The Green Padlock, HTTPS & SSL Certificates
If you’ve been watching TV over the Christmas period you might have seen the Barclays “Supercon” advert. The advert is showing off the latest kids toy with cannons, jet pack and more… for only £1.99! I have to admit that this did catch my eye! Having two kids you’re always on the look out for a bargain. But cleverly the advert is highlighting the dangers of unsecured websites trying to steal your information and how to spot a secure website.
The Green Padlock
The first thing a customer wants to see when they visit your website is the green padlock and “HTTPS” in the address bar. This shows that the site has been secured and any information is encrypted when transmitted.
An SSL certificate (Secure Sockets Layer) is an encryption technology that creates a secure connection between the server your website is hosted on and your customers browser. It allows the information to be protected during the transmission between the two and not intercepted by hackers.
A transmission is typically debit card details, usernames, passwords, or web forms. Just because you don’t sell anything on your website or you use a payment gateway such as PayPal or Sage Pay, it’s still beneficial to have an SSL certificate to build trust and let your customers feel confident in sending their data.
3 Benefits of Having an SSL Certificate
1. Google Search
Google now gives priority to secure websites and see’s it as a further “signal” to authenticity, giving your website the edge over competition. Google’s Webmaster Trends Analyst Gary Illyes mentions that if two websites are competing for the same keyword and Google can’t decide which should be ranked higher, the site with HTTPS would be favoured over the non-HTTPS.
If you’re running an SEO campaign then you should consider using an SSL certificate to give your site the upper hand when needed.
2. AMP
Accelerated Mobile Pages are rising in popularity as Google is switching to a mobile first index. AMP allows website pages to load super fast on mobile devices therefore improving the ranking of the website. The catch is that you need HTTPS to make it work.
3. “Not secure” displayed
In January 2017 Google Chrome started displaying “not secure” in the address bar. In the same way that displaying the green padlock builds trust, what effect do you think displaying “not secure” will have on potential customers? Personally if I was looking to buy a product from a site that displayed “not secure”, I’d take my business elsewhere.
What Should You do Next?
Over half of the internet has made the change and are now using an SSL certificate to secure their websites. There are several ways that you can start using an SSL certificate.
- If you’re already a Mechanised client we’re already on it and you don’t have to do anything.
- If you’re not a Mechanised client then maybe you should contact us or speak to your existing provider.
