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Posted By leonardo —

Does My Hotel Website Need an SSL Certificate?

As of this year, web browsers have begun labeling any website without an SSL certificate as “Not Secure.” What does this mean for your hotel’s vanity website?

As data security becomes increasingly important to the everyday user, the solutions to a securing your experience across the web have to adapt. Previously, an SSL certificate was required only for websites that gathered user data (payment information, e-mail collection, and so forth).

What is an SSL Certificate

The letters at the start of a website address, “HTTP,” are a code that allows your computer to connect to a website. By itself, that code is just a connection to the website, and it is not secure. With an SSL certificate on your site, that code becomes “HTTPS,” and helps ensure the security of your website.

An SSL certificate adds a layer of security when a user’s browser connects to a website. This extra security certifies that if the user decides to give the website any information, that data remains secure. This certification means that:

  • Data collected by a website is encrypted from third-party attacks and snooping
  • Google recognizes your site as secure, and provides an added SEO boost
  • User trust and conversion increases

Do I need an SSL certificate?

You may not need one, but you should want one. One of the key benefits of an SSL certificate is that it is user-facing. This means that anyone who navigates to your website can see that you have this added security feature. To enhance user safety, web browsers are making it increasingly visible whether or not you have connected to a secure website.

As web browsers try to lead the way to a more secure Internet browsing experience, this flag will become increasingly important to visitors. And you don’t want to lose bookings because a travel shopper doesn’t think your website is secure.

You only truly need an SSL certificate for your hotel website if you’re collecting your guest’s private information on it. Your booking engine has to be secure, but your vanity website does not. That said, you don’t want to lose the trust of your visitors before they even click over to your vanity site.

 

How can I get an SSL certificate?

SSL certificates are available through a variety of certified-providers. You then need to update internal links, set up 301 re-directs, and claim all versions of your URL (www., non-www., HTTP, and HTTPS).

If you host your website with Vizlly+SEO, an SSL certificate is supplied to from Cloudflare at no additional cost, as part of your package with us. Contact us to learn how we keep your hotel website up-to-date with the latest security and SEO best practices, so you can keep potential travel shoppers engaged and ready to book.