Seeing your id number, address and date of birth on the internet with users you never gave them to, would probably be one of your worst nightmares. This can be a reality if your website is not secured.

An easy way to identify if a website has a security certificate is to look at its web address. Websites that start with Http are not secure while those that start with https are secure.

On the World Wide Web, we fill out forms that collect our personal data. Our names, usernames, passwords and email addresses are sensitive details that we hold dear. We would lose our mind if they were to be accessed by unauthorised persons. There are, however, moles on the internet who are in the business of stealing people’s data and use it for illicit activities. Usually, they target small businesses. There is only one secure way of protecting yourself and your customers from data theft.

Request installation of an SSL (secure sockets layer) certificate from authentic web design agencies and put all your fears to rest. We have 99 problems in Zimbabwe and you do not want data theft to be one of them.

Well, this is a technical subject, but I will try to simplify it for you. A security certificate encrypts or hides your or your clients’ data so that it cannot be accessed by scammers. It is like the secret code to your company’s safe with confidential documents. It protects user ids, passwords, emails, names and id numbers and all the information collected by forms on your website. So a security certificate changes your information into a code that cannot be accessed by hackers and protects you against cyber-crime. This way, only you and the receiver of your information can view the sensitive details.

Privacy and security are some of the top issues in modern digital marketing. People want to be sure that their information won’t be stolen before they complete any online form. You want your customers to feel safe when communicating with your website. By installing an ssl certificate you boost your customers’ trust levels when dealing with you online. It makes your customers and prospects feel safe and secure to share their data with you. In short, you cant expect to generate any meaningful leads and sales online if your website is not secure. Customers do not trust websites that are not secured. Without you knowing, not having a security certificate may be costing you potential business. Since 2018 Google has been warning visitors against interacting with websites without SSL seals.

A ‘not secure’ message reflects on the left of the address bar of all websites that are not secured. This directs customers and prospects away from your website and you don’t want this for your small business.

Google continuously updates its standards for websites to rank well in search results. Google now ranks highly websites that have a security certificate. Hence, if you want to rank highly on google search engine results then a security certificate becomes a need. SEO ranking is the key to increased traffic to your website and you don’t want to mess that up. Rank highly to attract visitors and possibly leads and conversions to your website. If your website does not have an SSL certificate then it becomes hard to find online and bad for your business. In 2014, Google made it known that websites with SSL certificates would rank better. So get an SSL certificate NOW so that your website can be easily found by Google’s algorithms.