We tend to lead our lives online and our personal information, business and financial details must stay secure. More and more websites shift to HTTPS not only for security reasons but for SEO benefits as well.
You are following Google recommendations but still having second thoughts about switching to HTTPS? In this article, we will feature what HTTPS is, highlight the key benefits and its importance for your website. Read on!
What is HTTPS?
To begin with, all websites using HTTPS have the lock icon in browsers. This protocol provides a secure connection between a web server and a browser, protecting information in three layers.
- Authentication: proves that your customer interacts with the target website and defends from man-in-the-middle attacks.
- Data integrity: ensures that all files transferred during interaction cannot be corrupted or modified.
- Encryption: safeguards information like credit card numbers from stealing and your browsing history from tracking.
There is hardly a company or a business owner who, having a website, wants to deal with liability and compromised customers’ privacy issues, not to mention additional headaches and expenses associated with a hacked service. Switching to HTTPS you get a safety seal visible to your clients, protection against breaches and plus points to your SEO karma. Time to break down the main benefits.
Security
One of the key advantages is that HTTPS provides security. Encryption, data integrity and authentication ensure protected interaction and data transfer, adding credibility to the website, making it safer for visitors, and improving your SEO standing. This fact alone raises the importance of switching to HTTPS. But what else is there on the plus side?
Ranking boost
Since Google has confirmed that websites with HTTPS will rank over those having HTTP, under the condition that they both possess similar technical specifications and content weight, it is a worthy bet. As the practice shows, the significance of such recommendations grows over time. It is a point worth keeping in mind as a part of an overall promotion strategy.
Speedy browsing
Low browsing speed equals poor user experience. And this is not the best practice in winning customers loyalty. If not deep into details, crucial enhancements to TSL (Transport Layer Security) streamlined the encryption process. Along with the protected data and communication, customers will experience faster browsing speed, if you decide to enable HTTPS for your website. Why not try it?
Referral data increase
Switching to HTTPS you prevent referral data loss. Traffic passing through an HTTP server is considered by analytics software as “direct” or “dark” one. It does not have the referral value in the header. When speaking about a HTTPS website, the security and reliability of the referring domain remain unbiased. It is always great to retain or even multiply referral data, add points to your reputation and reliability, isn’t it?
Secure login and mobile
You have probably seen a “Not Secure” notification browsing in Chrome HTTP websites that require authentication or financial information. It had been also announced that with the new Chrome update users will receive in-form security warnings interacting with such websites. Now imagine a scenario, when a customer is about to make a purchase and all of a sudden receives this warning.
Besides, if your website is lacking HTTPS, mobile users won’t be able to reach it from search results or following a url. Confidential information must stay secure. Customers should reach your website no matter what device they prefer. This is the warrant a switch from HTTP to HTTPS is able to grant.
Closing thoughts
No wonder that Google favors trusted websites. If you care about your website reputation, customer security and Google ranking, switch to HTTPS. It’s not just about SEO benefits for your business. It’s your investment in future.
Credits: Devenup Health
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