The browser says your website is “Not secure”
When a browser shows “Not secure” beside your address, the site is served over plain HTTP. Anything a visitor types into it travels without encryption. Many visitors see the warning and leave.
What the warning means
- HTTP is not encrypted
- On plain HTTP, the network between the visitor and your site can read and change the page. HTTPS encrypts that path.
- A certificate is the fix
- HTTPS needs a certificate for your domain. Free certificates, such as those from Let’s Encrypt, are trusted by every major browser.
- Every page, not only the form
- The whole site should use HTTPS, and plain HTTP addresses should send visitors to the HTTPS one.
- Sometimes it is the host
- An old hosting plan may not offer HTTPS at all. In that case the fix is to move the site, which I can do with the accounts in your name.
What the free check looks for
The free check reads your front page in a few seconds. These are the results that matter most here.
- Plain HTTP. The check tells you if your front page is served without HTTPS.
- No viewport tag. Sites old enough to lack HTTPS often lack this too.
- Many separate scripts. Old sites often carry scripts nobody uses any more.
Run the free check. The full review goes through every page for $9.
What you get, and what it costs
- You pay what you think the site is worth, from $100. It is the same site at every price.
- Every account, from the domain to the hosting, is in your name.
- It loads fast, works on every phone, and works with a screen reader and a keyboard.
- No trackers, and nothing about your customers is sold.
- If you want me to keep it safe and current, the care plan is $9 a month. It is optional.
Questions
- Does “Not secure” mean I was hacked?
- No. It means the connection is not encrypted. It says nothing about whether anyone broke in.
- Does HTTPS cost money?
- The certificate can be free. Every site I build uses HTTPS only, at no extra cost.
- Does Google care about HTTPS?
- Yes. Google has said HTTPS is a ranking signal, and it is part of its page experience guidance.
See what your site needs
Start with the free check of the site you have. If you have no site yet, tell me about your business and I will reply.