Have you not switched yet from HTTP to HTTPS, then you should. For the past years Google has been focusing on making internet safer by recommending to get an SSL certificate and that way creating a secure connection between web server and visitor browsers.
Already April 2017 Google started by showing part of websites as ‘Not secure’. This change affected only pages that had password fields or fields to fill in sensitive information,such as credit card information.
Google did take next step in October 2017 when they started to show all websites as ‘Not secure’ where visitors had to fill in any sort of information or if someone visited website through Incognito window (Browse in private).
Read more here: Google Online Security Blog
Why you should switch from HTTP to HTTPS
Starting July 2018 after Google releases Chrome version 68 they will take next step to make internet more secure. In case your website don’t have yet SSL certificate and you haven’t switched from HTTP to HTTPS your website will show as ‘Not secure’ in Google Chrome.
This is how it will look in Google Chrome from July 2018 in case your website is still HTTP then.
Advantages of SSL (HTTPS Domain)
- More secure connection for your website visitors thanks to SSL
SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer. It encrypts the traffic between web server and the visitor’s browser.
So it basically makes sure to keep all sensitive data between web server and browser encrypted and safe (for example user data or credit card information).
SSL will be really important with the new GDPR Compliance law in EU coming 25 May. - By switching from HTTP to HTTPS you will rank better
Couple of years ago (more precise 2014) Google did make HTTP as a ranking signal, click here to read Google announcing HTTPS as ranking signal. At the time they did announce it they had chosen to have it only as very lightweight signal.
Now when Google choose to show all HTTP websites as ‘Not secure’ we can only imagine how much more important this will be and the strength of HTTPS ranking signal. Whoever doesn’t want to risk having their website dropping in SERP should switch from HTTP to HTTPS. - Increase sales with SSL
If you have already an eCommerce website then you should already have SSL certificate. SSL has been very important and mandatory for a long time now in eCommerce. By seeing it’s a secure website your customers can continue shopping without any worries.
In case they are shopping and they see that
HTTP will however instead result in the opposite effect.
Even if they had made a decision to buy the product such warning might most likely scare them resulting in them leaving before finnishing their purchase.Do you have a smaller website that is just filled with information or a bit more advanced but without eCommerce? You should still change from HTTP to HTTPS!
If visitors see ‘Not Secure’ website it might result in them trusting less your business and information on the website.
This is how it looks today inside Google Chrome when you switched from HTTP to HTTPS with SSL Certificate
Did you buy SSL Certificate – What now?
It really depends on how you bought your SSL certificate and how your webhost works.
If you bought your new SSL certificate through your webhost then there is a big possibility that it will get activated automatically on your domain in case they did configure it that way. However some webhosts haven’t configured it so it activates automatically. If this case you will have to get the SSL keys, you receive them after buying SSL certificate. Proceeding you will you have to go to your webhost cPanel and add them there.
When you are done with that there is one final very important step, redirection from HTTP to HTTPS.
No matter if you bought it from your webhost or from somewhere else you will have to make sure all visitors are sent from HTTP to HTTPS url.
Let’s say Google, your own website or some other websites show an old HTTP link to your website. In case someone clicks on it they will go to the part of your website where it says website is not secured. With redirection no mater if they write HTTP or HTTPS they will end up on HTTPS and it will say ‘secured’.
See below how they would be sent to HTTPS when they make an HTTP request.
In case you haven’t configured so all visitors get redirected automatically to HTTPS when they go to HTTP then you risk they go to the ‘Not Secure’ part of website and the there it will show as ‘Not Secure’.
If you have a WordPress website then it is recommended to install a plugin called Really Simple SSL.
It will automatically send over all visitors to HTTPS without you having to make any changes in .htaccess file.
PS. Do this only after you are sure 100% SSL certificate is activated on your domain.
Do you need help switching from HTTP to HTTPS and securing your website?
We can help you getting a reliable SSL certificate.
Contact us now or call us +46739793018.
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