Why is SSL important

A secure HTTPS connection can make all the difference for your website and your website needs an SSL certificate for this. In most cases, an SSL certificate is required by law, more about that below.

To the question why is SSL important?, we provide an answer below.

Besides the legal obligation, the search engines also oblige you. Google penalizes websites without valid SSL certificates by giving them a negative rating for security.

SSL certificates play an important role in the pursuit of a safer and better internet. But is an SSL certificate mandatory and necessary? Below you will find the answers to the most frequently asked questions and we also explain what an SSL certificate can mean for your website.

What is an SSL certificate?

An SSL certificate is required to encrypt all data sent between a website visitor and the website. When data is intercepted, it is unreadable due to the encryption.

The certificate is therefore necessary for a secure connection between the browser and the web server on which a website runs. A site with an SSL certificate can be recognized by the green padlock in the address bar of your browser, the address also starts with HTTPS instead of HTTP.

TIP: Read our full article ” What is an SSL Certificate? “

Is an SSL certificate required?

It is required by law to securely store, send and receive data online. Websites with payment and/or login modules (web shops) and even with only contact forms are therefore required by law to do so safely.

Benefits of an SSL certificate

An SSL certificate also has a number of important other benefits. Of course, an SSL certificate protects the data of you and your visitors. Research by Comodo also shows that an SSL certificate can increase your conversion rate. Another important advantage is that it has had a positive effect on your Google ranking since the end of 2014. On December 17, 2015, Google indicated that it would give SSL even more weight when indexing websites. Please note: to be eligible for this, you must meet the criteria set by Google.

Since 2018, every browser also actively indicates that the website visitor should NOT continue on a website without a valid SSL certificate.

A few more advantages of SSL in a row

SEO benefits: Google’s search engine algorithms assign a higher ranking to secure websites (the aforementioned Google ranking),

Performance: Encrypted websites benefit from the performance improvements that come with HTTPS and performance is a significant part of your website’s ranking,

Control: Third parties and Wi-Fi hotspots can add advertisements to websites, reducing the speed of your site and the user experience,

Credibility: The sense of security that encryption gives your users should not be underestimated. Visual cues of security can help reduce bounce rates, abort transactions, and increase trust.

Do you have any questions about SSL or the security of your company’s website?

Contact us.