Why is Securing your Website Important?

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By Omnizant Team
Law Firm Marketing Agency

In recent years, web browsers like Google Chrome, FireFox, and Internet Explorer have been cracking down on cyber security, including identifying websites that are not secure. Web browsers have begun warning users when the website they are visiting is not secure. Google Chrome has also started redirecting users to a warning page before they enter a website that is not secure.

An insecure website can hurt your website’s performance, and subsequently your business, in more ways than one. According to HubSpot Research, consumers and site visitors hesitate to purchase items from websites that are not secure. Their research also states that 82% of survey participants would leave a site if it was not secure. As the goal for your website should be visitor retention, this is not a good sign. When a visitor quickly leaves your page without interacting with your site, such as filling out a contact form, it contributes to the site’s bounce rate. Higher bounce rates mean visitors left without interacting with the site, leading to lower conversion rates in your site’s analytics reports. Conversely, a lower bounce rates mean higher conversion rates.

The Benefits of Securing Your Website

There’s an old saying in business, that the first step to making a sale is getting someone in the door. The same ideology can be applied to your website. If your website is insecure, customers will turn away at the door. A secure website will ensure visitors pass the threshold.

Here are just a few benefits to securing your website:

  • Avoiding web browser shaming
    • Web browsers often make users aware when the website they are visiting is insecure.
  • Ranking better in search engines
    • Securing your website has implications on search engine optimization. Google is known to favor secured over insecure websites.
  • Encrypting sensitive information
    • The SSL, or security sockets layer, will intentionally add random characters to any personal information a user adds to a website, login screen, or any other input field. The rationale behind this is to make the information illegible to anyone that is not supposed to receive it, further protecting the information from hackers.
  • Building trust and credibility
    • If your website is secured, people will be more inclined to submit their information to your site’s contact forms, checkout boxes, and email subscriptions. In addition, having an SSL Certificate also provides proof that you are an authentic business.
  • Higher conversion rate
    • According to a survey conducted by Symantec, securing your website can lead to an increase in conversion rates or interactions with your site. The survey stated that website owners noticed an 18-87% increase in the conversion rate of lead generation once they secured their site.
  • Showing off your security badge
    • A security badge is not only a nice visual addition to your site, but also provides a sense of security. According to a 2011 study performed by Actual Insights, over 60% of respondents stated that they neglected to purchase a product or service because there was no visible security logo.

Is Your Website Secure?

Take a moment to check if your website is secured or not. Visit your homepage and look at the left-hand corner of the URL box. If your site is secure, you should see a green padlock with the word “Secure” next to it. If it’s not secure, you will find a grey “i” icon with the label “Not secure” next to it.

One of our favorite tools for diagnosing site security is “whynopadlock.” The site can help you identify pages on your website that are not secured and detail if there are any broken links or assets such as photo files or video links that are not secure. You can use this information and fix any errors you encounter.

Securing your website is one of the many things you can do to enhance your website’s performance. If you are having trouble obtaining an SSL certificate, or need any more information on site security, our team of specialists at Zola Media can help. Feel free to contact us via our contact form or call 877.959.8853 for more information about the services we offer.

About the Author
Since 2006, Omnizant's team of digital marketing experts, designers, developers and writers has helped over 2,000 law firms develop powerful websites that drive business growth.