Not HTTPS? Say Goodbye to Some Traffic

Think of your own mindset when you browse the web. If you were to enter a website and see the words ‘not secure’ pop-up from Google, would you be likely to stay on the site? With the abundance of hackers and viruses online, you may prefer to leave the website and find an alternative more secure website. eCommerce websites will suffer badly here as one cannot imagine many people willing to part with debit and credit card details on a site that is emblazoned with the words ‘not secure’. Due to this update which is due to go live in July 2018 and known as ‘Chrome 68’; it really is imperative that your website is converted to HTTPS in advance.

It is worth nothing that this update relates to Google Chrome only. But studies show that Google Chrome has over 50% of the market share when it comes to internet browsers – so it is more than likely that a lot of your website visitors come to your website via this browser. As an added incentive, the Chrome browser will also prioritise HTTPS websites in their search results. This means that HTTP websites that are still live in July may more than likely see a drop in their SERP rankings. This, along with the ‘not secure’ wording, are arguably a huge blow to these websites. Now that we are in March, it gives these websites four full months to convert to HTTPS.

We here at Webheads can help your website become more secure if it needs to be converted to HTTPS. There are some different methods to achieve this (such as by implementing 301 redirects); but we will be sure to assess your website and needs to ensure this is actioned in the most optimum way for you. It is also worth noting that all of our custom website design work at Webheads is created using HTTPS so that any and all of our designs are launched safe and secure. This ‘Chrome 68’ update highlights the importance of having an expert web agency such as Webheads on your side to keep your business website and online presence poised to perform perfectly at all times.