In 2019, 19 million Canadians were estimated to have experienced data breaches in less than one year. Over the past years, cyber threats have become more sophisticated and challenging to detect because perpetrators continually find ways to overcome security measures. This is a problem that all online business owners should be worried about. After all, site security is a serious matter. Of course, you want to ensure that your website is secure, but how do you do that exactly?
The first step is understanding how HTTP and HTTPS are different from each other because it matters. The right choice can be a great SEO marketing move, and more importantly, it can ensure your customers’ security.
If you want to know more about HTTP and HTTPS’ difference, read on as Calgary’s trusted digital marketing company breaks things down for you:
The Difference Between HTTP and HTTPS
In the past, almost all websites only used HTTP for information transmission, that is until Google began ranking HTTPS websites higher. Why? Simply because HTTP offers very little when it comes to privacy. Imagine this – anyone can access the information you provided on an HTTP website as it is being transmitted, which is an alarming security risk!
HTTPS, due to that S at its end (which stands for ‘secure’), does the same thing when it comes to the transmission of data. With the encryption that it does, it comes with an additional layer of security that the former feature doesn’t have. In fact, HTTPS makes it harder for hackers to access information on a website illegally. It does this by using a secure sockets layer or SSL certificate. This makes all the difference because this is what allows private information to remain private.
Which Is Better for Your Website?
HTTPS offers a massive advantage over HTTP. However, there are some considerations to be made, one of which is the type of website you have. If you are an e-commerce website, no question, you need to switch to HTTPS. But if yours is not the type of website that gets sensitive information from your guests anyway, you might find the hassle of shifting to HTTPS not worth it for you.
But before you say a hard no to HTTPS, keep in mind that it’s not just security that it offers but also a boost to your Internet marketing efforts.
What Is the Connection Between HTTPS and SEO?
As mentioned above, there is an SEO-related benefit that comes with a switch to HTTPS. On top of that, you have a significantly higher chance of ranking higher on Google’s results page, as the search engine giant favours websites that switch to this security solution.
Aside from that, from a web user’s perspective, they will surely prefer to use and perform transactions on a website that comes with additional security. Remember that today’s web users are smart, and they know to look for that “lock” symbol, which gives them a sense of security. If your website is still HTTP, you are likely losing traffic and profits because clients are not confident that they can disclose their private information safely on your website.
Conclusion
If you still haven’t jumped to HTTPS, now is the time to do so! Do not wait until all your competitors are way ahead of you. This is why you want to establish that your website is secure because it gives your target audience a positive impression and proves to them that you care for their safety. And it’s taking that extra step to ensure your customers’ security, which will help you gain their trust.
Switching to HTTPS is just one of the steps that you can do to improve your SEO efforts because there’s a lot more that an online marketing agency can offer you.
Kingz Marketing is a reputable company that offers reliable digital marketing services in Calgary. We help startups and medium-sized businesses in surrounding cities expand their reach and establish their authority. Get in touch with us today to see how we’ll tailor Internet marketing solutions for you!