As the number of websites in the current online space continues to increase and radically so, the need and concern for their security also increase. With more information being exchanged, there is always a chance of being vulnerable. That is why recent GDPR has enabled the security of information as an indispensable aspect of online businesses. Additionally, global tech giants like Google, recently made it mandatory to include a security certificate to a website’s URL.

For those new to this process, a security certificate is identified as an SSL or Security Socket Layer, which can be included by suffixing an ‘s’ to the website URL (HTTP becomes HTTPS). Security certificates can be easily obtained from your hosting provider. If you are opting for VPS Hosting, your hosting provider should be able to include the same in their service packages, even a basic one. All you have to do is provide them with the necessary documentation, and they can do the needful.

If you are a site owner who hasn’t opted for an SSL certificate yet or just launching a website, learn why it could be of great use to your business and its brand.

It enables data protection

SSL is primarily targeted towards safeguarding information between the user and the site server. When installed, it activates a lock to the data transferred, which is then accessed at the server end using a key. Thus, the data that the user sends can only be retrieved and read by the party using the respective key. This prevents unauthorized access. This is highly beneficial if you are in a business that deals with sensitive information, as in banking, legal, credit card companies, and so on. The encryption used by SSL certificates is difficult for hackers to bypass, thus keeping the user data safe.

It validates your website

Search engines like Google validate sites that are secured and safe to browse. This eventually affects the way they rank your site on the search engine results. Multiple SSL types can be incorporated to authenticate different aspects of the site, namely, the business, the domain, or the entire website, post which, your site URL will be assigned a ‘trust indicator’. Accordingly, the search engine will mark your site as ‘safe’ or ‘unsafe’ or ‘party safe’ to browse. This works against the rampant phishing activities that create fake websites to hack information from users.

It yields better SEO

Once Google validates your website, based on its security level, it reflects on the search result rankings. So a secured site has better rankings than a site without a security certificate. And when your search result rankings are better, it automatically improves your SEO score and makes all your marketing efforts worthwhile.

It boosts customer loyalty

This is an indirect benefit that you can derive from your site’s security. When a user knows that the site they are sending information to is safe, it automatically instills a sense of trust and makes them loyal to visit your site and transact with you more. And thus, you have better chances of conversions.

Summing up…

The security of your business, particularly of your website, is non-negotiable. The safety element of the site can go a long way in boosting your brand image, marketing efforts, and also fare better among your competitors. So, look for a hosting provider who can empower you with the same.