Why is My Website Marked Unsafe and How can I Change it?

Website marked unsafe, users are advised to proceed with caution and avoid entering any personal or sensitive information.

As you probably know, security is a huge topic right now when it comes to the internet. From Facebook to online banking, people are starting to worry that their information is not being protected like they once assumed it was. As always, technology is changing and we as internet users must keep up. You may have heard something about popular search engines taking measures to ensure websites have an SSL certificate or security feature, but you probably don’t know what that means or how it will affect your website.

Most likely, your current web address has a http in front of it and is not protected by an SSL certificate. However, if it has “https” in front of the “www” then it is fine and you are protected! The SSL certificate encrypts the data on your website and protects any personal information you have entered. Here is why you need to add the “s” to your http;

Trust

Starting in July 1, 2018 anyone visiting a website without “HTTPS” or an SSL certificate will be notified that the website they are on is not secure. Now if you are a business owner and depend on your web traffic to earn an income, you need to make sure your website is set up to have an SSL certificate. The internet can be a scary place when it comes to keeping your information private. Our goal is to have your clients or potential customers trust that your website is a safe place to provide their information, especially when it comes to making a purchase of an item or service off your site that requires financial information.

Authentication

It is becoming more and more common that internet users trust your site less if it is an old design or looks like it hasn’t been updated in a long time. This is a “Millennial” movement where internet users want fresh, user-friendly sites that are easy to navigate and mobile/tablet friendly. If your website does not look legitimate, that person will most likely not stay on your site for long (whether it is secure or not) and they certainly will not make a purchase from an e-commerce website that doesn’t look up to par.

Google Ranking

Google already ranks those using HTTPS higher than those that don’t. Come July, not having HTTPS could lower your rankings, even more, affect the credibility of your website. Believe it or not, Google wants what’s best for your business! Having a safe site, as well as listing all your contact information will ensure you are ranked in a good spot.

Mobile Optimization

If your website does not act differently on a smartphone or tablet, it is most likely not optimized to be mobile-friendly. A mobile-friendly site acts differently for a user visiting from their phone rather than their desktop so it is easier to navigate a site. Having an SSL certificate is required for mobile pages to load quickly and be considered optimized by Google, which affects your ranking in search and affects the ability for users to find your website.

If you look around your surroundings at any given point, chances are you’re going to see numerous people on their smartphones. This is excellent for anyone who owns a business and has a website- your potential clients now have access to your information from the (literal) palm of their hand!

The internet is changing and we at Aliado Marketing Group want to ensure you are up to date with the latest trends. We understand the internet can be an intimidating place and we are here to help you every step of the way!