[ Web Development ]
Why Secure Your Website With HTTPS?
HTTPS is a protocol used to secure the exchange of data between a user and the website they are visiting. Between 2014 and 2017, HTTPS usage tripled among the top 100,000 websites, increasing from 7.6% to 31.5%.
Clearly, having a business site in HTTPS is becoming more popular, but is it essential?
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WHAT IS AN HTTPS SITE?
HTTPS is an acronym for HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure. It is a more protected version of the HTTP protocol governing the exchange of data between the user’s workstation and the website’s server. While data transferred by HTTP is available for anyone to see, with a site in HTTPS, all information exchanges are encrypted, which protects users against cybercriminals trying to intercept and steal valuable personal and financial data.
WHY HAVE AN HTTPS WEBSITE?
The HTTPS protocol is a way to enhance the security of your website. An HTTPS site limits the risk of data being intercepted and improves the protection of visitors’ personal information. To ensure secure exchanges, HTTPS uses an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer). This end-to-end encryption means only the visitor’s computer and your server can decipher the data.
If you require your visitors provide their sensitive personal data, such as identity, address, and bank details in order to access your services, it’s vital to have the reassurance of an HTTPS site.
THE HTTPS PROTOCOL IS ESSENTIAL!
Google has made it clear that non-secure websites are not worth ranking and therefore has given these site’s visitor with an extreme warning before they proceed the visit on Chrome.
If you haven’t migrated your website to HTTPS yet, this is an issue which must be resolved if you wish to survive in Search Optimization arena in the years to come.
THE REASSURANCE OF THE HTTPS PADLOCK
An HTTPS site can be identified in the navigation bar by a small green padlock, indicating the site is secure. Internet users are becoming increasingly concerned about the confidentiality of their personal data, and for visitors, the HTTPS notification is an additional guarantee that their information is protected.
We advise you not to simply settle for a payment page in HTTPS. It’s much better to secure your whole website in HTTPS.
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USING HTTPS TO IMPROVE YOUR GOOGLE REFERENCING
Google recently admitted that the HTTPS protocol improves a website’s SEO. A site in HTTPS is considered more reliable by the search engine and is therefore favoured. Securing your site with HTTPS can influence your positioning in search results pages, provided, of course, you implement a relevant SEO strategy and produce optimized content.
SECURING YOUR SITE WITH HTTPS – A DELICATE OPERATION
Transferring your site to the HTTPS protocol is the equivalent of a website migration. This operation requires time and specific web development skills. If your team does not possess the appropriate knowledge and skill set, you will need to use a web development agency.