Yes!
Many would have argued otherwise until the end of 2017, but now it is a good idea for ALL businesses to secure their websites with HTTPS. Why? Well, before we get into that, we should begin by covering what exactly HTTPS is.
What is HTTPS?
If you were to visit a website and look at the address bar, you may see a little green padlock next to it. This means that you are visiting a secure website. This means that the data you are sending to or receiving from that website is encrypted. A non-secure website that has a URL beginning with “HTTP” in the address bar. It is important to spot the difference here. A secure website should have the letter “S” at the end. This “S” stands for secure!
It used to be that you only needed a secure website if your business was e-commerce based and you had a shopping cart where customers were entering their personal payment information. Now, however, even if your website is mainly there for the purpose of sharing information and you’re not selling products or services directly from your website, it is recommended that you move your website to HTTPS, something that Search and More offer as part of their service. Here are three reasons why.
Maintain lead generation
From October 2017, the Google Chrome web browser began to show a “not secure” warning when users began to fill in a simple contact form or search field on a non-HTTPS website. This means that if you use your website for the purpose of generating leads and sale inquiries, your website will need to follow the HTTPS protocol. This is so that users do not freak out and abandon your websites contact form due to “non-secure” warnings.
Improve your search engine rankings
Back in August 2014, Google made the announcement that HTTPS is one of their many ranking factors in their search algorithm. People are still debating just how much of a factor HTTPS plays in search rankings. However, research suggests it is becoming a stronger ranking factor, but we find it to be a risk not worth taking.
All it takes is any kind of Google search for you to see that almost all of the results on the first page begin with an HTTPS URL. Google has also indicated that an HTTPS website can serve as the final deciding factor between two websites that offer similar information to one another.
All the Cool Kids are Doing it
Perhaps the most important reason to get an HTTPS website is perception. We are in a modern society where hacking and data breaches are everywhere. People are getting increasingly concerned about privacy and security.
It does not matter that your website does not have any need to collect personal information from visitors. The fact that you have an HTTPS website and that visitors can see the little green padlock in their browser provides them with the comfort that your website is a trustworthy place to visit. HTTPS is becoming the norm at a fast pace. Even those who are not so in-tune with the latest technology are starting to feel uneasy when they don’t see the little green padlock.
Talk to Search and More
If you would like a website that is secure and will bring in more visitors thanks to a wonderful website design and the power of a little green padlock, then look no further. Search and More have been providing websites with beautiful and secure website designs for years and are here to help with all your online business needs. Get in touch for more information.
