Do you still have a non-secure http website? If so, read on, this is IMPORTANT!
In a blog post last year, we outlined why it’s important to make the switch to https, but there are still many sites that have not made the switch. And we have more information in a guide you can download.
You may want to rethink that decision now though.
From October 2017, users of the latest version of Google Chrome (62.0) and above, will get warnings telling them that their data is un-encrypted and not secure on those websites when they are filling out a form (such as an enquiry form) if your site is not https.
A warning will also be shown when visiting a non-https page when the user is browsing in incognito mode (a browsing mode where the browser does not record the user's activity).
Google Chrome Usage
Google Chrome (62.0) was released on the 24 July 2017. Although we cannot tell the exact proportion of users with that version, there are currently 39.7% of Google Chrome users on three of our most heavily trafficked websites.
What is the difference between a http and https site anyway?
Simply put, ‘Hypertext Transfer Protocol’ (http) is more vulnerable than ‘Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure’ (https), because it does not prevent snooping or eavesdropping from third parties when sharing any personal information or data over the internet. For this reason, it’s important to have https on pages that handle sensitive information, such as forms or billing pages.
How do I know if this will affect my site?
The best way to check if your site is going to be affected is to visit your own website using Google Chrome and make sure that Google Chrome sees it as a secure site. If your site is using https, you should see a green padlock with the text "Secure" in the address bar. For example, this is what our URL looks like:
It’s useful to know that Google already gives a small boost in search rankings to websites that have implemented https, however this particular update should not directly affect search rankings. It may, however, affect the amount of people who fill in forms on your site. Some visitors may not feel safe filling in their details to an insecure http site.
How can I make my site secure?
Unfortunately, making a site secure isn't a case of simply changing a setting somewhere. You’ll need to obtain a security certificate, which proves that your site is linked to your firm. You will then have to set up the server that your site is hosted on to use https for your site.
If you would like to move your site over to https, please speak to our team who will be able to advise you on how to make it happen.
For further information, please download our guide all about going https on your website.