2 minute read.

Does Your Website Have an SSL Certificate?

Google has announced that the latest Chrome browser version will be warning users about websites not using SSL certificates (HTTPS version). Chrome will present a message in the address bar that reads ‘not secure’ and display a circle with an “i”, when clicked on it will display the following message:

Non-SSL Warning in Google Chrome Browser

UPDATE: 82% Of Visitors Abandon Sites That Aren’t Secure!

What Does This Mean for YOUR Site & How to Fix it?

First off, an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate is the standard security technology for establishing an encrypted link between a web server and a browser. This certificate ensures that all data passed between the two remain private and integral.

Secondly, Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) is the secure version of HTTP, the protocol over which data is sent between your browser and the website. The ‘S’ in HTTPS stands for ‘Secure’. It means all communications between your browser and the website are encrypted.

Initially, only pages that collect password or credit card data will be labeled, but Google has indicated plans to eventually label all non-HTTPS pages as ‘not secure.’ Recent usage stats show that about half of all internet users are using Chrome, so this change could have a heavy impact. Customers that visit your non-SSL secured sites may interpret this error to mean that the site is unsafe. The only fix for this is to secure your websites with an SSL and the easiest way to do this is to purchase an SSL certificate. Have it placed on your server, and 301 redirect traffic via .htaccess file so as to not hurt your SEO, and current page rank (HTTP to HTTPS). That little letter “S” without the 301 redirects can wreak havoc on your site’s page rank in Google and crash your website if not handled properly.

TOP 8 Benefits of Having an SSL & Setting Up 301 Re-Directs:

  1. Security – Hacking & Malicious Incidents Are On The Rise
    • These incidents can unfortunately cost businesses significant issues and garner unwanted attention
  2. Google Now Factors In SSLs & HTTPS Into Its Algorithm & Gives You A Better Chance To Outrank A Competitor Site Without These Securities
  3. Keeps 100% Of Your Current PageRank
  4. Improves eCommerce Sales With Its Trust Seal/Badge On-Site
  5. NO Broken Links
  6. NO More Warning Message In Browsers
  7. Increases Brand Trust With Current & Potential Customers
  8. Peace Of Mind!

Setting up an SSL certificate and the proper .htaccess 301 redirects is an inexpensive upgrade to your website that will help rankings and conversions. Especially on pages that capture sensitive information such as credit cards on eCommerce sites.

You Can Read More About It Here: Chromium Blog

Not Sure You Can Handle This Yourself or Want it Done Inexpensively & Professionally The First Time Around?