What Is The Big Deal About SSL & Why You Need It.

Why SSL?

"Why not SSL?" should be the question of the day. With identify theft and other cyber mischief on the rise, protecting all your information becomes increasingly important.

SSL (Secure Socket Layer) is the mechanism used to encrypt communication between an end-user's browser and your website.

When purchasing online, you may have noticed that websites will show a green lock or similar symbol next to the link to give you comfort that they are encrypting your transaction. This is also demonstrated by the "https://" in the link versus "http://". The added 's' is what forces the secure connection. The secure connection uses high-grade encryption designed to keep uninvited guests from seeing your personal information, such as credit card numbers or email addresses. To add SSL to your site, your website provider purchases and installs an SSL Certificate from a trusted source. The certificates are usually renewed annually and updated when encryption technology strengthens.

Do I need this on my multifamily website?

Let's go back to the original question of "Why not?". The value of the little green lock is ever increasing. Search engine providers are promoting SSL versions of your website links over non-SSL versions of the same page(s). Google specifically has been outspoken on this, using the term "HTTPS everywhere" and giving a ranking boost to https:// page links. The idea is that any piece of information, even when someone fills out a Schedule a Tour form on your beautiful Jonah website, is kept private when your customer uses your site. Some of the main web browsers, such as Chrome and Firefox, have started adding features such as "Your connection to this site is not secure" or "Not Secure" badges next to your links. The awareness level for SSL is being elevated in the browsing world. We want to ensure we are doing our best to keep you informed about emerging technology changes such as this.

Using SSL boosts the security and comfort for your customer. 

We recommend an SSL Certificate be used on every website which is why every Jonah site comes with one.