As you’re viewing this blog post you’ll note that in the URL bar, the part where you type the blah blah blah dot com bit, next to the domain name ‘celebrant.institute’ you’ll see a little padlock ???? icon that is a sign that this website is communicating with your web browser securely. If you share any information with this website, by logging in, making a comment, typing in a credit card number, or even just reading blog posts, that content is all secure.
Running a secure website today is not only popular and a good look, but it is important for your brand identity and your search engine optimisation.
As an example, here’s a screenshot of a website I visited today and I was surprised how negatively I felt about the brand knowing that they had not installed an SSL certificate on their website and made it a secure connection:
The three reasons you want to make sure your celebrant website is secure are:
- It’s a bad look for your brand
- Your couples won’t trust you
- Google will downrank you in the search listings
It’s a bad look for your brand
If you run a cafe, you make sure the tables are cleared, it’s a bad look for every table to be full of dirty dishes; if you run a fashion boutique it’s a bad look for all the clothes on the rack to be messy and out of order; if your retail front is a website it’s a bad look to be missing that ???? padlock icon in the domain name. Particularly as most modern web browsers now explicitly state “Not secure” in-place of a ???? padlock icon.
Your couples won’t trust you
We know to not make purchases, bookings, or contact on insecure websites. So when your role as a celebrant – one built on so much trust – is drawn into distrust by the lack of an SSL certificate, you best fix that asap.
You want your clients to be able to trust that booking you and handing over personal details, names, addresses, credit card details etc is all secure.
Google will downrank you in the search listings
For almost five years Google has favoured secure websites, so if yours isbn’t secure, it’s falling in the rankings. This is a fact.
What is an SSL certificate?
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates, sometimes called digital certificates, are used to establish an encrypted connection between a web browser and a server or website. The SSL connection protects sensitive data, such as credit card information, exchanged during each visit, which is called a session, from being intercepted from non-authorized parties.
The SSL certificate being installed correctly on your website is what makes it secure.
How can you secure your website?
This is the slightly more technical bit. Every website host will have a specific method for them. So it’s time to contact your web host or developer and ask them how to secure your website. Here’s a few links to the more popular web hosts and how to secure your website if you host with them:
