The Top 5 Benefits of SSL: Why You Can’t Afford to Ignore This Website Feature

Jonesen TeamIndustry Insights

If your website is missing a secure sockets layer (SSL) certificate, you’re guaranteed to be losing profits.

Have you ever clicked on a link only to be faced with a Google warning page? It says: “This site is not secure! Go back to safety?”.

That warning page means the website you’re trying to access doesn’t have an SSL certificate.

Now think about how many times you’ve clicked “Go back to safety” instead of proceeding to the unsecured site. That’s exactly what your customers do, too.

If that’s still not enough to convince you to install an SSL certificate, keep reading for some shocking revelations about the hidden benefits of SSL.

Why is SSL Important?

SSL protects data by encrypting it between the source and recipient. This means anyone using your website will know that their data, including financial details, is safe.

If there’s an interruption in the connection between two servers during a data transfer, the SSL certificate will stop the data transfer. This prevents hackers from intervening in the data transfer process to steal information.

5 Unmissable Benefits of SSL

The added security of an SSL certificate is just one of the many benefits it provides. Here are more reasons to install an SSL certificate for your website immediately.

1. Improve Data Security

The most obvious benefit is improved data security for your business and your customers.

Sensitive data is hard to harvest from a secure server, which means financial transactions and personal information remain safe.

2. Provide Peace of Mind for Customers

Your customers will see your website URL starts with “https://”. The ‘s’ stands for ‘secure’. They’ll know that any information they input, from login details to credit card data, is safe in your hands.

The added trust provided by an SSL certificate gives you an advantage over your competitors without one. Customers will trust your website for purchases instead of using a competitor’s unsecured site.

3. Boost Search Rankings

Google now prioritizes websites with SSL certificates in search rankings.

If your website isn’t secure, it’ll rank below those with SSL encryption. Anyone clicking on your search result will also reach a Google safety warning page before they can choose to view your site.

As users choose to go back to search results to find a secure site, this means you’re losing traffic. Your website content may be a perfect fit for organic search results, but if people aren’t getting through to it your rankings will drop.

4. Full PCI Compliance

Any e-commerce site, no matter how big or small, must be compliant with the Payment Cards Industry (PCI) regulations. This means you must have an SSL certificate in place.

If you don’t currently sell anything on your website but intend to do so in the future, you’ll need an SSL certificate before you can process financial transactions.

5. Reduce Risk of Cyber Attacks

One trick malicious cyber criminals use is to create a website that looks like yours to try and capture sensitive customer data by fooling users. This is called phishing.

The authentication process required during the installation of an SSL certificate makes it much harder for impostors to steal your data.

Certificate verification means customers using your website will remain confident that you are who you say you are.

Get Hackers to Test Your Website Security

As you can see, the benefits of SSL make it a priority for your website. It’s also fairly straightforward to do, too.

However, installing an SSL certificate is only one part of making sure your website is completely secure. Our expert team of reformed hackers can help you to discover potential security risks with ease.

Contact us today to find out how we can test and improve your website security for top-notch data protection.