A business Web site is one of the best things you can do for your small or medium enterprise. Studies have shown that 60% of consumers expect a business to have a website, and it is an unspoken rule that if a business does not have a digital presence, it does not truly exist.
However, just having a Web site is not enough anymore. Business owners are expected to take it one step further and provide a secure Web site platform for users to browse and inquire from, says Kendra Houston-McMillan, Training Consultant, CS Interactive Training.
Technically speaking, having a secure Web site means registering for an SSL certificate that turns your http Web address into an https Web address, by giving it a Secure Sockets Layer. Non-technically, what this means is that all the data and interaction that your Web site receives is encrypted before it travels through cyber space, ultimately protecting both the business and the user.
Google implemented a protocol in July 2018 that promotes the need for an SSL certificate by favouring https Web sites in a Google search; this would trump any SEO development you have embedded into your Web site, as secure sites will appear above a non-secure site.
By securing your Web site, you are not just protecting the interactions and data on your site, you are also giving a protective layer to your domain, which can drastically reduce your chances of domain hijacking, and while many businesses leave this up to the IT department, business owners should be aware of the potential loss to business that can follow from a domain being hijacked. Hijackers can tarnish a business's reputation by posting inappropriate or simply incorrect information on your site; not only that, but the financial implication of getting your domain back if they hold it for ransom.
There are extra measures that businesses can take in securing their Web sites when it comes to the content that is presented on their site. Information overload has become a double-edged sword. Too much information in the form of text, images, videos and blogs might confuse or irritate a user and drive them away from your site. Hackers, on the other hand, love information, as this makes it so much easier for them to build a social profile on your business and the employees that work for you.
For more information or guidance on this topic, be sure to contact us on info@cs-it.co.za.
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