Marketing Best Practices
If you own a commercial real estate website, you’ve likely heard about the importance of HTTPS in recent years.
What was once an optional upgrade – necessary for eCommerce sites that processed credit card payments – is now a must for almost every website.
Why is HTTPS so important and why do you need an SSL certificate to ensure your website is secure?
Going back as far as 2014, Google announced that HTTPS would be a ranking factor for websites in their search algorithm, and at the end of 2017, they started showing “not secure” notices in the Chrome browser.
Today, it’s believed that non-HTTPS sites are likely to suffer in search rankings if their issues are not addressed. So, making sure you website is compatible is increasingly important.
Let’s take a closer look at why it’s important to secure your website with a SSL certificate and how to get it.
An SSL (Secure Socket Layer) certificate is a security protocol upgrade that ensures the server where your website is hosted communicates securely with the web browsers that access it.
The data that passes between browser and server is encrypted through the use of these certificates, which can cost anywhere from $10/month to $200 depending on the types of data your website processes.
For most commercial real estate websites, designed to showcase property information and collect visitor data through contact forms, a Positive SSL certificate or Domain Validation SSL should be enough.
For years, we’ve known that SSL certificates were a valuable upgrade for any website that collects user data, but the value has become even more pronounced in recent years with the rise in data breaches and theft on almost every type of website.
But it’s Google’s recent crackdown in their browser and search engine that have pushed most businesses to finally bite the bullet and install an SSL certificate.
In addition to meeting Google’s basic requirements, here are some of the other major benefits of installing an SSL certificate on your site:
To put it simply, if your website collects any data from your users – whether through a contact form, chat box, or tracking code, SSL is highly recommended.
Getting an SSL certificate is fairly simple, though, due to the technical nature of the installation, you may want to retain the services of a web developer or your hosting company to help.
Installation involves:
If you’re ready to make a move and upgrade your website’s security, there are several options through which to do so, including:
The bottom line is that an SSL certificate is quickly becoming a necessity for any business that does business online through their own website.
Take the time to research your options and get yours started today.
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