There’s no doubt about it! 🙃
2017 is the year of https and ssl for websites. This post will have a closer look at https and don’t worry, if you have no idea what SSL or HTTPS is. We’re going to explain that as well.
Little back story
Google announced a call for HTTPS in 2014, to be used by every website on the web. Google has three main reasons for this that all come back to the desire to create a more secure internet, but before we get to those three reasons, you may be wondering what HTTPS and SSL are.
HTTPS vs HTTP Google Chrome Notification – Image credit: Google
What is HTTPS and SSL?
In order to protect the data transfer, a secure connection needs to be created.
That’s when SSL and HTTPS come in.
HTTPS or Secure HTTP is an encryption method that secures the connection between users’ browser and your server. This makes it harder for hackers to eavesdrop on the connection.
Each site is issued a unique SSL certificate for identification purposes.
SSL is the backbone of our secure Internet and it protects your sensitive information as it travels across the world’s computer networks.
Why do you need HTTPS and SSL?
The three reasons why Google is calling for all websites to switch to HTTPS.
Back in 2014 Google IO I found this video and it will worth having a look
Furthermore, the three reasons are:
- Authentication addresses the issue of verifying the ownership of your website.
- Data Integrity speaks to whether or not the data on the site has been tampered with while it’s in transit.
- Encryption refers to the security of communications between the client and the server so that no one else can read them.
For example,
If you are running an eCommerce website, then you absolutely need a SSL certificate specially if you are collecting payment information.
Most payment providers like Stripe, PayPal Pro, Authorize.net, etc will require you to have a secure connection using SSL.
Recently, Google also announced that they will be using HTTPS and SSL as a ranking signal in their search results. This means that using HTTPS and SSL will help improve your site’s SEO.
HTTPS vs HTTP Google Chrome Notification – Image credit: Google
“HTTPS and SSL will help improve your site’s SEO.”
In September 2016, Google announced that in January 2017 they would begin displaying the security of the connection in the address bar of Chrome version 56 and up on pages that display a password and/or a credit card field. This is the beginning of a long-term plan to mark all HTTP pages non-secure.
What’s the process of changing my site from HTTP to HTTPS?
No you must be wondering how the hell i migrate my website to https and making it more secure. No problem, we can help therefore the steps are:
- Choosing the correct certificate for your website is crucial. The cost for an SSL certificate will depend on your website’s hosting provider, who they buy the certificate through, and the type of certificate they buy. There are three types of certificates: single domain, multi domain or wildcard.
- Installation of the certificate on your website
- Update the configuration of your website to point to HTTPS instead of HTTP
- Redirect all incoming requests for your HTTP website to the location of the HTTPS site.
- Re-verify ownership of your website in Google Search Console and update the sitemap location
- Update your web property’s configuration in Google Analytics
- Test and confirm that the conversion was successful
In Closing
The Internet is on the precipice of a huge shift from HTTP to HTTP/2. With it, will come new requirements for websites to display properly. Soon, websites being served over HTTP will receive browser warnings about being unsecured. This will dissuade potential traffic from visiting and will have adverse effects on your website.
