Make The Switch

Is your website secure? If not, you may be losing website traffic, missing out on sales, or damaging your brand. You need to make the switch to HTTPS.

In 2013, Google began encouraging the use of HTTPS—secure, encrypted connections with Transport Layer Security—on all websites. Early adaptors were rewarded for their efforts when HTTPS became part of the Google search engine ranking algorithm. Google further “encouraged” HTTPS everywhere with an October 2017 deadline we first mentioned in this post on HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) and Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates.

With this move, Google succeeded in making the Internet a much safer place. So many websites now boost the secure HTTPS protocol that Chrome, Google’s web browser, has dropped the HTTPS or HTTP from the URL it displays in the address bar. The Firefox browser still shows HTTPS or HTTP. Various versions of these browsers may still include a green padlock and Secure in the address bar of HTTPS pages. Firefox posts a gray padlock with a red strikethrough and the words “Logins on this page could be compromised” for HTTP pages requesting user information. Chrome users may find a Secure or Not Secure status listed along with an Information icon (an I in a circle).

No matter how the security of your website is being communicated to your website visitors, it does affect consumer behavior. The John Cabot Agency conducted a survey of 1324 people in Great Britain and uncovered these undesirable results you can expect when your website is not secure:
• 64% of your website visitors will exit your site immediately
• 46% will not share personal data with you
• 14% suspect your website contains malware or a computer virus
• 12% assume you and your site are bogus
• 9% believe your content is unreliable
• over 8% feel they have just signed up for spam e-mail
• An undisclosed percentage don’t trust you and are suspicious that you might sell their information
• You might survive all this negativity if you are a well-established brand with a large base of loyal customers

Tate Design is well-equipped to communicate your brand’s integrity and your website’s safety to your target market through your online presence. With our web design, we create
• Compelling but honest copy that builds your brand and customer loyalty
• Secure webpages designed to give your website visitors a satisfying experience with encrypted data and faster load times, while you get a lower bounce rate and a better search engine ranking
• Newsletter opt-in forms, e-mail campaigns, and newsletters that engage your target audience and meet CAN-SPAM regulations
• Privacy and security policies that reflect GDPR compliance

If you haven’t yet updated your website from HTTP to HTTPS, call us at 610.725.0702 or e-mail [email protected] to make the switch.

 

References
Google’s “HTTPS as a ranking signal” 
Real Business’ “Stuck with an unsecure business site? Here’s what your customers are thinking”