Why do I need to be Secure?

Three things, but I really could just say one…
GOOGLE.

Google has mandated that they want all sites to be secure. With that in mind, here’s three reasons why your site should be secure.

1. SEO
   Google is using it as a ranking signal. That means that secure sites will be ranked higher than equivalent ones without https.

   Since the Penguin update of 2012, Google has put in a great deal of effort to promote security and quality. Today, sites protected by SSL enjoy a higher priority in search engines.Experiment for yourself. Do a Google search concerning any topic. It’s safe to assume that most of the top 10 results are from sites with either an SSL certificate or have high domain authority.

2. Authenticates Between the Site and Visitor
   Using an SSL protects data to and from your website. It makes it more difficult for hackers to intercept or change information while in transit. For example, a hacker could change the images or even launch executable software within elements you view from an unprotected site.Think of adding SSL as creating a tunnel from your visitor directly to your website. The stronger you make that tunnel, the less chance someone can affect the visitor from the outside.The rain outside on the street doesn’t affect you if you’re in a subway system. This is a simplified example of what encrypting data with SSL does for your online guests.
3. Confidence
   You wouldn’t enter your credit card on a site that isn’t secure, right? That’s because there’s a level of trust that happens when you see that green padlock. That trust conveys to sites that aren’t accepting credit cards and to the content that is in them, even if it’s a blog full of facts and statistics. Seeing that deep green message that a site is secure in the address bar makes an impact. Premium SSL certificates come with Dynamic Site Seals, warranty and other benefits that instill further confidence. When you consider the massive amount of competition on the Internet, the last thing you want to do is send away potential customers. And a lack of an SSL will do just that for a lot of them.

   Keep in mind that Google Chrome users make up nearly 60% of the online traffic worldwide. It’s safe to assume more than half of your visitors will see if your site is secure or not.

Posted in: HTTPS, SSL and making your site Secure