Just like customers walk into a physical store and expect to find what they’re looking for without having to worry about security issues — your website is the digital home to your brand and customers expect tight website security measures as well.
Let’s go back and think about all the ways we keep a physical store safe and secure. Chances are you install security cameras, a good reliable lock on the front door, you probably also ensure that all goods are stacked properly and all moving pieces are secured to avoid any accidents. What are you protecting? You’re protecting your customers from getting hurt, your store from being robbed and your business from being affected in case of any accidents.
So why not take all necessary website security measures as well? After all, your online store, your customers and your business can be hurt, robbed, or prone to digital accidents too!
The cases of website security breaches, hacks and data being stolen are on a constant rise. Your website collects and stores vital data that can hurt both you and your customers in case it is stolen. Thus, the need for complete website security must be a priority for anyone who owns a website.
Before we go on to understand the need for website security, let’s look at the common threats and risks that we need to protect ourselves from. These risks include, but are not limited to:
- Spam
- Virus
- Adware
- Trojan
- Phishing
- Hacking
- Spyware
These are just a handful of the numerous threats to website security and hackers have a wide number of tools and software to infect websites. Let’s quickly jump to understand what these threats could mean for a business website.
WHY YOU NEED COMPLETE WEBSITE SECURITY
To be able to grow and thrive in the digital world it’s important to understand the need for website security and know how to secure a website. To learn more about the need and the importance of website security, let’s look at what it brings to the table.
PROTECT YOUR CUSTOMERS
If your website is hacked or injected with malicious software, your customer’s safety and security are the first to be compromised. Not only will the website visitor’s be prone to being infected by malware but their personal and financial data may also be stolen. There are many different types of hacking tools and software that cyber criminals use, all have one major threat — attacking your existing and potential website visitors.
KEEP YOUR BUSINESS REPUTATION SECURE
Losing vital customer data or being the platform that puts website visitors at risk due to a lack of website security can, and will, directly affect your business’s reputation. Not only will you be flagged as ‘unsecured’ but even visitors are unlikely to put their trust in your business again.
RANK HIGH ON SEARCH ENGINES
SEO or Search Engine Optimisation considers multiple factors to determine which websites rank higher on search engines, and website security measures are a key determining factor. In fact, as an added effort to boost its efforts to fight spam Google has detected and removed about 80% of hacked sites from search engines. What’s worse? Your website is also under the risk of being blacklisted if search engines detect too many vulnerabilities.
PROTECTION IS CHEAPER THAN CURE
Taking website security measures right in the beginning is a less expensive deal than the high amounts, both in terms of money and reputation, that you’ll need to pay to clear-up post an accident. It’s important to have security features such as Sitelock on your website right from the very start to minimize and potentially negate risks such as thefts, viruses, malware, or other cyberattacks.
INVEST IN WEBSITE SECURITY; INVEST IN SUCCESS
Investing in the right website security features will allow you to continue scaling your online efforts, keep your visitor’s safe and secure, and also ensure your customer’s trust and loyalty.
Your business website’s growth relies heavily on the security features you invest in. It helps you rank higher on search engines, allows you to collect vital data and ensures that you can carry on without accidents/thefts slowing or shutting you down. Website security is thus the key to success.
To know more and stay updated head to our Security Blog category. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to drop a comment below.
