Whether you’ve just launched a website or have had one for a while, you’ve probably heard that SSL certificates are pretty important. But do you know why that is? Whether you already have an SSL and want to learn more about how they work, or if you’re trying to decide if you should buy one of these powerful security certificates, this article should help you out!
Read on to learn three reasons everyone should buy an SSL certificate for their site.
1. Web encryption is central to online privacy
With cybercrime on the rise and malicious hackers becoming more sophisticated by the day, taking a proactive approach to online security and privacy is crucial to staying safe online. For website owners, one part of that is ensuring the connection between the server where the website is hosted, and clients (such as web browsers) is safe and secure. That’s where SSL certificates come in.
When you install an SSL certificate on your server, it utilizes the TLS protocol to create an encrypted connection to your site. Encryption renders any information sent over this connection unreadable, meaning no third parties can intercept or read it. The more websites across the Internet that are encrypted through SSL, the safer we’ll all be in an online world where people share more data than ever.
2. Your users will trust you
As Internet users become more educated about staying safe online, they’re learning what trust markers to look out for when they visit a website to know that it’s safe. SSL certificates have become one of those trust markers. When a website has an SSL, a padlock symbol will appear in the web browser’s address bar, indicating that it has been secured through SSL. Whatever kind of website you have, seeing the padlock symbol will help users feel more comfortable about browsing your site. For websites that handle purchases or request personal data from users, an SSL certificate is especially important.
3. Web browsers and search engines will favor you
In the last point, we mentioned that more web users than ever have started looking for the padlock symbols when they visit a new website. But that’s if they even get to your website because most web browsers have started warning users about the dangers of visiting sites without an SSL. If you don’t have an SSL, you run a high risk of losing potential visitors because of this warning.
Search engines, on the other hand, will reward you for having one. Major search engines like Google will always favor websites with SSL certificates over those without when it comes to search engine rankings. While there’s undoubtedly more to search engine optimization (SEO) than just installing an SSL, it will help boost your chances of getting a higher ranking on the search engine results pages.
Hopefully, this article will have convinced you that you should install an SSL on your site sooner rather than later. Give your site a fighting chance and buy an SSL certificate today.
