regular updates. Many sites are being flagged in red as “not secure.” As a reputable business, you don’t want to have this mark on your site.
4. Building Customer Confidence
Site visitors today are smarter than ever before. They’re aware of the difference between an HTTP and HTTPS-based address. In fact, they become wary of any site that doesn’t have the new designation.
From the moment that a customer types in your site address, it should pop up without any hesitation. Customers who visit a site with an HTTP designation will be greeted with these features, including:
- Security page stating the site isn’t secure
- Slow, loading speeds
An HTTP address actually makes it more difficult to access your site compared to an updated one. As a result, your customers will look for alternatives.
Put yourself in your customers’ shoes. Fill out a form with personal information on an HTTP site. Ask yourself about the confidence you have with the security on that site as it pertains to your personal data. It’s a fact that most customers will think twice before offering their personal information in those areas.
Upgrade your address to the secured type, and your customers act differently. They’re more open to discussions and transactions across the site. Because of the encrypted data, customer confidence grows as the site loads and operates with incredible speed.
5. Keeping up With Latest Site Features
Site visitors are well-aware of the latest features that are regularly added to their favorite sites. Chat features, for example, are commonplace now. An HTTP address doesn’t allow these enhanced features, however. Their design cannot support the software alterations.
An aspect of website success also includes mobile access. You might run a business where customers enjoy accessing your site through their mobile devices. With an HTTP address, they’re limited to the full site on a tiny screen.
Be a top-ranked site through mobile-friendly indexing. Convert your full site into an HTTPS-based design. You’ll be able to create a mobile site with connections through any smartphone or tablet.
It’s a reality that most browsers won’t work with HTTP in the near future. The technology isn’t be upgraded. It’s becoming a relic in the virtual world. Updating your address opens up a world of variety as it pertains to your site’s upgrades. Everyone loves the latest plug-in and chat features.
Contact Blend Local Search Marketing today for a consultation regarding your website design and development. Aside from updating your site address, our team can improve your design and conversion factors. It takes a talented team to draw in customers and retain your loyal following.
5 Reasons Your Site Should be HTTPS
Perry Stevens is the founder and CEO of Blend Local Search Marketing Ltd. He’s a tea drinker, cocoa grower and a frequent traveller.
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