Customers call a plumber for peace of mind when the pipes in their homes and businesses don’t work the way they are supposed to, but it is important to extend that sense of security to all of the pipes you use — including the virtual pipes of the internet that connect customers to your business. That’s why learning how to get a secure certificate on your website is essential.
Since July 2018, Google Chrome began marking websites without a security certificate in place as “not secure” to users of the world’s most popular web browser, and for good reason. Website traffic without secure encryption — HTTPS — is susceptible to interception by hackers and other internet bad guys who want to exploit your data.
Why is this so important? Google Chrome holds about 60 percent of the market share for website browsers, according to StatCounter. As of 2016, Google reported more than 2 billion active installs of the Chrome browser. So, does your business need an SSL certificate?
Follow along to learn more about website security for plumbers and how to get a secure certificate for your plumbing website.
Related: Why you need a secure webste right now
How to get a secure certificate on your website
The major upgrade in July 2018 tells web users something that has long been a fact of the internet: A security certificate, aka SSL certificate, is required for users to securely connect with and interact with your website.
Not sure how to get a secure certificate for your website? GoDaddy makes it easy (literally):
- The Easy SSL Service is a managed service that installs, deploys and maintains secure certificates for you. It’s available for websites using GoDaddy’s Web Hosting and WordPress Hosting.
- For websites hosted on other platforms, GoDaddy offers a variety of trusted SSL certificates that you (or your favorite web pro) can install to protect your website.
Related: Choose the best SSL certificate for your business website
SSL secures the pipes of the internet
If you want a little more information on how to get a secure certificate on your website and how SSL encryption works, read on!
The standard for website security is Secure Sockets Layer, more commonly referred to as SSL. In basic terms, SSL creates a secure connection between a website visitor and the server.
When a website visitor fills out a contact form or makes a credit card payment on your plumbing website, that data is transmitted across the internet from their computer to your website server. SSL prevents any prying eyes from stealing that information on the way to your computer.
Related: Do you need SSL encryption if you don’t sell anything on your website?
How do users know you have SSL on your plumbing website?
When you add SSL to your website, your online visitors see a much more welcoming greeting than the dreaded “not secure” text. Instead, they see a little lock icon along with a website URL that starts with HTTPS.
Any website in your browser relies on HTTP (hypertext transfer protocol) to view website content. When that content comes over a connection secured by SSL, the website address updates to start with the letters HTTPS, instead of solely displaying HTTP.
If you have an SSL certificate, but it is not configured correctly, it might show up as HTTP or as HTTPS with an error. You might also get an error due to the wrong type of SSL certificate for your website. Learn more about the difference between free and paid SSL certificates and which might make more sense for your plumbing business if you already have SSL and think you need an upgrade.
Editor’s note: Not sure about your SSL? Use this free SSL Checker to see if your plumbing website is protected.
Upgrade your website’s plumbing to HTTPS today
While tinkering with pipes might feel more comfortable than tinkering with your website, getting your website’s pipes upgraded to HTTPS is an important step for any business. If you have a business today, you need a website. And if you have a business website, it needs to be secure.
Once you upgrade your site with a security certificate, you can rest easy knowing your customer’s website connections are secure, your search rankings are not harmed by a lack of SSL, and the knowledge that you took your website security seriously. Then you can get back to the important part of running your business: getting out in the field and making those sales!
Related: Tools to Secure a Website
The post How to get a secure certificate on your plumbing website appeared first on Garage.