How to prove that your website is safe in 6 simple steps
Your website security isn’t just a ‘nice to have’ – it’s a fundamental part of running your business. Read on for our 6 simple steps to keep your website as…
The world of websites is forever growing. It has never been easier to create and launch your own brand new website. With a plethora of different platforms on the market, the opportunity to take your unique idea and turn it into something real is right at our fingertips.
But… are you prioritising website safety?
Website safety isn’t something reserved for the likes of Apple and Amazon. It’s something that can – and does – make or break a company, whatever the size. Luckily, there are simple ways to protect yourself (and your site!) from hackers.
What is an SSL certificate? An SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate is a digital certificate that authenticates your website identity, protects your customer information and stops sensitive data from being exchanged; it does this by encrypting all website data.
You can recognise a site with SSL by the green padlock at the start of the website URL. We see it as an online ID card, keeping everything you have built into both your website and business safe and protected. As small business owners – and especially now, in a forever changing climate – enlisting tools like this that keep your business as resilient as possible matters.
Read on to learn more about why an SSL certificate should be an integral part of your business and digital strategy.
In a word? YES.
Your SSL is your stamp of trust; but it goes far beyond brand awareness and customer attitude. If you leave your website open to attack, you could find yourself in a dangerous situation before you’ve even had a chance to establish yourself.
You’ve probably heard about some of the major data breaches in the past few years from the mega brands of the world. Adobe, Canva and LinkedIn are just three of the constantly growing list of companies that have fallen mercy to hackers, losing millions and millions of pieces of customer data, and similar financial implications to match.
When you’re a billion dollar company, these safety breaches can be fixed. However, a report by the National Cyber Security Alliance showed that 60% of small businesses are forced to shut down in less than six months of launching due to cyber-attack.
An SSL certificate is one of the quickest, most efficient ways to protect yourself from this fate. Surely it’s a no brainer, right?
Since 2018, Google has made SSL certificates mandatory.
In the past, SSL certificates were a ‘nice to have’. That’s no longer the case.
In 2018, Google started to mark any websites without an SSL certificate as “not secure”. Essentially, if you want Google to pay your site the right kind of attention, they’ve made SSLs a fundamental requirement.
Their aim is to make their search engine a safe space – and they know that pushing for more and more people to add SSL to their websites is a key way to make that happen.
Since we all know that Google is King when it comes to maximising your website traffic, it stands to reason that this should be an important box for you to tick.
Still not convinced? We’ve pulled together our top 5 reasons why your small business needs an SSL certificate.
Whether you are an eCommerce or not, there will be places on your website where customers or readers will be expected to insert their data. This could be anything from their email address for a newsletter signup, to a contact form for enquiries or their bank details for a purchase.
An SSL certificate will encrypt this data in a way that means it cannot be accessed by anyone without permission.
It’s likely that your website will also send out ‘extra’ information. Perhaps you have a pop-up that leads to a mailing. Or maybe you’re running a special offer and have a voucher or promotional code that you want to share.
This information is all at risk of hackers getting their hands on it, and compromising it so that the information you send out is damaging to recipients. Which, of course, no one wants.
You guessed it; your SSL stops that from happening.
Particularly important for online stores, a site that is marked as ‘secure’ will immediately instil a stronger sense of trust in your customers. And even for sites that don’t have a selling function, knowing that you have prioritised information safety will also result in a gold star with your audience.
People want to know that their information is safeguarded; it’s as simple as that. Plus, since Google has now made it even more obvious who has and hasn’t installed an SSL certificate, those that fall into the latter group will instantly look less professional and secure. Make sure you’re in that first group.
Speaking of Google, your site safety is a huge part of their SEO ranking system.
In line with their HTTPS Everywhere scheme, Google has acknowledged that websites with an SSL certificate will experience a slight boost in their search engine rankings. As Google further places emphasis on site safety, this ‘slight’ increase could easily turn into something far more substantial.
Regardless of the level of SEO boost, having an SSL certificate will certainly put you ahead of competitors who haven’t prioritised SSL yet.
LBB TOP TIP: Check out our SEO Mini Series for more advice on boosting your website SEO!
All of the above four points culminate in our final reason for having an SSL certificate – they can improve conversion rates and, as a result, sales.
Trust is everything, and if a site doesn’t look or feel secure you can bet your visitors are going to leave pretty swiftly. By showing them that you’ve done your work and that any data they pass over to you (or gain from you!) is 100% safe, they’re going to come across as a reputable brand that people can count on.
Which is the ultimate aim, isn’t it?
You bet!
Safety is a HUGE focus for the Littlebigbox team, and all of our sites come with an SSL certificate as standard. We will also install SSL certificates to pre-existing websites on an annual basis, while being on hand for any issues that may arise.
Want to find out more? Get in touch with a member of the Littlebigbox team!
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