Why an SSL Certificate is Important for a Website

For this #kTip, we discuss what an SSL Certificate is and why it’s important for your website.

We don’t think of an SSL certificate when we think about websites. We tend to think of websites as a creative product. They are there to market ourselves to new customers. And if we are doing things right, they are also used to satisfy our existing customers. All said, websites squarely fall into the sales and marketing bucket. They are essentially a digital representation of our business.

Nonetheless, business owners overlook the fact that websites are technology. And just like any technical product, they require management. Technological updates are constant in the web industry. The truth is that if you don’t keep up with the technology updates, you will get left behind in the digital world.

An SSL Certificate is one of the technological aspects of a website that you need to be aware of and understand. To be more definitive, it is a technology that plugs into your website to make it secure for purchasing and safe from hacking.

Let’s dive into more specifics on what this means for your business:

Understanding Website Security

If you go to your website right now, you will either see an “HTTP” or an “HTTPS” at the top left of your browser URL bar.

The added “S” means the site has SSL security. SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer. It means that your website is safe from hackers.

An “HTTP” (without the “S”) is an old web protocol that is not as secure. This means your website has a vulnerability that allows hackers to enter the backend of your website. Once they get into your website, hackers will have many ways to harm your business. One of the most harmful practices is stealing personal customer data, such as credit card numbers, etc.

SSL Security is Key

If you’re doing any business online, particularly if you’re collecting any kind of personal information, security is vital. Let’s take an example, you’re an eCommerce business, and you are selling products online, which means that you’re accepting payment via credit card and personal information. You absolutely, 100% need an SSL certificate. 

This certificate secures your website so that private information doesn’t get hacked. I’m sure you’ve heard or read in the news in the past about a company that had been hacked, and social security numbers and credit card numbers were stolen as a result. Now I’m not saying that that hack was definitely from a website but it’s the same type of thing that will happen on a website if you don’t have an SSL certificate. 

When you go on the top left of your browser, you’re always looking for HTTPS, and you’ll see a green lock there that means that website is secure. You don’t ever, as a consumer, want to buy from a website that doesn’t have that HTTPS. In fact, Google has made it such that if a website is only an HTTP, it will blatantly say, “not secure.” So if it says not secure, don’t buy from that place. 

SSL Certificate Provides Consumer Trust

People want to be comfortable buying from a website. They don’t want to be caught in a fraudulent situation. To support the online community, Google actively badges websites as “Not Secure.” This notifies potential customers that your website is neither safe for them to visit nor buy from.

Note: Take note that SSL will eventually transition to TLS (Transport Layer Security), which is an innovation that is even more secure than SSL.

Use an SSL to Secure Sales

Now here’s the thing, you see why it’s important to have SSL certificates, but it’s also important in terms of actually making sales. As I’ve just suggested, I’ve just told the entire consumer and buyer community not to buy from a website that is not secure. So, if your website is not secure, guess what? You’re not going to get as many buyers. 

Furthermore, we know that Google is actually not giving great ranking preference to websites that aren’t secure. They’re driving them down in the rankings because they feel that they have a duty to make sure that everybody who is selling online is a legitimate business. That’s also why SSL certificates are hugely important. 

Search Ranking

Security plays a big part in search ranking. Google does its part to help guide web users away from non-secure websites. They do this by setting up their algorithms to allow non-secure websites to fall in search rankings. In other words, secure websites get better search rankings.

Our Website Security Services

Looking for a digital marketing consultant or services? Kak Varley digital marketing agency and consultancy can help you with website management services. Contact us below.