Is your website as secure as it should be? With all the news of breaches and hacks these days, it seems like web security is becoming increasingly necessary. Businesses of all sizes should invest some time into making sure their site is offering users a safe, secure browsing or buying experience.
However, not all websites are created equally when it comes to security. Recently, Google announced it would begin marking sites using plain HTTP as being “not secure.” What does this mean for your website?
Examining The Difference
There are a few basic terms to know when discussing website security. HTTP, HTTPS, and SSL. HTTP stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol. This is basically the way in which computers talk to one another. HTTPS stands for the same thing, however the “S” stands for “secure.”
With HTTPS, the “message” being sent is scrambled, making it more difficult for anyone to intercept it. You would most often see this if you were shopping online or perhaps accessing a protected area of the web such as a members-only message board.
The third term is SSL, which stands for Secure Socket Layer. SSL certificates are most noticeable in the form of the green padlock in the address bar on your web browser. Large sites such as Google and Amazon will have an image similar to this:
SSL is a cryptographic security protocol that enables secure communication. It’s similar to HTTPS, though they are not exactly the same thing. The bottom line is if you want to keep your site secure, you want an HTTPS site with an SSL certificate. Why do you need an SSL certificate? There are three main reasons.
User Experience
With Google’s new rule, visitors to your site may be hit with a notification such as this:
From the perspective of a visitor, this may as well say “turn back now.” Whether you are collecting sensitive information or not, a message like this tells users “this website is not safe.” Many will leave.
SEO
SSL is also an important component of a healthy SEO strategy. Google prioritizes secured sites when it comes to ranking and authority. This also means unsecured sites may be penalized. Google likes their users to have a safe and secure browsing experience. They aren’t interested in pointing their users towards unsecured websites.
Safety And Responsibility
As a site owner, it’s also your responsibility to ensure your users/viewers are having their information protected. E Commerce transactions are typically what people think of when it comes to security. However, it doesn’t end there.
Membership portals, even “contact us” forms aren’t necessarily secure without an SSL certificate. If there’s any point where information of any kind is being exchanged between a website visitor and you, it’s potentially unsecured.
There is a sense of trust that users have when they see that green padlock. It let’s them know this is a website/company that has taken steps to ensure a safe browsing/using experience.
Digital Marketing Guidance For Your Business
ArcMinute Marketing is a digital marketing agency specializing in customer journey focused marketing. We help businesses meet their customers online at the right time, with the right message. Since 2017, we’ve worked with a variety of businesses to improve search engine ranking and increase sales opportunities with high performing SEO, Paid Search, Local Search, and Programmatic Display digital marketing campaigns. If your company is looking for a consultative approach that can follow through with agency-level action, we encourage you to schedule a discovery call, Contact ArcMinute Marketing Today.
