Why you need an SSL Certificate NOW

The onset of Autumn has a way of amping things up–the kids are back in school, Orgeon is on fire, and not one, but two hurricanes are bearing down on Florida right now. My best guess is you probably don’t want to hear about the changes Google is about to implement in its popular Chrome browser. But like it or not, there’s a good chance your website is on the verge of looking very insecure to the people who land on it.

Yes, I know, talking about jargon-ey online vulnerabilities is hard, but… this is pretty important.

Starting this October, Google Chrome will begin penalizing websites that do not have an SSL certificate installed.

If you already have an SSL certificate because your site has e-commerce, lucky you! You can ignore the rest of this article. If not, be sure to turn off iTunes, tell Alexa to be quiet, shut down Facebook and read on.

What the heck is an SSL (Secure Socket Layer) Certificate?

“SSL Certificates are small data files that digitally bind a cryptographic key to an organization’s details. When installed on a web server, it activates the padlock and the https protocol and allows secure connections from a web server to a browser. Typically, SSL is used to secure credit card transactions, data transfer and logins, and more recently is becoming the norm when securing browsing of social media sites.” – GlobalSign

In a nutshell, an SSL certificate encrypts data sent from a website to another location–via a contact form or to a credit card payment processor, for instance. SSL certificates also confirm that a site belongs to a real business, which shows your site is trustworthy.

Trust + Your Website = More Customers

You may have noticed many website have “https” in the address instead of “http.” That additional “s” in the website address stands for “secure.” Depending on the browser you are using to surf online and the type of SSL certificate that is installed, you will also see a padlock icon to the left of the website address. This indicates the information you enter into any forms on the site will be securely transmitted. 

It’s important to note that the peace of mind SSL certificates provide does not secure your ENTIRE website. The only security SSL offers is for information being transmitted away from your site – not against hackers and not against software conflicts that can arrive like an alpaca out of nowhere.

I love that picture. Mark, the programmer I work with in England, sent it to me about 8 years ago. Yes, we’ve both been diagnosed with odd ball senses of humor… or is it sense of humors?

The whole reason I’m writing this article is to help you avoid that sudden, traumatizing feeling of not knowing what hit you. I don’t want you to receive an embarrassing phone call from a prospective client on October 7 (the date that Google starts tightening the noose around non-SSL sites) complaining that your site is blocked, or wondering why there’s a prominent warning notice in the address bar saying “Not secure.” Or worse–not calling at all and just hitting the BACK button to find a competitor who feels safer.

Why is Google doing this?

If this seems like a pesky annoyance it’s important to remember who Google serves: People looking for high value content in a hurry.

What is high value content? First and foremost, it’s content that is trustworthy. Google will lose its marketshare if the top results exploit searchers. This is why not having HTTPS on your website will damage your search results moving forward.

Google also wants to uplevel the security of the internet as a whole. With so much marketshare, they have the power to catalyze every website owner into action. It’s in both your and your clients’ best interests to get on board before this change takes place October 7, 2017. 

For a limited time, we’re offering a discount on the installation of SSL certificates. Click the button below to save $30.

Regularly $300. Act quickly, discount ends September 15.

Photo by Jason Blackeye on Unsplash