With the release of Chrome 68 this past week, on July 24, 2018, Google desktop computer platforms began displaying the words “Not Secure” at the beginning of the address bar of HTTP web pages. Although Google had already initiated this message display for all HTTP pages that contain data entry fields, now every site and page on the Web that is not secure will be marked with this message.
This event has major impact on website owners and operators since it will compel them to feel the need to support and use the security of HTTPS to protect their sites from invasion by unscrupulous intruders. Especially when site visitors and customers are entering personal data in entry fields of a website using HTTPS, all data breaches will be prevented.
HTTPS Sites are More Secure and Support Better SEO for Your Site Visitors and Customers
When you choose the security of HTTPS for your website, you provide enhanced SEO for your site visitors and customers for important reasons such as the following:
• HTTPS for a Secure Site Connection. – If you adopt use of HTTPS for your website, your site visitors and regular customers will enjoy the safety of a secure connection whenever they visit your site. When making purchases or entering their contact information in your site page data entry fields, they will have the reassurance of knowing that this data cannot be breached by your ISP, government workers or website intruders.
Some recent browser options like sending out notifications will also be blocked on insecure HTTP sites. When Internet users performing searches see your website listing in a Google search return, they will feel secure in visiting and using the features of your site with its HTTPS URL.
• Positive Response from Google Searchers. – When your website shows up with high placement in a Google search with its HTTPS URL, Web searchers will feel confident in clicking onto your site address and spending time using your various site features.
They will not be apprehensive about entering their personal data like credit card numbers and personal contact information in data entry fields on your site pages for making purchases or requesting content downloads. By securing your website with use of HTTPS, you will improve your site visibility and credibility, and you will benefit from greater volumes of Web traffic for better conversion rates.
• Google Methods of HTTPS Promotion for Your Success. – When moving toward the initiation of HTTPS use, Google first marked web pages as “Not Secure” that were accepting credit card numbers, personal identity data and password entries without the protection of encryption. The next step was to display this warning whenever visitors to an HTTP page entered personal data.
The third measure was to show the warning on HTTP site pages that visitors accessed via the incognito mode. With the constant reminders to observe the “Not Secure” marking on such websites, Web users who view your site URL with its HTTPS prefix will gain additional encouragement to visit your secure website, interact with your page features and join your site membership or purchase your products.
According to Google reports, 76 percent of Google Chrome web traffic on Android is now encrypted, 85 percent of current Chrome OS traffic is secured and 83 of the top-rated 100 websites on the Internet are now using HTTPS by default. These figures offer reliable indication that with a secure HTTPS site, your Web traffic volumes and your site conversion rates are headed toward impressive increases.
