Accordingly, have you ever seen that small padlock in the address of a web resource or an addition of https before a URL? Then you have already encountered HTTPS certificates or SSL/TLS certificates, as they compete with each other. Yet what are they? But why should they be so important, even in case your site is only a blog, a school assignment, or a plain business home page?
So, how does HTTPS certificates work, what are they, and why you need one at the moment, in simple, friendly English.
To begin with, what is HTTPS certificate?
You must have supposed that it is some technical term, or something like that, huh? Well, HTTPS is an abbreviation that means Hypertext Text Protocol Secure. It is the secure version of an H-T-P, the language that your web browser communicates with the websites.
What then is the purpose of certificate?
The HTTPS certificate (also referred to as SSL / TLS certificate) is perceived as a digital passport. It confirms the authenticity of your site and makes the data transmitted between your site and your site visitor to be encrypted. Simply put: it seals the talk in a way that nobody will eavesdrop or snatch confidential details.
Have you really got the need to have one when you are not an e-commerce enterprise maintaining a large organization?
The most frequent asks that. You are not Amazon or a bank, then why care?
The thing is, the safety is no longer reserved only to the large companies. Citizens are concerned about their security on the Internet, even when they just get a blog to read or fill a contact form. Lack of the HTTPS certificate means displaying your site as Not Secure in most browsers. That by itself is a deterrent to prospective visitors.
And it is not only about the visitors. HTTPS is a ranking factor by Google. It means that even without it on your site, you may be forced to be ranked lower by search engines – as your rivals who have the secure site will advance.
How then do we acquire an HTTPS certificate? Is it costly?
One thing that may surprise you is that the acquisition of HTTPS certificate does not always need to be paid. Let us encrypt is an easy option, free, so that any person can encrypt their possessions.
When you are with a web hosting service provider there is a high chance that HTTPS certificates are already included on their package. Actually, most of the popular hosting services such as Bluehost, Site Ground, and Hostinger added it automatically when you create a site.
Want additional coverage such as extended validation or warranty protection? There are also paid certificates offered by such companies as Comodo or DigiCert. However, the free ones work more than sufficiently even on the most of small to medium web sites.
What then becomes of it when you have got it?
Once you place the certificate, your site would change its protocol to https. You will also notice that padlock icon on the browsers bar which means that your site is secure and validated.
In some cases, you might want to change internal links and settings of your website to provide full support to HTTPS. For simple websites like those made on WordPress, there are easy solutions called plugins (such as Really Simple SSL).
Will HTTPS become so important at all in 2025 and further?
Absolutely. Digital trust is all one can have as there are increasing people who work, shop, and learn on the net. Just imagine: would you leave your email or payment data on the site that does not seem to be secure? Probably not.
HTTPS certificates safeguard your page against any manipulation, make you look more credible and rank better in the search results, even when you are merely running a blog or a personal page.
So what is the take away?
It is one of the easiest, quickest and most efficient things you can do to make your site safer and trustworthy: obtain an HTTPS certificate. You may be a business, a blogger or portfolio, but in any case, using HTTPS makes one thing clear, you care about your venture and its visitors.
It is time to move your site to HTTPS even though it is still based on plain old HTTP. It is more convenient than ever and your users will appreciate you.
Conclusion
It is not an option anymore to have an HTTPS certificate at the end of the day. Regardless of whether your site is brand new, or you have been running it for years, use HTTPS it was worth switching now.
Therefore, you should act immediately, should your site indicate that it is not secure. Now, more than ever, getting an HTTPS certificate is simple, and that communicates to your visitors, as well as the search engines, that you go out of your way to help the internet remain a safer place.
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