HTTPS and SSLs: Why They Matter, How to Use Them

In fact, security would no longer be an option but a necessity in the ever-growing digital world. Every online store, blog, and personal portfolio owner needs to make their visitors' safety and security their primary concern. Along came HTTPS and SSL certificates. If you've ever seen that a website has a padlock symbol next to its URL or "https://" instead of "http://," then you've encountered these security measures in action.

But what exactly do HTTPS and the SSL certificates do? Why are they so important? And how can you make sure your website is secured appropriately? Let's break it down.

What Is HTTPS and Why Does It Matter?

HTTPS stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure, an extension of HTTP. The major difference is that there is encryption in the communication between your web browser and the server of the website. In other words, information between the user and the website will become encrypted, and thus hackers and malicious actors cannot actually read or intercept the data easily.

Besides, an HTTPS-enabled website gives you three assurances:

Data Integrity: Data integrity means that no information can be changed or destroyed during transit.

Encryption: This refers to the fact that all communications will be encrypted; hence, sensitive data like credit card numbers or passwords can not be disclosed.

Authentication: The website will be authenticated to help minimize the chances of being redirected to a phishing or other malicious websites.

If your website has anything to do with sensitive information-personal data, credentials, or payment details-then availing the services of HTTPS becomes a necessity. Even if it's just a blog or a portfolio site, having HTTPS helps increase your site's credibility and enhances your visitor's confidence.

What Is an SSL Certificate?

In order for your website to use HTTPS, it needs an SSL certificate. SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer—a protocol that encrypts information. An SSL certificate is a digital certificate used for authenticating the identity of a website and building an encrypted connection between client and server.

It provides an encrypted connection from the user's browser to the web server to protect the information that may be provided during the session, like filling out forms or sending emails with or without payment information.

There are several types of SSL certificates, depending on the amount of validation carried out:

Domain Validation-DV: The lowliest type of SSL, which verifies domain ownership.

Organization Validation (OV): The second most superior form of SSL technology by way of checking the identity of the organization.

Extended Validation: Representing the highest rating that SSL may attain, this grade falls under major corporation and financial institution jurisdic­tion. It would display a green address bar or padlock and be the most trusted by users.

Why You Should Use HTTPS and SSL Certificate

Following are the key reasons why the use of HTTPS and SSL is no longer an option but a necessary requirement:

1. Protect Your Users' Data

The most immediate benefit of HTTPS is the protection that it provides. If you don't have HTTPS, the information that is passed between a user's browser and your website can be intercepted by a hacker. That password, payment info, or personal messages-things that you might not want to make public. By making use of HTTPS, such data will be encrypted and thus protected.

2. SEO Benefits

In fact, Google has made it known that it favors security as HTTPS websites will begin to pop up in search rankings, meaning the use of the software is capable of affecting SEO in a positive way. On the other hand, web browsers can mark websites without HTTPS as "Not Secure," which may deter visitors from using or being active on your website.

3. Building Trust and Credibility

People are becoming more and more security-savvy, and rightly so. A padlock icon or "https://" in the URL will make users have more trust in your website. This is especially true for e-commerce sites or any site collecting sensitive information. Trust converts, and conversions grow businesses.

4. Speed Up Your Website

Most of us relate HTTPS to security alone, but you might be surprised to know that turning HTTPS on can indeed help boost the speed of your website. The reason is because modern SSL certificates support HTTP/2, reducing the loading time for websites. And, we all know how core speed is for user experience and SEO.

5. Avoid Browser Warnings

Starting from 2018, Google Chrome labeled all non-HTTPS websites as "Not Secure." Such warnings can really freak visitors out and make them abandon your site immediately, though it may be perfectly safe. To avoid such warnings, HTTPS turns out to be vital for providing a seamless browsing experience.

How to Implement HTTPS and SSL on Your Website

Now that we have discussed why HTTPS and SSL certificates are so crucial, how do you implement them on your website? Here are the steps to follow:

1. Choosing the Right SSL Certificate

As I have mentioned earlier, SSL certificates come in types. In relation to your needs, you may opt for a Domain Validation SSL. Actually, with most small businesses and blogs, a simple Domain Validation will do just fine. For larger companies or sites dealing with sensitive information, an Extended Validation certificate is preferred for greater trust.

2. Buy or Get Free an SSL Certificate

You can purchase the SSL certificate from any trusted provider like DigiCert, GlobalSign, Comodo, or take free SSL certificates from services like Let's Encrypt, which will be fine for personal blogs or smaller websites.

3. SSL Certificate Installation

When your certificate is ready, this will need to be installed on your website's server. Most web hosts, such as SiteGround, Bluehost, and HostGator, offer very easy ways to install an SSL certificate in a few clicks.

4. Update Your Website's Links

Now that you have already enabled HTTPS, run an update on internal links and other resources to use HTTPS instead of HTTP. This will avoid warnings related to "mixed content" where part of the page is delivered securely, and part is not.

5. Testing of Your Website

Finally, it is time to test the website and ensure that everything is set accordingly. There are tools that can detail what is going on with your SSL implementation, like SSL Labs' SSL Test.

In this digital space, where security is the focus, HTTPS and SSL certificates are majorly inevitable for any owner of a website. This helps not only in protecting users' data and building trust but also offers quite a number of SEO benefits, increases website speed, and helps one avoid those dreaded "Not Secure" warnings in browsers.

Are you ready to secure your website and build trust with your users? Don't wait any longer; get your SSL today and unleash the full power of HTTPS on your site.