The digital world expands every day and people do everything online. They order food, shop and provide sensitive information on thousands of websites…and they expect everything to be safe.
When it comes to Google, a Google SSL certificate is a must have. It provides the search company piece of mind and that helps you.
What is it and what does it do? It’s something that makes sure the information they provide to your website stays where it’s supposed to.
It makes it more difficult to steal and in an age of data breaches, people want safety and security when they shop. Your site and your customers need it.
SSL stands for secure socket layer. When implemented on your site, it makes your site an https instead of an HTTP. It may not seem like much, but it’s a layer of protection in a dangerous world.
It’s been around for a few decades, but few implemented it until last year when Google made it a priority. In a standard website, data transfers from point A to point B without any encryption.
For the most part, it isn’t that big of a deal, you’re clicking on a link or some other mundane task.
It doesn’t get dicey until you put in names, credit card numbers and email addresses. Without encryption, it’s easy for hackers and other ne’er-do-wells to steal information. Businesses used secure SSL for the checkout pages of e-commerce sites.
Customers placed the most sensitive information when making an order such as name, address credit card numbers, etc.
The secure SSL encrypts the data so it’s not easy to steal.
In 2018, Google made a stand and “suggested” websites switch to https for the entire site and not only the checkout. They wanted all information secure and when Google makes a request people listen.
Google did their best to inform people of their wishes, but it wasn’t taking off fast enough. For many, an SSL certificate meant extra cost. Many websites didn’t see the need, especially if their carts were already secure.
Google stepped up its game and decided to show websites as not secure in the browser if they didn’t have the SSL. The benefits of SSL are many with customer peace of mind at the forefront.
Imagine being a customer visiting your website for the first time and seeing “Not Secure” next to your URL in the browser. It doesn’t scream trust me.
You’re likely losing out in sales and conversions because they’re afraid to put information on your site.
Beyond peace of mind for your customers, having an SSL makes good sense. Hackers get more creative with data-stealing every year.
Mundane information can be used to steal or exploit. With an SSL, you’re providing another layer of security.
For many, their website is a primary source of income. If it was to be the subject of a data breach, then customer confidence would plummet. Sales and conversions go to nothing.
You’re forced with either shuttering the entire site and heading back to a 9-to-5 or going overboard on security to provide peace of mind to your customers.
No business owner wants to send out a mass email saying they’ve had a data breach. Save yourself the hassle and frustration and get an SSL.
Search engine optimization isn’t easy, so any easy way to get an SEO bump you should take.
When Google decided SSL was important, they decided to make it factor for SEO. It’s one of more than 100 factors, but it’s one of the easiest to implement.
SEO usually involves crafting everything from good content to scrounging for effective backlinks and improving page speed. It’s hours of work sifting through data and keyword lists, but not with SSL.
Will the SEO bump be significant? Probably, not. You’re not going to go from rank 50 to rank 3, but it might mean the difference between rank 3 and 4.
You want as many competitors below you as possible, so use SSL to get a boost.
Do installation through your hosting company. The cost of implementing an SSL depends on the hosting provider. Some give you the SSL for free and others need a fee. You’ll pay a yearly SSL fee to cover the encryption and that cost also depends on the hosting provider.
If you’re worried about implanting the SSL yourself, you can get an agency to do it. You’ll pay for their services in addition to the SSL cost.
Your hosting can convert your website to SSL, but there are a few caveats you should be aware of before doing it. Google treats the https site as a completely different site.
You’ll want 301 redirects going from HTTP to HTTPS. Many websites see a temporary traffic drop for a few months as Google gets used to everything.
You may also notice the “Not Secure” sign in Chrome even if your website is SSL. If you have pictures or links on your page that are HTTP, Chrome won’t recognize it as secure.
It shouldn’t be a problem if you have photos saved on your site because the https will convert them as well. If you’re bringing them from somewhere else, then it won’t show secure.
You might be hesitant to change your site to SSL because of cost, traffic loss, etc. At this point, it’s not an option. Google decided it’s important and have done everything they can to make it worth your while at the same time punishing you for not doing it.
Want to impress Google? A Google SSL certificate is the way to do it. Your competitors are doing it. Your customers want security. You want peace of mind. If you want to learn more about SSL and or choosing e-commerce platforms, then explore our site.
