In the legal industry, lawyers unfortunately have to confront matters that traverse the boundaries of their expertise. Even the most sophisticated lawyer might not know the first thing about marketing or developing their website. The digital arena has put an increased emphasis on HTTPS, and legal websites need to know how to take advantage of that.

HTTPS Defined?

Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) is the protocol for communication between a website and the viewer. If a website has HTTPS, then that website will be secure. It encrypts the information that is sent between the user and the website. On the other hand, HTTP would not be a secure connection. In a connection that is not secure, any information that is communicated could be intercepted by a third party and potentially stolen.

What Does HTTPS Protect?

One of the obvious answers is related to identity theft. Identity thieves can steal credit card information or social security numbers. Consequently, Google tends to favor websites that utilize HTTPS to ensure that their keywords are protected. Google itself utilizes HTTPS.

Similarly, hackers can change how the content of a HTTP website is received by users. They might display unexpected advertisements that lead users to illicit websites. This is particularly prevalent when users are on public WiFi networks, such as coffee shops.

Beyond Credit Cards And Social Security Numbers

It might be unusual for a law office’s website to collect social security numbers and credit cards. But other data can be collected. Perhaps a law office has a form on their website where users can enter contact information. Perhaps there is a newsletter or even a discussion forum replete with e-mail addresses. Hackers will seize these e-mail addresses and sell them to third parties.

Higher SEO Ranking

As indicated above, Google rewards websites that utilize a HTTPS connection. Typically, they will be more favored in search results than HTTP connections. But as of this writing, that advantage is minimal. There are a host of criteria for improving one’s Google ranking, and a secure connection is just one of them. Either way, an HTTPS will serve as an edge over competing law firms.

A Major SEO Advantage

If a viewer is searching for a law firm and Google informs them that some results have a connection that is not secure, viewers will be less likely to click on those results. Sometime during 2017, Google intends to implement precisely that. Law firms that do not switch to a HTTPS connection will likely see a reduction in search engine traffic.

Market My Market Uses To HTTPS

As readers were browsing this article, they probably looked to the address bar to see an example of a HTTPS/HTTP connection. In an effort to ensure clients of their security, our websites use the proper encryption. On the other hand, many competing legal marketers have no intention of making this upgrade. A secure website is essential for protecting your visitors’ sensitive information. For further information on how to maximize your digital presence contact Mareting4Legal. Our digital marketing experts can provide you with the information needed  to take your law firm to the next level.