SSL Certificate & why Google needs your website to have one

What is an SSL certificate? Does my website really need one? How come I’ve never heard about this and why is it important now?

If any of these questions run through your mind, you’re on the right track to protecting your website and online presence. A website needs to be secure at all times, and an SSL certificate is what makes your website safe to begin with.

When you run a small business or a well-established brand, the safety of your customer’s data becomes a priority.

Selling your products or services online or even collective sensitive info, such as phone numbers or names, puts your customers’ privacy at risk. Unless you have valid SSL certificate installed on your website, it’s likely that Google will point out that your website is unsafe.

If you were wondering why Google has decided to play the ‘unsafe’ card, and what and SSl Certificate even is, here are some facts every business owner ought to know.

What are the dangers of not having an SSL certificate installed?

Although not all websites need to install a Secure Socket Layer certificate, small business owners who collect data from their clients could benefit a great deal from adding an extra layer of protection.

Here are the main dangers of avoiding doing so, though:

Google will mark your website as unsafe. Although your website will still be accessible, visitors being warned about an unsecure connection will most likely leave.

Clients will trust your brand less. Speaking of trust, the lack of a secure encrypted connection could influence your clients in a negative way. People like to feel safe when they browse the online. And if your websites doesn’t offer a sense of security, your visitors will most likely think your brand is not to be trusted.

You’ll lose customers to your competition. Turning visitors away and having them think you’re not a trustworthy business results in you losing your clients to your competition. Every visitor on your website is there for a reason. But if they can’t trust you, they’re going to find what they need somewhere else.

Google will favor indexing safe websites. Although you shouldn’t expect a serious boost in rankings, Google has expressed the intention of favoring the indexation of websites that help the online become a safer place.

You could lose your credibility as a business. Your website and your brand act as your business card online. As a small company owner, turning customers away is the last thing you want to do! If you’re storing credit card information of other sensitive data, it’s best to let your customers know your website is safe and can be trusted.

What is an SSL certificate?

You do not need to be an internet guru to see that all website addresses begin with a specific syntax. Some websites begin with “http://”, while others begin with “https://”.

An extra letter might not seem important. After all, your website works just fine! But in reality, the “S” stands for Secure!

Each time a user enters their credit card information or any other kind of personal data, like their name and email, they need to make sure the website is safe first. This is where an SSL certificate comes into play.

The term SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer. It’s a technology developed back in the 1990s, that helps to safely encrypt your data.

Whenever you see the syntax HTTPS, you now know it stands for Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure. The “S” is an extra precaution, known as the internet standard for secure communication online.

The SSL security layer makes sure only your browser and the server accessing your data are able to decrypt the information. Although you can’t literally see this, what goes on behind the scenes is what protects your visitor’s sensitive data.

SSL certificates are no longer just a trend. If you care about your data and your clients’, you should definitely aim to make your connection secure.

Once your SSL certificate is installed on your server, you and your customers can be sure your website is safe. This not only will protect your visitor’s data, but it will help them trust your brand even more.

Why is a SSL certificate important for a website

Today, the internet plays an important part in all our lives. It’s crucial that all our data is safe!

From virtual attackers to intrusive internet service providers, anyone can sneak a peek at our sensitive data we share on the World Wide Web!

Since many small businesses communicate with clients online, having a safe environment to do so is important for both parties.

A professionally designed website allows visitors to become familiar with your business. But when it comes to encouraging your visitors to take action, you need to let them know they can do so, in a safe way.

If you run a small business and would like to build your brand, you need to find a way to communicate and interact with your clients.

Some businesses sell their products and services directly on their website. Small online stores are well known for allowing their clients to safely purchase the products they need.

But when it comes to entering your credit card information, can you guarantee your client their data is safe?

SSL certificates don’t just affect e-commerce websites. Any information you may collect from your clients is subject to risk if your website isn’t safe.

From phone numbers and your customers’ address to simple email databases, all information is subject to risk. Securing your web forms is always important, even if think your website’s too small to be hacked.

But privacy, data integrity and security is not all.

An SSL certificate can, potentially, determine your website’s search engine ranking within Google search.

Any small changes in your website’s structure can have an impact on your SEO factor. While there’s only a small percentage of websites that haven’t made the switch, others are already ‘milking’ some SEO benefits!

Although not all websites are required to install SSL certificates, those that do should expect a small boost in rankings. With Google adding HTTPS as a possible ranking factor, it may be safe to say installing that extra layer of protection should definitely be made a priority.