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In the event that a cyberjerk (yes, I said it) gains access to your business website and obtains sensitive information such as credit card numbers or even email addresses, you’ll wish you had been prepared with an SSL certificate for your site. Each and every day, hackers (read: cyberjerks) are able to find their way into business websites all over the world and steal sensitive information. An SSL certificate is also vital to maintaining good traffic performance on your website, something you should be prioritizing in order to gain website visitors and increase your leads.
Today, Charley Grey will be giving you the top five reasons your website needs an SSL certificate in order to maintain safety measures and increase your business’s chances of success. If you have yet to add an SSL certificate to your website, hopefully, this article will encourage you to take the time to do so. Already a Charley Grey-managed website subscriber? You don’t need to do anything – ALL of our websites come with SSL certificates. So, sit back and relax…but continue reading to learn more about this little benefit of your managed website subscription.
5 Reasons Your Website Needs an SSL Certificate
1. Ensure Website Security
In order to fully understand the five reasons your website needs an SSL certificate, we must first define it. Put simply, an SSL certificate is a certification given to websites that have the necessary security measures set in place to prevent a security breach. An SSL certificate operates as digital documentation that confirms certain credentials such as serial number, expiration date, certificate holder, and the certificate-issuing authority’s signature. Each of these components works as proof that a website operates securely.
So how does an SSL certificate actually ensure website security? Basically, an SSL certificate gives your business website secondary authentication methods such as public key infrastructure, or PKI, which works to ensure that sensitive information is sent only to the respective server and is inaccessible through any outside source. This means that a customer making a purchase on your website is protected from having their credit card number or other personal information compromised.
2. Improve Search Engine Ranking
Another reason that your website needs an SSL certificate involves search engine ranking. Google strives to improve the search engine rankings of websites that possess an SSL certificate in an effort to direct the largest amount of web users to websites where their information won’t be compromised.
With an SSL certificate, your website is granted an HTTPS, an indication that your website is operating under an encrypted website connection. Google uses HTTPS as an SEO ranking parameter for websites, so it’s important that your business website has one if you want any chance of ranking on the first page of Google search results. Considering the importance of SEO these days, it is vital that your website has an SSL certificate.
3. Improve Website Speed
As it turns out, the HTTPS given to your website when using an up-to-date SSL certificate can do a lot more than boost your search engine rankings– it can also boost your website’s speed. It is a known fact that HTTPS improves website load time. It is important that your website loads up quickly for a variety of reasons – from an improved user experience to better search engine rankings.
According to a study done by Moz on the most important search engine ranking factors, a significant correlation was found between website speed and positive search engine rankings. With the HTTPS given to your website via an SSL certificate, you can boost your rankings through better web speed (of course, that’s just one way). This works to increase your website’s load speed in a number of ways, including:
- HTTPS ensures that the most important information is loaded up and presented to website visitors first
- Compression is utilized to improve the speed of header transfer
- HTTPS uses a single connection as opposed to multiple connections, which results in longer load times
- Bulkier text data transfer is replaced by binary data when using HTTPS
4. Better User Experience
As you can probably guess, improved website speed is a big factor when it comes to a better user experience for visitors to your business’s website. The presence of an SSL certificate builds trust between you and your customers. An SSL certificate also eliminates the chances of a customer’s personal information being compromised, and that always means a better experience.
Business websites that don’t utilize an SSL certificate are presented to visitors with a “not safe” message in the address bar when clicked upon. Google implemented this flag feature in 2017 in order to alert web users of websites operating without adequate security measures. When visitors to your website see that you operate with an SSL certificate and that your website protects their personal information, this builds a level of trust in your brand. An improved user experience goes a long way in driving potential customers to your website, increasing conversions, and keeping them coming back.
5. Encryption of Sensitive User Information
Finally, an SSL certificate is a must for your website because it encrypts sensitive user information. When your website is secured with an SSL certificate, you will be able to provide encryption for all sensitive information transferred through your website.
Whether it be credit card information, social security numbers, or bank information, encryption ensures a significantly reduced risk of sensitive information being compromised. With 43% of cyberattacks directed at small businesses and only 14% deemed capable of defending themselves, it’s important that you, a business owner, are doing everything you can to protect sensitive information transferred through your website. An SSL certificate is the first line of security your website should have in place to protect sensitive information from the cyber criminals who would obtain it.
Choose Charley Grey for All of Your Website Management Needs
As a business owner, you know that your business’s website is the most powerful way to reach your customers and keep them coming back. Without an SSL certificate, you’re missing out and putting employee and customer information at risk of theft and misuse. If you need help implementing an SSL certificate into your business’s website or have other questions about strengthening your website’s security measures, contact Charley Grey!
As Indiana’s top web design and website management company, Charley Grey assists small business owners with their website needs with expert skills. We are the experienced web designers you need to make your business a true success. Give us a call today!