Yes, definitely!
Thanks for reading…
Ok, let’s go into a bit more depth. An SSL or Secure Sockets Layer Certificate is digital certificate installed on the server (where your website is hosted) and ensures sensitive information of your website users (such as names, phone numbers, addresses and credit cards) is encrypted and transferred over a secure network. You’ll notice any site using an SSL will have the URL https:// rather than http://.
Advantages of using an SSL on a website include
Providing Authentication
It’s important to ensure the information on your website, especially customer data, is directed to the correct server without being intercepted.
Accepting Payments
Proper 128-bit encryption with an SSL meets the Payment Card Industry standards and is essential in creating a private and trusted connection for any monetary transactions.
Provides Trust and Brand Power
Websites that incorporate an SSL automatically give the user a level of assurance that any interaction on the site is from a reputable and trusted source. With new browser implementations and display icons (see image below) this will likely keep a user on your site, rather than looking elsewhere.
Future Proofing your Site
Apart from the obvious security advantages, as of July, the Google Chrome browser has started to mark non-ssl websites as ‘Not secure’, using a padlock icon (locked or unlocked) to better notify the website visitor of the sites security. This in turn also effects seo; websites with an SSL do receive search ranking benefits. It is safe to assume the penalties of not using an SSL will only increase moving into the future.
The next step…
While moving an existing site to an https:// version does require an amount of work, we strongly advise looking into this option as soon as possible; if you’re about to create a new site, then it is an easy process and no reason not to obtain an SSL immediately.
Check your website here to see how your website is viewed, or if you suspect a broken https:// link might exist.
We work closely with Adelaide IT Solutions with all of our clients, contact them (or us!) if you’d like any further advice or assistance in implementing an SSL certificate to your website.
