The big question from clients right now: Do I need SSL or https security certificate for my website? The Answer: YES. And Maestra Web Design can help.
What is SSL?
An SSL certificate establishes a secure connection between your website and your visitors, so any information they receive or send is encrypted and secure. When an SSL certificate is installed correctly, your visitors will see a green padlock next to your https URL in their browser window indicating that their session is secure.
Do I need SSL or https security certificate for my website? Answer: YES!
As of next month (July 2018) Google Chrome’s latest release will start flagging HTTP (ie: non-https) sites as “Insecure”. That means potential visitors could avoid your site because it appears to be untrustworthy. Chrome is one of the top two browsers, along with Safari. Meanwhile Google and other search engines will continue to rank secure https sites higher than non-https sites.
In short, the web is moving to https, and if you want your site to be visible and professional, you need to upgrade and enable https as soon as possible.
But… how do I install SSL? Is it expensive?
Don’t panic! If you need help – I’m here for you!
Many host providers offer free SSL / https as part of their hosting services. It’s a simple switch, followed by a bit of testing and possibly a URL search/replace on your site. If your host doesn’t provide free SSL, we can switch to one that does. I have a new host provider who I can heartily recommend, who will migrate your site free of charge AND only charges $5/mo (for up to 2GB of storage).
Get in touch to discuss further! info@maestrawebdesign.com
Remember – regular professional maintenance and security monitoring of your website can save you hours of frustration and lots of money in the long run. If your site crashes or is hacked due to lack of maintenance, it can take hours of professional labour to restore. By comparison, $50 every few months for peace of mind doesn’t sound too bad, does it?