To secure or not secure

No. But why wouldn't you want a secure website?

Here at csb towers we've had a busy few weeks migrating most sites to a new server and converting sites from standard HTTP to HTTPS (secure). Why convert?

1. Improved user experience
2. Additional search engine ranking benefits

Unsecure sites will be shown as

Being secure is a good thing. Data which passes from the server to browser is encrypted which reduces the chances of it being interfered with. Search engines also like it. They like it so much that they are promoting secure sites above non-secure sites.

FAQ

Is my website safe? 

Having an "SSL certificate" does not mean your website is safe, it just means you will arrive at the intended destination. If bad data is sent to the page then it will continue to be sent to it. 

How do I get a secure certificate? does it cost much? what changes need to be made to my website?

There are a number of different types of "SSL certificate" depending on what data you are handling. A straight forward website will work well with a server wide certificate which can be installed by your hosting provider and may even be free. For payment information a more secure certficate with insurances may be more appropriate - these can cost from £30 upwards. Your website content will need to be checked to make sure there are no broken links as an HTTPS address is different to an HTTP address. This is where your costs may be incurred - paying someone to check it all through.

If my web address changes, will my search engine ranking be affected?

As your website URL will be different your website will need to be reindexed by the search engines. Ultimately your final position should be at least as good as your current position but expect a small dip for a short period of time will the indexes are updated.

If you have a question - ask us, we'll give you a straight forward answer!