Your website is your digital storefront, and it’s the backbone of your online presence. It’s where people learn more about your business and what you can do to help them with their needs. Since it’s usually your first contact with your audience, it should deliver a smooth-sailing experience from start to finish. This builds rapport and leaves a lasting impression on your brand.
Even if you’re running a small business, however, you’re never too little to get noticed by hackers. They are always on the lookout for vulnerable sites where they can disrupt services and exploit personal identity for their benefit. That is why your website security should be up and running around the clock to prevent these kinds of attacks from compromising your customer relationships, among others.
Read on to learn why web security matters for your growing business.
Search engines favour HTTPS websites
Having an HTTPS or SSL certificate for your website is no longer an option, but a necessity. Google now displays a “Not Secure” warning in the address bar for non-HTTPS sites and may even restrict access to users. This can impair your SEO, even if your content is just as good as your competitors.
HTTPS, which is the secure version of HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol), ensures that the communications between the user’s browser and server are encrypted. Without it, your website can be infected with malware, which can intercept and collect sensitive data like names, email addresses, and credit card details. In some cases, it can hijack computer resources as well.
Previously, it was mostly used by e-commerce retailers or other businesses accepting payments to safeguard users from “man-in-the-middle attacks”, where someone eavesdrops on the user and steals information being sent to the website. But since it protects website integrity, Google and other search engines now require using HTTPS, even if they don’t hold sensitive data. This keeps anyone from snooping and injecting malware on your site.
Drive more leads
Many businesses rely on email lists to engage their leads. Most of them get personal details from contact forms, while others acquire them from their newsletter subscriptions. Before they grow their list, however, they must show that they take their visitors’ privacy seriously.
Apart from having a website security certificate, it’s important that you have a privacy policy in place. While it’s already a requirement for most countries, it also reassures your users on how you use, manage, and protect their information. That said, make sure your privacy policy statement is easy to access and understand, and it should comply with the latest privacy legislation in your state or country.
Build customer confidence and increase conversions
With a secure connection, your customers can rest easy knowing that they can trust your business and their personal information is safe with you. Even if they don’t have a technical understanding of HTTPS, they will become more confident to use your site when they see the lock icon or green address bar on their browsers. They know that your website is authentic and not a phishing site that is set up to look like yours. This, in turn, can improve conversions.
Future-proof your website
Cyber threats are constantly evolving, which is why it’s vital to keep your website security ahead of the curve. Make sure you choose a trustworthy web hosting provider and maintain up-to-date security protocols to protect your business and your customers.
In addition to security, your website’s SEO should be up to par so it can deliver the best user experience possible and rank higher in the search results. Capitalise on our digital marketing platform to monitor your site’s health and make the necessary improvements as you go. Sign up now for your free site audit.
