Last Warning: Why You Need to Switch to Secure Now

Last Warning: Why You Need to Switch to Secure Now

We’ve blogged about it several times and explained its significance, but if you haven’t switched to an HTTPS site, the time has come for you to make the migration. Regardless of what browser your website visitors may be using, switching to a secure site is crucial in a digitally dependent world where it’s easier than ever to access personal information online.  
Why do you need a secure site?
  When a user arrives at your website and sees that their connection is not secure, they automatically lose trust in you, especially if they are prompted to input sensitive information on your site. If you ask for payment information, personally identifying information, or anything that needs to be encrypted, you need to have an SSL Certificate installed on your website’s server. An SLL Certificate gives your website the HTTPS domain and displays a green padlock on most browsers.   Even if you don’t ask for sensitive information, it is still crucial to have a secure site. SSL Certificates are becoming the default when designing websites. Purely informational websites that ask for no information still use SSL Certificates to boost security and promote user retention on their site.   When users see that their connection is secure, they don’t carry the same sense of worry with them while navigating through your website. Though most browsers display secure connections differently, users are able to easily distinguish if the site is secure or not.  
Chrome’s Update
  Starting July 2018, Chrome will display “Not Secure” in the address bar right before your website URL. Currently, it just displays the small, lower case “i” where users can click to see whether or not their connection is secure. Chrome is changing that option this summer by displaying “Secure” or “Not Secure” to add a layer of transparency to websites accessed via the browser. Photo courtesy of Google   ZD Net informed its readers, “Today, according to the federal government’s Digital Analytics Program (DAP), Chrome dominates US web browser use.” Chrome leads the pack with 44.5% of users opting for the Google browser. Safari trailed with 25.4% and the numbers decline even further for other browsers such as Internet Explorer and Firefox. Since the majority of users are choosing Chrome as their browser, it is more important than ever to install SSL Certificates and update your site to meet their standards.  
Statistics to Stand By
  The Chromium Blog reports, “Developers have been transitioning their sites to HTTPS and making the web safer for everyone.” They mention that the progress was unstoppable and its continued growth has shown the following:  
  • Over 68% of Chrome traffic on Android and Windows devices is now protected
  • Over 78% of Chrome traffic on Chrome OS and Mac devices is now protected
  • 81 of the top 100 sites on the web automatically use HTTPS
 
Ease and Expense
  Chrome wants to make the web more secure and this update furthers that goal. Because so many websites regularly use secure connections, they are easy for developers to setup and inexpensive to purchase. With a secure connection, you gain much more than just a “secure connection” indicator on Chrome. SSL Certificates also have “performance improvements and powerful new features that are too sensitive for HTTP,” according to Chromium.   Don’t wait. Get your website updated before these changes are put in motion this summer. Don’t have a website or looking to redesign your current one? Get a sharp, eye-catching site with a secure connection from Social Spice Media. Get in touch with us to begin designing your vision today.