We’ve established the importance of switching from HTTP to HTTPS to stay in good standing with Google’s newest algorithm rollout. This change will go into effect next week, in October 2017.Now let’s take a closer look at what exactly SSL & HTTPS mean, and how they’ll benefit your customers.For years, websites had little incentive to make the transition from the standard HTTP that precedes a standard domain name. E-Commerce businesses and websites that need to encrypt personal customer information have been required to make the transition to hyper text text transfer protocol secure: HTTPS. To go from HTTP to HTTPS, it is necessary to purchase an SSL certificate. SSL stands for "secure socket layer”, and encrypts sensitive information like users’ addresses, credit card number, phone number, etc.This SSL certificate must be renewed annually and can cover anywhere from 1-100 (sub)domains. As required by the size of your company and its corresponding website. You and your customers will know the SSL certificate has been implemented when a green lock icon is displayed next to the URL in Google Chrome. The URL, itself, will also make the transition to https. Starting next week, Chrome users will see a warning every time they visit a website that is not protected with an SSL certificate. It is worth noting Chrome is the most widely-used browser worldwide. Android’s operating system is also Google, so this change will be applied to the mobile-friendly version of websites, as well.In addition to avoiding Google marking your site as not secure every time a user visits, there are some compelling reasons to purchase an SSL certificate today.
Importance of Switching From HTTP to HTTPS
- SEO advantages: impactful SEO changes aren’t made overnight. However, with Chrome’s change and Google’s algorithm, HTTPS websites will get an SEO boost over those without SSL certificates
- Earn customer trust: as the older generation increases its internet fluency, more and more people will understand the nuances between HTTP and HTTPS. Google’s latest push to mark pages as “not secure” will be almost universally recognized as a red flag. Chances are those who don’t understand the difference will avoid the perceived threat and navigate to a competitor’s secure webpage
- Faster browsing: HTTPS also has the advantage of speeding up website load times. Especially on mobile, quick load times are crucial to customer retention and conversion
- Access to updates: While Google is starting with penalizing HTTP websites with a “not secure” warning, its push to get all websites an SSL certificate doesn’t end there. Eventually, app updates like Google Maps will not be available to websites without the HTTPS lead-in
- Better data: HTTPS is easier for Google Analytics to analyze. And after reading the above, it should come as no surprise that Google, as the Analytics author, will further incentivize the switch by prioritizing HTTPS data
Contact KitelyTech today to discuss the details of how we can add value to you and your online business.Phone: (800) 274 2908Email: info@kitelytech.com
