Why your website needs HTTPS, even with nothing to sell
Owners of simple sites often think HTTPS is only for shops. It is for every page. Without it, browsers label the site “Not secure”, and the page can be changed on its way to the visitor.
What HTTPS does
- It protects what visitors type
- A contact form sends a name, a phone number and a message. HTTPS encrypts them between the visitor and your site.
- It protects the page itself
- Without encryption, a network along the way can add ads or change content. HTTPS makes sure the visitor sees the page you published.
- It removes the warning
- Browsers mark plain HTTP pages as “Not secure”. That word next to your name is not what you want a new customer to see.
- Browsers need it for newer features
- Many newer browser features, such as location access and service workers, work only on HTTPS pages.
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 instead of HTTPS on your front page.
- Many separate scripts, each one loaded from a server you must also trust.
- No viewport tag. A site still on plain HTTP is often old in other ways too.
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
- My site has no shop. Do I still need HTTPS?
- Yes. The warning shows on every plain HTTP page, and any form on the page sends data without encryption.
- Is HTTPS hard to set up?
- Not now. Most hosts issue a free certificate on their own. On every site I build it is on from the start, and plain HTTP is not served.
- Does HTTPS make a site slower?
- Not in a way a visitor notices. Modern HTTP versions that make sites faster are only used over HTTPS.
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.