With so many different acronyms and technical jargon, it can be difficult to understand what is important and what’s not in the tech world. This can be applied to websites and the importance of HTTPS web addresses. After all, what’s the difference between HTTP and HTTPS? Why does it matter? Without getting too technical, let’s explore this matter and why it’s important to have an HTTPS address even for non-ecommerce sites.

What is HTTP?

HTTP stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol and is a system than enables to sharing of information. Essentially it’s what allows the internet to work through sending and receiving data. A HTTP server is often called ‘stateless’, given the way it doesn’t hold data on previous visits to the site.

What is HTTPS?

HTTPS stands for Secure HyperText Transfer Protocol. While HTTPS follows the same basic protocol as HTTP, it as designed to conduct secure transactions. What this means it HTTPS adds an extra level of security to a website, and therefore any transactions conducted through it, that HTTP does not.

Regardless of the website, security is important and particularly valued by customers. It’s also highly valued by Google, so if you want your site to be a success (e-commerce or not), it’s best to use HTTPS. Google prefers HTTPS websites over HTTP because they guarantee the encryption of information which provides extra security.

Obtaining HTTPS status:

To obtain HTTPS status, a website must receive certification which can be quite a long process however it is worth it given the recognition from Google. HTTPS can help your SEO greatly. Google uses HTTPS as ranking factor in their search algorithms, meaning that HTTPS sites have a benefit over HTTP. HTTPS sites are more likely to be more valued by Google and therefore show up higher within the search results. This in turn leads to greater traffic for HTTPS sites, in comparison to HTTP sites. Regardless of whether or not you are running an e-commerce sites, websites are designed to reach an audience. To do this, the website must be easily found by search engines. With HTTP being less valued by Google, it makes sense to obtain the certification to ensure your site is seen through searches and therefore visited by more people.

Other benefits of HTTPS:

In addition to improving the search ability of your site, HTTPS offers better preservation of data and more security for users. HTTPS helps to ensure the technical integrity of a site as well as prevent attacks and alterations from third parties. Overall, it offers users better security and peace of mind that the website they are dealing with is legitimate and data will remain confidential.

HTTPS is particularly valuable for all websites, including non-ecommerce sites. With Google placing so much importance on HTTPS, it is no wonder site owners are option to obtain the required certification to make their site more visible and therefore attract higher traffic. For a website to be successful, it needs to be easily accessible through Google so HTTPS is definitely worth of consideration.