What is HTTPS and Why is it Important?

Whether you are visiting a website to buy a product or hosting a website to sell a product – whichever side of the server you are on, security is paramount.

Purchasing a product through an unsecured website can have implications such as identity fraud and viruses and hosting an unsecured website can lead to security breaches or attacked and further implications such as prosecution as a result.

To improve security and to protect sensitive information for both businesses and customers, many websites have migrated from HTTP to HTTPS.

What is HTTPS?

HTTPS (‘S’ standing for secure) is the secure modification of the original HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP). HTTP is the standard protocol or communication used by the World Wide Web, which defines how data is transmitted between a browser and a website.

When information is sent over regular HTTP, the information is unencrypted and is separated into packets of data which can be easily intercepted and is therefore insecure.

With the new secure modification of HTTP (HTTPS) and its added security layer, an encrypted link is established between a web server and a browser. This link ensures that all data, such as customer financial data, is passed between the web server and browsers remain private and integral.

It is recommended that any website, especially those that require login credentials, process payments or sensitive data, use HTTPS.

To identify a HTTPS site, look for the lock icon in the address bar.

Why is HTTPS important?

1. It creates trust

Having a secure site adds security for your users and helps to create trust. Users are much more likely to stay on your site, complete a purchase and return to it if they know your site is secure and their details are safe.

2. Good for SEO

Having a HTTPS site can have a positive impact on your sites search engine rankings for a number of reasons:

• Google Chrome classifies HTTP sites as insecure and warns its users that the connection is insecure when they access one.
• Google ranks HTTPS sites more highly that HTTP sites.
• HTTPS sites have a shorter load speed time than HTTP sites, and we all know that sites with are shorter load time are more likely to rank highly.
• Users are much more likely to abandon a purchase if they are aware that the network is unsecure – increasing your bounce rate.

3. Increased conversion rates

Customers are far more likely to complete a purchase if they see that your site is secure. As mentioned above; Google Chrome now warns users when they have reached an unsecured site, which can have a negative impact on bounce rates.

Looking to improve your website for better user experience? Or is your site in need of a facelift? Get in touch with our web development experts today!

Square Media is Northamptonshire’s premiere Web Design & Marketing Agency experienced in developing effective content and marketing strategies for forward-thinking companies in the local area. Our team of specialists consistently deliver outstanding results working in a variety of areas such as Search Engine Optimisation, Social Media Marketing Consultancy, Pay Per Click (PPC) and AdWords Management amongst a wide range of other services.