When you submit information to a website, unless it’s encrypted, there’s potential for this data to be intercepted between the client (you) and the server (the website).
For e-commerce transactions where credit card details are exchanged this is a no brainer and is a requirement for most payment gateways such as PayPal. This can be extended to sensitive, personal information or confidential corporate data. If you don’t have an SSL certificate then you’re running the risk of this data being stolen – and being in breach of data privacy laws.
But in 2016 SSL plays a wider role on the web. No longer are we using it only when we need it, but we’re using it at every opportunity to keep our users safe. Privacy has become such a hot topic over the last few years and has become another consideration across the web.
You can recognise the presence of SSL by the https in the URL. Browsers also show a padlock to represent the data being passed is secure. Depending on the browser you are using (I use Chrome) it will look a little something like this.
So we’ve discussed the benefits to your users, but what could be the potential benefits to you or your business having an SSL certificate? Here are some great reasons:
- Google likes SSL, and your search engine results could improve by switching to https.
- Customer trust – it’s another opportunity to increase the trust between you and your potential customers as SSL is a clear indication you’ve gone to extra lengths to protect their privacy.
- Speed. The http2 protocol is only available with SSL. This is going to see some great improvements to site speed.
Privacy and security is a much wider issue but this is a good first step to keeping your users’ data secure.
If you’d like to add an SSL certificate to your site then get in contact and I can help you.