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Nowadays, most people make their hotel rooms bookings on the internet. Rarely do people call to make a reservation in this day and age. If you own a hotel, it is, therefore, important to make sure that your website is secure.
Sure, being able to offer an excellent user experience is important, but all of your efforts will go to waste if you can’t keep your users safe from malware. The more secure your hotel website is, the higher your conversion rate will be. Here are a few tips to help secure your website:
Get HTTPS for your site
Many people overlook HTTPS and even more are completely unaware of what it is. This is one of the most essential factors to protect your site. One of the biggest priorities of your hotel website should be to make sure that your customers’ data is safe. If their data leaks on the internet, you will find yourself in major trouble.
Many online business owners use SSL encryption to secure the data transmitted between their website and a customer. This SSL encryption uses a communication form called HTTPS. Whenever you see a URL that starts with ‘https,’ you know that this site is secure. Online customers can be certain that their data will be kept safe.
It is extremely crucial to get HTTPS for your hotel site because your customer has to enter their bank details. Once you improve the security of your hotel site, the user experience that you provide and the trust that customers place in you will improve as well.
Obey Google’s rules
When people search for hotels online, chances are that they will start on Google. This is because the search engine makes it easy to compare prices and get the best deal. It means that you need to find a way to push your hotel site to the top of the search results pages for related terms. You can do so by making sure that your site is one that appeals to Google.
In 2014, Google made an announcement that it would give a minor ranking boost to websites with HTTPS. They prioritize websites that are certified and secured. As you can see, implementing HTTPS protocol can provide many benefits to your site. Some people think that this is just a temporary rule. However, it has been in effect since their announcement date. In 2017, a report found that approximately half of the first Google search results pages were full of HTTPS websites.
Understand user psychology
In the hotel business, customers often have to deal with transactions online. Therefore, it is important for you to reassure them that they don’t have to worry about security. If your hotel site appears not to untrustworthy, chances are that visitors will bounce without ever making a reservation. You can help customers see that your site is safe by putting a small padlock symbol on the Checkout page. That being said, do NOT insert the symbol just to give customers a false sense of security. Make sure that your website is truly reliable.
Stay on top of your web security
Many browsers warn users when a website is not secured. If you use the Chrome browser, chances are that you have seen a text in red saying ‘Not Secure’ in front of a web address. When most online visitors see the warning, they will exit that site and never click on it again. Keep in mind that it make take some time to work on your web security. However, it will be worth the effort and benefit you in the long run.
If you’re looking for a website design agency that specializes in creating secure, modern websites for hotels, we’re here to help – get in touch today for a free consultation.
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