The security of your website is crucial for three reasons. First, it affects your SEO ranking as Google favors sites that use https:// over http://. Second, it impacts your user experience as browsers show a warning message when a site is not secure. And third, it exposes your site to the risk of hacking, which can harm your business. 

But don’t worry, you can fix this issue quickly and affordably, and enjoy the benefits of a secure website. This is an excellent project to tackle during a crisis; it requires minimal resources and delivers a huge return on investment. 

You have two options to fix your website security. One is to contact your webmaster, web developer, or hosting provider and ask for their advice. The other is to let us handle it for you; just reach out to us and we’ll take care of everything. 

Here are more details on why you need to fix your website security and how to do it. 

Google and SEO Implications 

Google wants to make the internet safer for everyone, so it rewards websites that use https:// with higher rankings in search results. This means that if your website is not secure, you are losing potential traffic and customers to your competitors. This is especially important for any business that wants to grow online. 

Web Browser Warnings 

Web browsers, such as Google Chrome, display a “Not Secure” label in the address bar when a website is not using https://. This label reduces the trust and confidence that users have in your website and your brand. 

Google plans to make these warnings more prominent in the future. All websites that don’t have a valid SSL certificate will be marked with a red “Not Secure” warning in Chrome. 

Some businesses may think that their website security is not a priority because they don’t sell products online or care about Google ranking. However, trust is a key factor in any online interaction and your website should reflect that. You want your users to feel safe and secure when they visit your website. 

Website Safety 

When your website connection is not encrypted with https://, there is a chance that hackers can intercept sensitive information such as passwords or credit card details from your users. Without an SSL certificate, you are putting your users and your business at risk. 

You can solve this problem by enabling HTTPS, also known as SSL (secure socket layer). 

How to Set Up SSL and HTTPS 

To set up an SSL certificate, you need to follow these steps with your hosting provider: 

· Log in to your hosting provider account (for example, GoDaddy). 

· Check what options are available for buying an SSL certificate. Many hosting providers have easy options and systems for installing an SSL certificate. 

· You may need to upgrade your hosting plan to have a dedicated IP address as part of your package. There may be an extra charge for this and your hosting costs may increase slightly. 

· Buy an SSL certificate through your hosting provider. All web browsers (like Chrome or Safari) check for an SSL certificate when they load your website for the first time. 

· Activate the certificate from the SSL menu in your control panel (for example, cPanel). 

· Install the certificate correctly from the same menu in your control panel. 

· Redirect visitors to your site to use HTTPS. This can be done in different ways depending on your website configuration. It could be an update in WordPress, a code snippet, or modifying your Apache configuration file.