Although you may not have heard of it before, Google has an SSL certificate requirement that affects all websites that users access on Google Chrome. Google Chrome has over 2 billion installs, so even if you yourself don’t use the browser, you probably have people visiting your site via the Chrome browser.
If your site isn’t SSL secure, it can have a negative effect on your website’s Google ranking. Visitors may also be confronted with a message telling them that your site may not be secure, which is not a good thing when it comes to building consumer trust.
What Is An SSL Certificate?
So what exactly is an SSL certificate? An SSL certificate is a digital certificate that authenticates your website by communicating to the client that your website service host owns the domain name. An SSL certificate allows a secure encrypted connection.
SSL enables secure financial transactions on e-commerce platforms, as well as safe data transfer. It also protects usernames and passwords used for logins. Now, with Google’s SSL requirement, SSL demonstrates that all websites accessed from Google Chrome are safe to browse.
An SSL certificate protects users’ information from hackers who can use their data for identity theft and fraud. Making sure that your website has an SSL certificate is a professional way to show customers that you care about protecting their information.
When you have an SSL certificate in place, users will be reassured that your site is secure by the appearance of a closed padlock to the left of the URL in the browser search bar, a green address bar, a trust seal, or an “https” URL prefix (as opposed to an “http” prefix).
What Happens If You Don’t Have A SSL Certificate?
If your website relies on input forms such as contact forms, email or newsletter sign-up forms, or blog comment forms, then it’s crucial that you have an SSL certificate. If you don’t, then whenever a user tries to fill out and submit one of these forms a message will appear telling them that your site is not secure.
You can imagine how many people will keep trying to submit their personal data when they get a message telling them that their information might be at risk! In this scenario, you are very likely to lose potential customers to any of your competitors who do have SSL secure sites.
What Happens When You Do Have A SSL Certificate?
When your website is SSL secure, you build credibility with your audience. Visitors know that they can trust your site to keep their information safe from ne’er-do-wells. Google will give you a higher SEO ranking, and the “non-secure” warnings will disappear from your site. The SSL certificate will also protect any login information used for your site.
If you don’t yet have an SSL certificate for your website, don’t worry, we can help. Give us a call today and we can get you set up with an SSL certificate that ensures that you are in compliance with Google’s requirements, and helps you to build trusting and long-lasting relationships with your clientele.
