When it comes to the security of your business website, size does NOT matter. Your business most likely either houses some bit of information about clients or customers or has access to information. That makes you a target for hackers. It also makes you a target for a Google search engine flag to warn that your website may not be secure because your security certificate isn’t current.

Starting July 1, Google will require that websites have current SSL certificates. SSL (Secure Socket Layer) is used to provide an extra layer of security for websites, and it’s added to each individual page on a site. You are most likely familiar with SSL as a computer user. When you go to a secure page for transacting business, you may have noticed that the secure page URL begins with https:address instead of http:address. You’ll also usually notice the image of a padlock.

Google is implementing the requirement for its Chrome browser, which is widely used worldwide. When someone uses the browser to visit a site without an updated SSL certificate, they’ll see the phrase “Not Secure” before your URL in the address bar. Most likely, they’ll leave the page immediately, and that will increase your site’s bounce rate and endanger your inbound leads. The increased bounce rate will hurt your overall Google ratings, and that will affect your Google page ratings on all browsers, such as Firefox, Edge and Safari.

You can see if your certificate is up to date simply by looking to see if your URL starts with https:. If not, it’s an easy problem to fix with the services of website developer. They can help you purchase an SSL certificate through your website’s hosting company and then add the proper code to your pages. The certificate costs between $40 and $100 per year, and the coding can typically be added in two to four hours.

We are more than happy to refer you to one of our partners, Rachel Durkan at Paradigm Marketing and Design. You can email Rachel for specific information about getting your website in compliance. If you have any other questions or concerns about SSL certificates and website security, call us – 973-433-6676 – or email us to talk about them.