Two weeks ago, Google did what they said they would and flagged HTTP websites as “Not Secure” with the release of Chrome 68. A lot of websites already wised up and upgraded their websites to the safer HTTPS protocol but here you are, still sticking with your old ways. “My website doesn’t need an SSL Certificate!” you defiantly proclaim.
Fine, we’re not going to press further. Instead, let’s take a sneak peek on how this decision will work out for you with this alternate timeline. See if you can live with it.
Visitors Think Your Website Has Been Hacked
Now that you’re website has the “Not Secure” indicator, you notice that your site traffic is starting to decrease. You’re bounce rate is through the roof. Almost every visitor that stumble upon your website immediately clicks away because they think they’re entering a compromised website. The signs of public mistrust are starting to show, but because your profit isn’t affected yet and you’re just naturally stubborn, you shrug it off and still hope for the best.
Hackers Already Defaced Your Website
You wake up weeks later only to find out that someone has left a rather unpleasant message on your website. It’s the online equivalent of local vandals spray painting a public wall and they’re equally annoying to deal with. So aside from the “Not Secure” indicator already scaring off your potential customers, you now have these online vandals writing slurs and insults on your website simply because they can. You didn’t bother to protect your website anyway.
Your Website Now Hosts Malware
But it gets worse two weeks later as you find out your website now infects the few visitors with the latest malware. Your brand is now associated with malware and of course, your victims will flock your inbox to complain about their experiences. It’s so bad, you decide not to check your social media out of shame. At this point, it’ll be a miracle if you make a single dollar out of your infected website. Needless to say, your online reputation is taking huge blows that are impossible to recover from.
No One Trusts Your Online Brand Anymore
By now, your website is the most talked-about all over the internet for all the wrong reasons. Online security blogs have used you as a cautionary tale for other unsecured websites. Your brand is the laughing stock of your target audience on social media. And the memes, so much memes—all because you were too stubborn to set up your SSL Certificate. You could get SSL now, but it will be too late, the damage has been done. You look at your website one last time before shutting the whole thing down.
Don’t let this alternative timeline happen to you. Learn more about SSL Certificates by visiting our official website. You can also check out our free guide to help you get started on learning what SSL can do for your online brand. It won’t overwhelm you, we promise!
