October 22, 2019 Your business website says a lot about your business. Both literally and figuratively. If your website is fast-loading, people might assume that your business also works in a rapid manner. If the website seems chaotic, there might be concerns that the business isn’t well organized. So if you want to be and look trustworthy, start using an SSL certificate. And here’re 4 pros of that.
But First: What Is An SSL Certificate
SSL is an acronym for Secure Sockets Layer. It makes communication between a website server and a visitor computer safer by encrypting it. For example, when a person searches for specific information on your website, or when entering the personal data for the purchase, SSL encrypts it, and no third party is able to get this information. SSL is all about safety. And it’s beneficial in different ways.
#1: Trustworthy Is The New Cool
Your business brand is much more than just a marketing strategy. Everything you do adds up to your image. SSL certificate is visible for the people: it adds the letter S (for Security) to your HTTPS and shows a lock sign next to your website name. Those visualizations might be small, but people notice when they are not there. And some browsers, like Chrome, even shows a “Not secure” line next to the address when there is no SSL certificate.
With the SSL certificate in use, you seem more trustworthy straightaway. And it’s beneficial for your business image. Hosting provider Hostinger in their SSL tutorial reminds that “a data breach would be a severe hit to your business reputation.” So having a secure connection helps you to control your image and reputation better.
#2: Using SSL Certificate Will Cost You Less Than Not Using It
Weak security can cost you a lot of money. If your business has customers from Europe, then you have already heard those four letters – GDPR . It’s General Data Protection Regulation and it regulates data protection and privacy for all people from the EU and the European Economic Area. That’s more than 500 million people.
Since SSL can be a paid feature, people tend to question rather it’s worth paying for it. To make the best decision, you should think about that in two ways. Not only how much it will cost you to get an SSL certificate. But also, how pricey it could be when not using it. As for the GDPR, if a business fails to protect customer data, the penalty can be up to €20 million (22$ million).
#3: Put Safety First And Search Engines Will Put You First Too
Not only people appreciate your input in safety, but the search engines also value that. Back in 2014, in its Webmaster Central Blog post , Google declared that HTTPS is an important ranking factor. It means that with the SSL certificate in use, your chances of appearing on the first page of Google search increase.
A study shows that 65% of domains ranking for high-volume keywords are HTTPS. According to the same study, website security seems to be the 10th ranking factor. SSL certificate alone can’t replace all the SEO work. But it definitely can improve it.
#4: SSL Has A Secret Ability To Drive Traffic And Boost Sales
With all the improvements mentioned above, there is another yet most valuable one. Security can drive traffic to your website and therefore boost your sales. With SSL certificate, search engines will position you better, people will be more trusting within your website and therefore, willing to buy.
When your website doesn’t have an SSL certificate Chrome browser shows a “Not secure” line next to the address. And it’s a big red flag for online shoppers. In recent research , more than 4000 respondents were asked why they have abandoned their online shopping carts. 17% of them answered that they didn’t trust the site with credit card information. Showing people that your business website is trustworthy, can reduce cart abundance rate and therefore boost sales.
Like eyes are the mirror of one’s soul, the website seems to be the mirror of your business. Take good care of it, especially of its safety. And it will be beneficial for you on many different levels. A safe website is loved both by people and search engines. And this love can be valuable in the form of sales.
Ram Kezel
Public relations coordinator
