5 Reasons Why You Need SSL
Why do I need SSL? How will it benefit my website or online business? These are important questions to ask and understand. From website security to customer trust and beyond, SSL plays an important role on the web.
Encrypt Your Information
The purpose of SSL is to keep sensitive information sent across the Internet encrypted so that only the intended recipient can make use of it. When an SSL certificate is in use, the information becomes unreadable to any party except for the server you are sending to.
Authentication
In addition to encryption, a proper SSL certificate also provides authentication. As a result, you can be sure that information is being sent to the right server and not elsewhere. Users often access the internet via several devices. Any of these devices could be compromised and may result in your users sending personal information to an incorrect destination. Authentication is ensured by using a proper Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), and getting an SSL certificate from a trusted provider.
Improved SEO Scores
In August 2014, Google announced that adding a SSL certificate to your site can result in a minor ranking boost. This boost for using SSL applies to all sites, even those who do not request or store sensitive information. If your site does not feature a checkout page or does not request any personal information from users, you can still get SEO benefits by installing an SSL Certificate on your site.
Gain Customer Trust
When a user visits a website with SSL enabled, they will see a padlock or green background in the address bar indicating the connection is secured. SSL providers also issue a trust seal graphic which can also be displayed to indicate further a secure connection. These visual cues assist in building trust with your visitors which can lead to greater conversions and sales.
Protection Against Phishing Attacks
We've all seen them, emails in our inbox pretending to be from a service or financial institution we use. If you click links in these emails, you are taken to a site that impersonates the service in question. They may even use a man-in-the-middle attack to serve this false site on your domain. Because it is difficult for scammers to secure these false sites properly, adding SSL to your website will aid in providing assurances your site is authentic.