Last week Google finally started sending out new warnings about the HTTPS security changes. If you got one and you’re an online retailer, now’s the time that you’re going to have to do something about this.
The changes have been a thing for the past year, with Google claiming moving to HTTPS would create some sort of ranking boost for your site. Well, the increase in rank was so minuscule that it just wasn’t worth all the work it took to switch a site over.
What does happen during the switch to HTTPS is a lot of turmoil and aggravation because you’re basically changing all of your URLs. Then, when you’re finally done with all the work, the switch slows your site down because there’s a quick lookup done for the certificate every time someone clicks on a site page. And that can cause your click-through rate to sink through the ground.
What’s scary about this new notice from Google is that it’s saying that if your site has “fields”, like any form to input text, these fields are going to show a “Not Secure” warning. That’s your search bar, the space for customers to enter their email addresses, everything. All showing a lack of security, and all scaring your customers away in droves.
If you’ve got an e-commerce site, this can drive your conversions through the floor. You’ve only got two choices to make here. First, you could just wait until the beginning of October to find out what happens to your site. Or you could start to make the change now. If you value your customer base as much as I do, I know which decision you’re going to make.
This article was originally published on stewartmedia.com.au
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Jim Stewart is a leading expert in search engine optimisation. His business StewArt Media has worked with clients including Mars, M2 and the City of Melbourne.
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