Is Your Website Secure? Google recently announced that they will begin informing visitors to your website that it’s not secure if it is not HTTPS compliant. This continues to reinforce Google’s emphasis on security when ranking websites as this has been an SEO ranking factor for some time.
What Does This Mean For Your Business
Although it’s unclear at this time exactly how Google will be implementing this, they’ve made it clear that when a visitor using Chrome browser arrives at a website Google will inform the visitor that the website is UNSECURE and that any information you share may be at risk.
Does This Even Matter If It’s Not An E-Commerce Website?
Yes, it will diminish TRUST immediately when a visitor arrives at an unsecured website. It’s not easy to build awareness and trust, and if your website erodes that trust it defeats the whole purpose of building awareness and driving traffic to your website.
How to Check If Your Website Is Secure
It’s very easy to learn if your website is secure. Watch this short video to check your website now:
Why You Need To Act Now
Google has stated that they will start informing visitors in July, so you should begin looking to this immediately especially if your website hasn’t been updated for a number of years as it may require more work to update.
How to Secure Your Website
This varies by content management system (Wordpress, Joomla, HTML, SquareSpace etc), but regardless of the platform you’re on there should be a way to upgrade your website to an HTTPS compliant website. It can get quite technical so I would recommend you reach out to your web designer or hosting company to tell you how this can be achieved.
How Much Will It Cost To Secure Your Website
Prices vary depending on a host of factors, however, the quickest way to understand what’s involved is to simply reach out to your web designer or website hosting company. They will be able to provide you with a price and let you know if there are other factors that need to be resolved to become HTTPS compliant.