If you’re running a WooCommerce store, you’ve probably asked yourself at some point whether you need to use HTTPS. The short answer is yes, you should be using HTTPS on your WooCommerce store.
HTTPS provides several benefits for both you and your customers, and is required if you want to take advantage of certain features like PCI compliance. In this article, we’ll take a more in-depth look at HTTPS and WooCommerce, and answer some common questions about making the switch.
What is HTTPS?
HTTPS (HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure) is the standard security protocol used on the internet. It encrypts communication between a website and a user’s web browser, making it more difficult for third parties to intercept or tamper with data. When you visit a website that uses HTTPS, you can tell by the ‘https://’ prefix in the URL, or by the lock icon in your web browser.
What are the benefits of using HTTPS?
There are several benefits to using HTTPS on your WooCommerce store:
- Security: As we mentioned above, HTTPS helps to keep your data safe from interception or tampering by third parties. This is especially important if you’re handling sensitive information like customer credit card details.
- Privacy: HTTPS also helps to protect your customers’ privacy.
When data is encrypted with HTTPS, it makes it much more difficult for third parties to track users as they move around the internet.
- SEO: Google has stated that HTTPS is a ranking factor in its search algorithm. This means that using HTTPS can help to improve your search engine optimization (SEO) and get your store more visibility online.
- PCI compliance: If you’re taking payments on your WooCommerce store, you’re required to be PCI compliant. One of the requirements for PCI compliance is that you must use an SSL certificate (which enables HTTPS) to encrypt payment information.
How do I switch my WooCommerce store to HTTPS?
- Install an SSL certificate on your server. This will enable HTTPS on your domain. If you’re not sure how to do this, contact your web hosting provider for assistance.
- Update your WordPress site URL. In your WordPress admin panel, go to Settings > General > WordPress Address (URL) and change the URL from HTTP to https://. save your changes.
- Update any links or images that point to your old HTTP URL. This includes any static files like images or CSS files that are served from your WordPress site. You can do a global search and replace in your database to update all instances of the old URL with the new https:// URL.
In conclusion, yes – if you want to run a successful WooCommerce store, you’ll need to use HTTPS. There are several benefits to using HTTPS, including improved security and privacy for both you and your customers, as well as better SEO visibility for your store. Switching your WooCommerce store over to HTTPS is relatively simple – just install an SSL certificate on your server and update any links or images that point to your old HTTP URL.
