Site Tip · Building trust

Not secure warnings

Imagine a customer types your name into Google, clicks your site, and sees the words "Not secure" next to your address. They have not read a single line about your business, and they are already wondering if they should leave.

What the warning means

That warning means your site is not using a security certificate, usually called SSL. A certificate is like a digital ID that lets the browser set up a private connection between your visitor and your site.

Without one, the connection is not protected. Browsers like Chrome and Safari show a warning so people can decide for themselves. Many visitors, especially anyone about to fill out a form, simply close the page.

How to check your own site

This takes less than a minute. Look at the address bar at the top of your browser.

• Open your site on your phone and on a computer
• Look for a padlock icon next to the address, and an address that starts with https
• If you see "Not secure" or just http, the certificate is missing or not set up
• Try typing your address with and without www, and check both
• Click through a few inner pages, since one page can be fine while another is not

How to fix it

The good news is that most hosting companies include a certificate for free. You usually just need to turn it on. Log in to your hosting account and look for a setting named SSL, security, or certificates. If you cannot find it, contact support and say: "Please turn on SSL for my domain and make my site load on https."

After it is on, your site should redirect visitors from http to https automatically. Check again with your phone to confirm the padlock appears. If you still see warnings on certain pages, it often means an image or file is still loading the old way. Your web person can update those links.

Do not ignore it

A missing certificate is not a small detail. It affects how safe your site feels, and any contact form on an unprotected site is more risky for the people using it. Certificates also expire and need to renew, so check for the padlock every few months.

Modestius builds and fixes websites for small businesses, and we are happy to look at yours if the warning will not go away.

Questions owners ask

Is SSL the same as https?

They are closely related. SSL is the certificate, and https is the secure version of the web address that uses it. If you have the certificate working, your address starts with https.

Will fixing this make my site rank higher?

We cannot promise any ranking change. But visitors are less likely to leave when they see a padlock, and that is reason enough to fix it.

Do I have to pay for a certificate?

Many hosts include one at no extra cost, so ask yours first. If yours charges, it may be worth comparing before you pay.