[social_warfare] Chrome (Google’s own web browser) is the most popular web browser in the UK, this means that most of the visitors that view and purchase on your e-commerce website are using Chrome to do so.
So how does this affect my website you might be thinking?
Starting this month Chrome (and some other browsers such as Firefox, Safari, etc.) have begun to notify users whether or not the website they are viewing is secure, something that is achieved by the website applying a security encryption protocol such as an SSL certificate.
And they are not being discrete about it either. Look at this example below of what your customers will see if you don’t have the SSL certificate in place.
As you can see, this isn’t what you want your customers to see when they try to view or buy off your website. Let’s face it, with all the public awareness of phishing/hacking/ID theft, they are probably going to run for the hills (i.e.,your competitors websites) and never return.
What can I do about it? How can I make my website secure?
Luckily remedying the problem is fairly quick and easy. You’ll need to purchase and apply an SSL certificate to your website.
Once this is in place the sensitive information that is transferred from your website to your server or payment gateway (customer information, passwords and credit/debit numbers) is encrypted, massively reducing the opportunity for online criminals to intercept and misuse the data.
Once you have applied the SSL certificate your website will not only be secure but also instead of of showing the customer scaring notification above, your website will now highlight that your website is now secure increasing trust for your website visitors and customers. How this positive status is displayed differs slightly depending on the visitor’s browser but below is an example for Chrome and Firefox.
SEO benefits for both e-Commerce and non e-Commerce websites
Google is also going to be giving all websites with a SSL certificate a significant SEO boost, you’ll notice it especially against competitors without the certificate in place. This reason for this being Google considers that website owners that have gone to the expense and effort to ensure their website is secure are more likely to be reputable businesses and will offer a better, more relevant experience for their searchers.
How do I get and apply a SSL certificate?
Unless you’re pretty savvy about managing the hosting of your website the chances are that you’ll require assistance getting a SSL certificate applied to your website. Luckily they aren’t that expensive, under £150 per year and with these new customer scaring notifications becoming more common it’ll probably be the best £150 you’ll spend on your website, especially if you sell online.
Give us here at Zig Zag a call on 01562 734040 or email ryan@zigzagadvertising.co.uk to find out the latest deals that we have on SSL certificates, dedicated fast SEO boosting hosting and website solutions. We’ll be happy to discuss your options to make your website as secure and search engine friendly as possible.
