SSL certificates and HTTPS explained
Why it makes sense to upgrade to HTTPS
HTTPS is the secure version of HTTP – the way data is sent between your browser and the website you’re connected to. The extra S stands for ‘secure’ and you’ll often see it, together with a padlock symbol, on banking and e-commerce websites. The main benefit of HTTPS is security but it does have other benefits. It has recently become big news as Google tries to influence webmasters to migrate their sites in the interests of secure Internet browsing. SoftData endorses this position and even has special HTTPS offers to tempt you to make the change for your website.
Improve your Google rankings with HTTPS
Business owners and webmasters are constantly occupied with trying to outwit search engines to get their company’s website to the top of search rankings. We noted in our recent blog the introduction by Google of a new ranking signal that prioritises secure HTTPS websites, promoting them over non-SSL sites and getting them to the coveted page one on searches.
Websites that rank high on Google tend to result in more leads and more leads should lead to more conversions into sales. A recent study [https://moz.com/beginners-guide-to-seo] shows that the first ranking position in the search results receives 42.25% of all click-through traffic*.
The constant struggle to rank highly, keeping up to date with Penguin, Panda and Hummingbird, and securing top keywords can be demanding.
What if one simple step – converting to HTTPS – could make all the difference?
Search engine rankings are just one aspect that makes HTTPS attractive to website owners, however: at SoftData we want to ensure that our clients benefit from all the advantages that SSL offers.
HTTPS for increased security
Security is the main advantage of operating under HTTPS, of course: it’s a key priority for us as website hosting providers. By adopting this premium service companies are effectively demonstrating to their website visitors (and potential clients) that they take their security seriously too.
We don’t just recommend that our customers migrate from HTTP to HTTPS: we practise what we preach. Our SoftData website runs under HTTPS to give our customers secure browsing. WE recently upgraded our servers, meaning that we are now able to share this advantage with our clients and we thoroughly recommend this course of action.
HTTPS for improved sales
If security and rankings aren’t enough to persuade you that HTTPS is a good thing, consider your sales. Customers are used to looking for the HTTPS and padlock, indicating that an SSL certificate has been issued for the website they are visiting. Did you know that an extended certificate turns the URL green? Both are indicators that a uniquely secure link has been established between the browser and the website, meaning the customer making a purchase from your site can fill in personal details with confidence. They know that you are a registered business and that their credit card details are encrypted and therefore safe from hackers.
Your own IP address
With HTTP, many web-hosting arrangements mean that you share your IP address with up to a couple of thousand other websites. By getting your own SSL certification, you will have a unique ‘static’ IP address. The advantages of a static, as opposed to a dynamic, IP address are all about allowing your customers to connect reliably to your website server. There’s less down time*. It’s also much easier to configure domain names with a static IP address. And finally, you also gain remote administrator access to your website, anywhere in the world.
Those are the just some of the advantages, so why wait to change to HTTPS? You know it makes sense. Get in touch with us now on 01452 502508 and we’ll get you up and running in no time.
* SoftData guarantees 99.9% uptime to our customers.