When people visit your site, they want to feel secure. So, it’s definitely not ideal when your WordPress website says ‘not secure’ in a little box next to the URL.
Don’t worry. This issue isn’t uncommon – and you’ve not done anything in particular to cause it. However, left ignored, it could drive away potential customers day after day.
Thankfully, The Male VA is on hand to help. Read on to find out what’s behind the ‘not secure’ message on your WordPress site – and how to get rid of it for good!
Why does my site say not secure?
To eliminate any problem, you need to know the root cause. So, let’s start by looking at why your site is supposedly not secure in the first place. Quite simply, it’s down to your SSL certificate (or a lack thereof).
SSL stands for Secure Socket Layer. It’s basically a file that’s installed on your site (or server) which ensures that all interactions between a browser and the server are encrypted.
As well as being a standalone certificate, SSL is part of the HTTPS protocol which ensures all data is encrypted. When your site has SSL certification, it will more than likely be approved for HTTPS too. This will be displayed before your website’s address in the URL, showing visitors that their session is encrypted and secure.
To sum up – in the vast majority of cases, your WordPress site will say ‘not secure’ because it doesn’t have HTTPS. And it doesn’t have HTTPS because you haven’t got an SSL certificate.
How to fix your WordPress website
To get rid of the ‘not secure’ message, you simply need to install an SSL certificate on your WordPress site. This will add an HTTPS tag to your URL and show visitors that everything is safe and secure.
Installing an SSL certificate on your site used to be pretty technical, difficult,ecs and time-consuming. The good news is that things have changed. Nowadays, there are plenty of trusted providers and plugins that help with the process.
The first port of call is your web host, many of which provide SSL certificates for free or at a small charge. They’ll usually be accessible through the security section of your site’s back-end dashboard.
If your host doesn’t provide it, there are plenty of third-party vendors offering SSL certificates which can then be uploaded to your site. The easiest way is using a purpose-built plug-in. Once installed on your site, the plug-in with guide you through the process to activate your SSL.
Need a little help?
It’s much simpler than it used to be to install an SSL certificate. But it can still be challenging for the typical site owner. If your WordPress website says not secure and you’re still a little unsure of how to fix it, feel free to contact The Male VA.
Having built over 100 websites using WordPress, I’m fully equipped to resolve any issues with your site’s security – as well as any other site WordPress support, maintenance, and optimisation requirements.
Get in touch today at 07964 674 649 or email mark@themaleva.co.uk to get started
