If you spend any time browsing the internet, sooner or later you are likely to come across a website that displays the Google Website Not Secure warning message in the URL address bar as shown in the image below:
If this is how your website is currently displaying in the address bar you need to take action to fix this quickly, especially if you are spending any money at all on paid search such as Google Ads or if your website has historically received a reasonable volume of monthly search volumes (a few hundred or more each month).
Why?
Ultimately, the why comes down to “Because Google says so.”
It is all to do with data, but the reality is that for most service business owners they don’t collect data of any volume or meaning, but that doesn’t matter at all, because, as I say, Google says that your website should be secure and display as httpS rather than plain old http.
The biggest reason that your website should be httpS is a marketing one – some clients will see the message in the image below when they try and access your website:
Imagine the scenario:
- You spend money making your website look good;
- You spend money making the copy on your website sound good;
- You spend money on Google Ads or SEO so that people can find your website; and then
- When they go to visit your website, the bit just before they ask you to help them, they are told not to proceed because their connection is not private – in other words DO NOT VISIT THIS WEBSITE IT IS NOT SAFE!
Most people, understandably, will hit the back button faster than a cash machine spews out £50 notes and you have lost your potential sale.
How To Fix The HTTP Problem
There is usually a very quick and very cheap solution.
If you host your own website, use your support facility and ask how you can change your website from http to httpS.
If you pay someone to host your website, ask them to make the change as quickly as possible.
Until your site displays as httpS you will probably be losing business.
Whichever position applies to you, the change should not cost a lot at all, if anything.
Want To Grow Your Service Business?
If you are looking to grow your service business, why not download my free guide below and be provided with many other business growth tips, along with more “client avoidance scheme” advice like this:
