September 11, 2018 / Hannah Harrington / 1 Comment

Why An SSL Certificate Is Important For Your Company’s Website

Whether you use it to send a message, look up a restaurant, purchase new clothes, or to watch a movie, you’ve grown to trust in the internet- perhaps even to the point that you’re not even sure what you did before it. We have been evolving with its growth, and have come to rely on it more and more every day. As Newton’s third law of physics states, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. That can be applied to the growth of the internet too. As we’ve grown to trust the web, hackers and cybercriminals have worked to break through this trust. If your website has an SSL certificate, you’re on the way to making it more secure for customers and more trusted by search engines.

Let’s take a look at why having an SSL certificate is important for your company’s website:

The basics: SSL

Let’s first set the groundwork. SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer. Okay, before you think this article is getting too techie, hear me out. An SSL certificate creates security for your company website by encrypting the link between the web server and browser. This ensures that all data passed between the server and the browser remains secure and private. Imagine moving groceries from your car to your house on a rainy day. Think of the groceries as the information being passed between the server and the browser and the bag as the encryption, protecting them from getting wet. Basically, HTTPS makes sure that outside parties (in our example, the rain) can’t access the information being transferred (the groceries.)

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When a website has an SSL certification, the HyperText Transfer Protocol, better known as HTTP will change to HTTPS, with the S indicating the site is secure. If you’re using Google Chrome a lock will appear with the word “Secure” indicating the site is secure.

Google prefers secure sites

When SSL certificates were first introduced about 20 years ago, they were primarily used for websites that required sensitive information like credit card details or passwords. Today, you’ll see the S symbol popping up on everything from blogs to social media. Google has been a key driver of this change, giving sites with secure SSL certificates slight rankings boosts on results pages through their HTTPS everywhere initiative. This move encouraged any website, whether it housed sensitive information or not to become certified to increase its rankings.

To meet GDPR requirements

GDPR has increased the levels of security for customers on any website collecting data on them in the EU. Although GDPR does not explicitly mention SSL, it states that regulated information must be protected with appropriate technical measures.” They are referring to having an SSL certification, as it has been the trusted requirement for confidential information for over 20 years. I’m not trying to scare any readers here, but make sure that if your website requires access to your customer’s private information, and you do business in the EU, you have an SSL certification or else, by law, you could face hefty fines.

SSL should carry over with every link you share

If your website has an SSL certification, your shortened links also should. If you’re using HTTP short links, that traffic could be interrupted by a third party. Most generic URL shorteners don’t provide an SSL certificate for short links. Your audience might be nervous to click on them first because the link doesn’t indicate where it will lead (say it’s click.ly/hf76) or because the search bar will state “not secure.” We already know that branded links can increase click-through rates by up to 39%, and by adding HTTPS to this branded link can increase your audience’s trust even more. Rebrandly offers branded links, all with the overarching trust of a free SSL certificate.

Web users want security

Everyone wants security in their life, and online it’s no different. As we’ve all become seasoned veterans of surfing the web, we have become better at deciphering between trusted and untrusted content. Even the most basic trigger of a secure website, the image of a lock with the word “Secure” in Google Chrome can prompt a customers trust compared to a website without this icon. I mean, with 64% of internet users choosing Chrome, this alone should motivate you to get an SSL Certificate. Also, you can rely on secure vpn software to protect your network, especially if you have a BYOD policy in place.

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SSL certificates can be free

Gone are the days when SSL certificates were expensive and complex to implement. When you create branded links with Rebrandly using links shared with “https://,” the traffic to your content will be automatically encrypted. The best part? No configuration needed, it just happens automatically. Oh sorry, I forgot to mention, SSL certificates are free to all Rebrandly users!

SSL is not as daunting as it sounds. I like to think of it as the knight in shining armor that protects us from becoming a victim of being hacked online. As a business, don’t let it intimidate or overwhelm you, it’s all about understanding the benefits that an SSL certificate can have both for you and your customers. To learn more about SSL and how Rebrandly works to keep your links secure, can find out more here.