Announcing Free SSL For All Squarespace Clients
We’ve got an exciting announcement about the improved security of your website
“We’ve been working for over a year on how to effectively add SSL security to our sites. But until now, all options have been costly and complicated. Thanks to our partnership with Squarespace, we can pass on this benefit directly to you and your website visitors for no additional cost.”
One Wheel Marketing is pleased to announce that TLS and SSL security will now be offered free of charge on all our Squarespace website builds.
You may be asking what is TLS and SSL and why is it important?
SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer. Great, now what does this actually mean? Essentially, it is an increase in security between the website you’re visiting and your browser. Increased security will provide increased comfort for potential customers browsing your site. SSL is now improved and is called Transport Layer Security or TLS. Learn more about this rollout
What changes can you expect to see?
TLS changes your HTTP to HTTPS, the “S” indicating security. Functionally, HTTP and HTTPS are the same: both are presenting information to the user.
Here's the difference between HTTP and HTTPS:
HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) is not secure, which means anyone can see what you are doing and anyone can tamper with the transmission of information. For example, if your customers submit a form with personal information or purchase a product, a third party could intercept the transmission of information and collect this data. Sites that are still HTTP will now have the red “X” placed in the address bar by Google, making the site appear broken.
HTTPS (Secured HyperText Transfer Protocol) is secure because it uses TLS to transfer data, encrypting the transfer of communication between your site and its users. It prevents unwanted third parties from tampering with information during transmission. HTTPS provides proof of authenticity, showing users they are on the correct website through the green lock icon in the address bar.
How does this benefit your website and business?
Benefit number one is that you receive increased trust from your customers. Website visitors will know your site is secured because of the green lock icon, and therefore, can rest comfortably knowing their information and activity during each session isn’t getting out to everyone on the internet. Your customers will appreciate a website they can confidently place their trust in and enjoy a faster website regardless of the content and information being transferred.
What other benefits can you expect from this change?
Your SEO will improve. Google is rewarding websites that use HTTPS. Google, who seldom explicitly states the factors affecting SEO, released a statement in 2014 that secured websites using HTTPS will increase their page ranks.
HTTPS also preserves referrer data which aids in SEO as it tracks how a user made it to your website and the keywords being searched. While it is only a few of the many factors that contribute to SEO, it may be enough to push your website above your competitors’.
Bottom line:
This announcement is great news for you as TLS is now added to your website at no extra charge! Additional cost is the most stated reason for companies who have not transitioned their website to HTTPS. Going forward, basic security is being added to your websites, boosting your overall rankings, aiding in SEO and easing the minds of your customers. The best news for you is that you don’t have to pay a dime for it!