Discover the Importance of HTTPS for WordPress Websites

WordPress is the most popular content management system (CMS) worldwide, powering more than 40% of all internet websites. Unfortunately, its widespread popularity has made it a prime target for hackers seeking to exploit its vulnerabilities. To secure your WordPress website, you must take all necessary measures that include enabling HTTPS. Let’s delve into the topic of HTTPS and how to secure your WordPress website with it.

What is HTTPS?

HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) is a protocol that encrypts the data exchanged between websites and clients to establish a secure communication channel. It is an advanced version of HTTP, the protocol that handles transferring data between web servers and clients. Using HTTPS, your website’s data gets encrypted before sending it to the client, making it difficult for third-party users to access or intercept it.

Why is HTTPS Important for WordPress Websites?

HTTPS serves various purposes that make it crucial for WordPress websites:

1. Encrypted Communication: With HTTPS on your website, sensitive information like usernames, passwords, payment data, and personal data remains secure from prying eyes as the data exchanged uses encryption.
2. Improved SEO: Google utilizes HTTPS as a ranking factor in its search algorithm. Websites using HTTPS receive a significant boost in search engine rankings, resulting in more traffic from organic search results.
3. Trust and Credibility: Websites utilizing HTTPS provide a secure connection that’s an indicator of trust and credibility. It assures visitors that their data is secure, and hackers cannot intercept it.

How to Enable HTTPS on Your WordPress Website

1. Get an SSL Certificate: The first step to enabling HTTPS on your WordPress website is obtaining an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate. You can either purchase it from a trusted certificate authority (CA) or opt for a free certificate from Let’s Encrypt, a nonprofit CA.
2. Install the SSL Certificate: Once you have obtained the SSL certificate, you can proceed to install it on your web server. Most web hosting providers support one-click installation of SSL certificates from trusted CAs like Let’s Encrypt and Comodo.
3. Update Website URLs: After installing the SSL certificate, update your website URLs from HTTP to HTTPS to ensure secure connections. You can do this by navigating to your WordPress dashboard and changing the website URLs from http:// to https://.
4. Check for Mixed Content Issues: You need to fix mixed content issues that occur when your website loads some resources like images or scripts over an insecure connection even though it has a secure connection. You can use tools like Why No Padlock or Mixed Content Scan to check for mixed content issues and update URLs of the insecure resources to HTTPS.
5. Update Redirects: Redirect HTTP traffic to HTTPS to maintain a secure connection. Add a 301 redirect rule to your .htaccess file located in the root directory of your WordPress website. The rule should appear like this:

   <IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{SERVER_PORT} !^443$
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]
</IfModule>

6. Update Google Analytics: Update your Google Analytics property settings to use HTTPS and modify your tracking codes to incorporate new secure URLs.

Final Thoughts

Enabling HTTPS on your WordPress website is critical in securing it, heightening trust and credibility, and boosting SEO during organic searches. Furthermore, you should implement additional measures like regular backups, strong passwords, and security plugins to ensure website security.