5 Reasons Why HTTPS Should Be Enabled on Your Website

1. Improved SEO Scores
40% of Google’s page one organic search results feature an HTTPS site. Google has encouraged webmasters to make the migration to a secure site and has been giving an increasing amount of weight in ranking boosts to websites that are HTTPS. Unlike before, HTTPS pages will now have an actual boost in search and will be shown to users by default. What this means for webmasters is that they need to ensure they’ve implemented security certificates properly to provide the best possible experience for visitors and retain their search positions. With HTTPS becoming a more relevant search ranking factor, getting a SSL certificate and its proper implementation are a greater imperative for webmasters in 2017.

2. Gain Customer Trust
When a user visits a website with SSL enabled, they will see a padlock or green background in the address bar indicating the connection is secured. SSL providers also issue a trust seal graphic which can also be displayed to indicate further a secure connection. These visual cues assist in building trust with your visitorswhich can lead to greater conversions and sales.

3. Protection Against Phishing Attacks
We’ve all seen them, emails in our inbox pretending to be from a service or financial institution we use. If you click links in these emails, you are taken to a site that impersonates the service in question. They may even use a man-in-the-middle attack to serve this false site on your domain. Because it is difficult for scammers to secure these false sites properly, adding SSL to your website will aid in providing assurances your site is authentic.

4. Authentication
In addition to encryption, a proper SSL certificate also provides authentication. As a result, you can be sure that information is being sent to the right server and not elsewhere. Users often access the internet via several devices. Any of these devices could be compromised and may result in your users sending personal information to an incorrect destination. Authentication is ensured by using a proper Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), and getting an SSL certificate from a trusted provider.

5. Encrypt Your Information
The purpose of SSL is to keep sensitive information sent across the Internet encrypted so that only the intended recipient can make use of it. When an SSL certificate is in use, the information becomes unreadable to any party except for the server you are sending to.