Why Use HTTPS vs. Http? And What Are the Benefits of Switching?

In the browser’s address bar, have you noticed either http:// or https:// at the beginning of website URLs? Casual internet users may not notice or pay attention to this, but whether a website begins with http:// or https:// is important, especially when entering personal information on a website.

Data breaches and cyberattacks are on the rise. According to global digital security firm Positive Technologies, in 2018 cyberattacks increased 32 percent in the first three months of the year and 47 percent during the April-June period, compared to the same periods in 2017.

In this age of cyber threats, data breaches and online uncertainty, consumers are losing confidence; however, fortunately there are ways to assure consumers that you are taking the necessary precautions to keep their data safe and secure. One of the best ways to instill confidence in your customers is by switching your HTTP website to HTTPS.

Here are 4 reasons why switching to a secure site will benefit your local business.

User data is encrypted.

HyperText Transfer Protocol, or HTTP, is a structure for transferring and receiving information on the web. The problem with HTTP is that the data is transferred as plain text, meaning anyone that attempts to intercept this exchange of data between the browser and server can read the data relatively easily. On the other hand, HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure, or HTTPS, is a more advanced and secure version of HTTP and it encrypts this exchange of data with an SSL certificate. Using an SSL certificate tells visitors that your website got verified and that their information is being handled safely.

Increased search engine ranking

Back in 2015, a Google Webmaster Trends Analyst named Gary Illyes revealed that when the quality signals for two search results are otherwise equal, HTTPS may serve as a tiebreaker. How trustworthy a website is plays a big factor in Google’s ranking algorithm and for this reason Google will prioritize secure websites over nonsecure websites as it deems them more trustworthy.

"Not Secure" Warning

According to a study by CA Security Council, only 2% of customers proceed past the “Not Secure” warnings on an HTTP connection. This means you are likely to lose out on a significant amount of site traffic, simply by whether or not the connection to your site is secure.

HTTPS advantages will continue to increase

The advantages of HTTPS are only going to increase with time and having a secure site now will let you get ahead of the curve and your competition. As data breaches and cyberattacks continue to rise, having a secure site will continue to be more and more important.

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I’m Paolo Inzone, a professional web designer based in Barcelona with 12+ years‘ experience in web design, specialized in creating modern, cutting-edge websites for businesses, entrepreneurs and NGOs.