HTTPS is the secure version of a web address. The certificate behind it scrambles what passes between your visitor's phone and your website, so the details somebody types into your quote form cannot be read on the way. You see it as a padlock, or as the s on the end of https.
What happens without one
Browsers stopped being subtle about this years ago. Chrome marks pages served over plain HTTP as Not secure, and Google has confirmed it treats HTTPS as a ranking signal, which you can read in its own post on HTTPS as a ranking signal.
The ranking part is small. The human part is not. A homeowner about to type a phone number and an address into a form, who sees a warning next to your name, closes the tab.
A worked example
A fencing firm in Bristol had a site that worked perfectly well, but the certificate had lapsed and nobody noticed. For about three months every visitor on a phone saw a warning before they saw the work.
The enquiries did not stop dead, they just thinned out, which is the worst kind of fault because nothing looks broken. Renewing the certificate took an afternoon. The three months were gone.
How to check yours
Open your own website on your phone and look at the address bar. If you see a padlock, or the address starts https, you are fine. If you see Not secure, or any warning about privacy, that needs sorting this week.
Also check that typing the plain address without the s sends you to the secure one automatically. If both versions load separately, you are splitting your site in two in Google's eyes.
Why it matters for your site
Check these on your own site
- Every form on your site collects a name, a number and often an address. That should be encrypted.
- A Not secure warning appears right next to your business name. It is the first thing a nervous customer reads.
- Google has said HTTPS is a ranking signal, so plain HTTP works against you twice.
- The plain address should redirect to the secure one, not sit alongside it.
- A good host includes the certificate and renews it for you. You should never be chasing it.
Common questions
Do I need an SSL certificate on a small trade website?
Yes. Browsers warn visitors on any page served without one, and any site with a contact or quote form is collecting personal details that should be encrypted.
Does HTTPS help my Google ranking?
A little. Google has confirmed HTTPS is a lightweight ranking signal. The bigger gain is that visitors no longer see a Not secure warning next to your business name.