A New Push to Have SSLs on Websites?
You may have noticed that towards the end of September, your website or websites you regularly visit suddenly had a “Not Secure” message in front of the URL in the browser search bar. This sudden ominous warning, however, only tends to appear when using the Google Chrome web browser and only on a desktop or laptop, not on a Smartphone.
Some webmasters feel that Google is forcing them to have SSL certificates on their pages. Indeed, Google supposedly ranks webpages with SSL certificates higher than those that don’t. When it comes to rankings, everyone knows that those at the top will get the most traffic, and subsequently, more conversions. This is why so many try to play Google’s algorithm game and appease the search giant.
What Are SSLs?
What is an SSL certificate, exactly? SSL stands for secure socket layers. A URL’s SSL measures the security and privacy of data transferred between a web server and a browser. In the Google Chrome browser, a “safe and secure” webpage that Google deems to be trustworthy and legitimate will have a green lock symbol and the word “secure” in front of the URL.
Is having SSL on your website necessary?
This question has been of great debate since the end of September when more and more safe and legitimate websites suddenly appeared as “not secure.” Those who sell domain names are frantically looking for solutions to this issue as they fear a drastic drop in domain name sells. After all, who would want to purchase, and possibly invest a lot of money in a website with a domain that isn’t secure?
There are some easy fixes available, including services that provide free SSL certificates to any website for 90 days.
Others, however, contend that the unofficial SSL requirement is a ploy used by Google to force companies to jump through more hoops to rank higher. The observation that the “not secure” message doesn’t appear on other web browsers or on Smartphones, means a good number of potential domain name buyers won’t see the concerning message. This SSL requirement, therefore, should have little impact on potential domain name sales.
What should you do?
If you’re looking to purchase a domain name, you necessarily don’t need to be alarmed if you see the “not secure” warning. There are some websites that are truly malicious and unverified, and correctly warrant the “not secure” label. This is why you need to do your research on the domain you wish to purchase. Formerly used domain names, especially, need additional care and attention.
Implementing an SSL on Your Website
If your website or the website you want to purchase doesn’t have an SSL and comes up in Google Chrome as “not secure,” there are a couple ways to solve the problem.
The first solution is to redirect the “not secure” page to a “secure,” SSL encrypted home page. Services such as Uniregistry.com which provides landing pages that have SSLs.
Another option is to implement the SSLs on your site directly yourself. For this option, you need to first obtain an SSL certificate from a commercial certified authority (CA). The most well-known domain hosting company, GoDaddy. These SSLs are not free and will need to be purchased. The best free SSL certificates can be found at Let’s Encrypt. There are requirements your site must satisfy before applying for an SSL certificate. You’ll also need to know what kind of SSL certificate your site will need. After purchasing your certificate and validating your site, you’ll need to download the certificate and install it into the code of your website. This option of obtaining an SSL certificate is best done by IT and webmaster personnel as it can be too complicated for a business owner without many technical knowledge and skills.
While the uptick in “not secure” websites may alarm some, it isn’t a big deal to others. Depending on your website analytics, the industry your company is in and the demographics of your customers, having an SSL certificate on your website may be necessary.
If you don’t have a website yet for your company, you need one. People do business online and if your company isn’t there, you’re practically invisible.
