Ever noticed a little “s” at the end of the “http” of a website’s URL? That little “s” is small but mighty. It tells you that any information you enter into the website will be shared securely and safely. And it’s becoming increasingly important to consumers. So important, in fact, that Google now alerts visitors when a site they’re visiting doesn’t have an SSL certificate.

So, the big questions for business owners are, “Does your website have an SSL certificate?” and “How do you activate an SSL certificate on your site?” Your Solutionistas have the details!

SSL Protects Your Customer’s Sensitive Data

SSL stands for “Secure Sockets Layer.” What you need to know is that an SSL certificate is the standard security technology that protects the data your visitors may enter into your website. This includes their name, physical address, credit card number, and other sensitive data. An SSL certificate encrypts the connection between your webserver and your visitor’s browser. This link protects the data moving between your webserver and your visitor’s browser so it’s private.

SSL certificates were originally created for the banking and other industries that ask website visitors to share personal data online. Today, they are common on many websites because consumers demand the sensitive data they enter into a website’s contact form or online store be protected.

SSL Establishes Trust with Your Customers

While an SSL certificate is not required to create a website, we highly recommend activating it when you set your website up with your host provider. Your website’s SSL certificate has a positive effect on your relationship with your website’s visitors. In a HubSpot survey, 82 percent of respondents said they would NOT continue browsing a website that was not secure.

An SSL certificate is so important to the visitor experience that Google ranks sites with SSL protection higher than sites without the protection. In other words, SSL is great for SEO! If you don’t enable an SSL certificate, you’re missing opportunities to engage with your audience and potential customers.

How Do I Know if My Website Has SSL?

We’re glad you asked! If your site is secured with and SSL certificate, you’ll see “https://” before the URL of your website. It’ll look something like this: