Starting this October, Google Chrome will show a “Not Secure” warning to users filling out a form on HTTP web pages or when using an HTTP page in incognito mode. This is showing Google’s commitment to making the Internet a more secure place and shows Google’s clear preference for websites that have secure certificates (HTTPS). This might not seem like a major development, but this seemingly insignificant change can have a big impact on the trust users have in your website and, in return, in your company.
HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is how information is communicated across the web. HTTPS uses either Transport Layer Security (TLS) or Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) to add an extra layer of security that encrypts communications, transactions, and authorizations. HTTPS has been most common for websites and web pages that asked for credit card information or passwords.
This move to clearly call out sites that don’t have a secure certificate means that the sooner your site migrates to HTTPS—no matter the industry—the less you have to worry about your site being seen as untrustworthy. The plan is for Chrome to eventually label all HTTP sites—all sites that don’t have the extra layer of security the secure certificate offers—as not secure, pushing for all websites to become HTTPS.
Labeling sites this way not only visually affects trust when users visit your site, but will also eventually have a major impact on SEO rankings. Just like with mobile-responsive sites, preference in search will be given to sites that have HTTPS. Sites that are only HTTP will see a drop in their rankings.
As we mentioned in another post a couple of months ago, there are three reasons to consider migrating your site from HTTP to HTTPS: security, SEO, and credibility. Adding the secure certificate to your site will be helpful in the long run. Not just because Google and Chrome are leading the way toward an HTTPS-only Internet, but because it benefits your backend with optimization and your customers’ security as they input data into your site.
Need help migrating your site over to HTTPS? We can help!
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