HTTP vs HTTPS: Is Your Business As Secure As You Think?

Here at Thunderbolt Digital, a web development agency in Surrey, we have been monitoring the argument against HTTP (and for HTTPS) for some time. It is now more important than ever that you purchase an SSL certificate for your website and make the switch to HTTPS – but who would have thought that a single letter’s difference could have such dramatic importance for your business? Read on to find out exactly why this change is vital…

HTTP stands for hypertext transfer protocol, and it is used to transfer data from a web server to a browser to view web pages. The significant distinction between the two aforementioned types of HTTP is that HTTP is unsecured whereas HTTPS is secure – hence the added ‘S’. Google has been increasing the pressure on websites to upgrade from HTTP to HTTPS for some time now, but has recently announced a deadline for websites to adhere to the guidelines: this July. Users of any website that does not do so will be met with clear warnings that the site is not secure, which has the potential to majorly disrupt traffic.

In the past, e-commerce websites were the only sites that absolutely had to implement HTTPS, due to the sensitive information they stored, such as credit card details and personal credentials. It is now commonplace for most sites to secure the information that they gather, especially since the changes in GDPR laws. Despite HTTPS not being a requirement, Google, which boasts a market share of 86.28% of the worldwide desktop search engine, does prioritise secure websites over non-secure in search results, making it less likely for new visitors to discover un-secure sites as they will be ranked lower. This is important as, when paired with the warning upon entering the page and having a lower ranking, traffic to the site is likely to diminish rapidly from both direct and indirect sources.

To emphasise the influence Google holds online and the magnitude of their decision to implement a deadline, the second highest ranking desktop search engine globally is Bing with 6.45%, so it’s understandable for businesses to worry about the effect of HTTP and HTTPS. As a successful web development agency in Surrey, we stay up-to-date with all the changes happening in the digital world and understand how to best protect yourself and your business. If you’re concerned that your website may not be safe, have any other concerns about anything digital, or just fancy a quick chat, then do not hesitate to contact our friendly staff at howdy@wearethunderbolt.com or by visiting our contact page.