There are so many things to think about when creating a website, from hosting to picking the perfect domain name. So it’s unsurprising that things like SSL can sometimes fall by the wayside. But we’re here to tell you going without an SSL would be a mistake for many reasons. Everything in this blog still counts wherever you decide to buy an SSL (though we recommend you buy an SSL certificate by Namecheap!) So read on to find out why SSL is so important.
1. It makes user privacy a priority
You’re likely creating a site so that people will visit it. Don’t you want to ensure that your users are safe while there, probably sharing sensitive information like credit card numbers or login details? That’s why an SSL is essential. Installing one of these simple digital certificates on your site will help foster an encrypted connection for anyone visiting your it. This means that any information they share won’t be accessible by malicious third parties. If they try to access it, it will appear as unreadable, scrambled data.
2. People will trust your site
Did you know that making customer privacy a priority makes people trust your site? It’s true! And with stories about data privacy in the news more and more these days, people know to look for an SSL when they visit a new site. They’ll look for the classic padlock symbol in the address bar and may even click on it to learn more about you or your company. You can seal the deal by adding the issuing CA’s site seal to your site.
3. It will help with SEO
For many years now, search engines like Google have been favoring websites that have SSL over websites that don’t. They’ll always rank SSL-secured sites higher than non-SSL secured sites. So if you want a head start on your search engine optimization game, getting an SSL is the way to go.
4. Your site will work on all web browsers
You’ve probably noticed that major web browsers have started flagging certain websites as “not secure” when you try to visit them. These sites either don’t have SSL, have an expired SSL, or have an SSL that’s no longer functional for some reason. You do not want this to happen to your site, especially when you’re just starting out and trying to find an audience. People are not going to want to try to revisit the site that’s apparently so insecure that browsers flash a scary warning about it. Avoid this by installing an SSL before you launch your site.
Let this article serve as a reminder that SSL should never be skipped!