There are a lot of technical terms out there that can be overwhelming to the person looking to better their own website. If you’re feeling overwhelmed over something as “seemingly simple” as choosing between HTTP and HTTPS for your website, never fear. We are here to help you understand what HTTPS really is and why you need it for your website.
What is HTTPS?
HTTPS is a kind of connection that differs from the average HTTP. The “S” stands for “secure” and it is what will create a secure connection between a site and the user who is on the site. It means that the website will be protected from any kind of interfering from a malicious third party.
When you use a website with HTTPS, you know that our data is being encrypted, too, so that the user themselves feels safer and a whole lot more secure when it comes to entering in personal information or even allowing cookies and other tracking data. With online security as important as it is, this is a huge perk right there.
The “S” at the end may be subtle, but it’s a critical difference that you absolutely want to have for your website. Here’s why.
Why do websites need HTTPS?
Here are just some of the many reasons why you should consider using or switching to HTTPS for your website as a whole.
- It shows you as the professional and real deal: In case of a typo or typing in the wrong link to begin with, customers will know that landing on your site is the right end point. They can see that they are secure and that your website is professional and safe as well as the real deal they were looking for.
- It will boost your ranking over a non-HTTPS user: Since Google and other search engines want to help customers enjoy their potions, they tend to rank HTTPS users higher than non HTTPS users. The boost is only subtle and you still have to meet the requirements for keyword searches, but every little bit helps, right?
- It will make customers feel safer: Customers often know to look, now, for the “secure” green icon on a website they are considering looking around on. Since customer safety is a priority for making them come to you instead of the competition, this is crucial.
- It enables some of the more advanced features for customers: If you want to allow caching, camera use and even auto-fill for forms on your site, you must have HTTPS as per modern browser requirements. Same goes for location service data.
Simply put, HTTPS is what separates you from the inferior businesses out there for one reason or another — or many. Make sure that you are doing everything you can to put your customer’s minds at ease and simply offer a better, safer and more professional website. Even if you are doing this after the fact, you will find that the difference is still worth the time and stress, especially if you allow us at RS Digital Marketing to help you out!