Make Way For HTTPS

There has been quite a lot of discussion over the past few years about the rise of HTTPS. It seems like at every conference we go to, and in nearly every article about the future of the web, there’s at least some mention of HTTPS. And for about the past three years, I’ve been predicting that we would one day (soon) live in a world where HTTPS was the standard…and I think we’re taking a giant leap forward.

For those of you who are scratching your heads and wondering what HTTPS is: HTTPS is the encrypted version of HTTP, which is HyperText Transfer Protocol. Basically, what it means is that when you’re viewing a website, if you’re viewing it over standard HTTP, a person monitoring your computer (or device’s) traffic would be able to clearly see the information that you’re seeing. With HTTPS, the connection between your computer/device and the web server is encrypted, which means it is completely private. This is why you normally see eCommerce sites utilize HTTPS at least during the part of the process where you are providing your credit card information.

Running your site over HTTPS has become increasingly important over the past few years. In the early days, it was crucial for eCommerce sites to have HTTPS. This was not only to keep customers’ data secure, but also to give customers a sense of security and trustworthiness. And then a few years ago, Google announced that it would begin giving HTTPS higher ranking than HTTP sites in the organic search rankings.

Now, Google has announced that when Chrome 68 is released in early July, it will begin marking all websites that are not HTTPS as “Not Secure.” This is HUGE. Apple’s Safari and Mozilla’s Firefox web browsers already mark non-HTTPS sites that contain forms as “Not Secure.” Depending on which statistic you read, these three browsers make up around 75-85% of all browser marketshare.

What this really means is that if you run a website, it is now more crucial than ever to switch your site over to HTTPS. The benefits are numerous. The green lock symbol next to your site’s URL will give your customers confidence, your website visitors’ traffic will be encrypted and secure, and your site will have a better chance of ranking higher than other regular HTTP sites.

If you currently host your website with us, please contact us so that we may discuss your options for switching your site over to HTTPS. And, if your website is hosted elsewhere and you are looking for fast, reliable, SECURE hosting, give us a shout.