Does Your Website Say “Not Secure”? Here’s What It Means

A plumber near Bottesford rang me last autumn, a bit flustered. His wife had looked at his website on her phone and said it looked “dodgy”… Not the design, but the little label next to the web address, which said “Not secure”.

He’d had that website for six years. Nobody had ever told him. And I think that’s the worst bit, because the customers who saw it didn’t tell him either. They just went back to Google and picked someone else.

What “Not secure” actually means

When you visit a website, your phone or laptop talks to it. On an old-style website that chat is sent in plain sight, a bit like a postcard. Anyone along the way could read it. On a modern secure website the chat is sealed in an envelope first.

The sealed version is called HTTPS, and you can spot it because the address starts with https:// rather than http://. The envelope itself is called an SSL certificate. That’s the jargon, and it’s the only bit you need to know.

If your site doesn’t have one, browsers like Chrome put “Not secure” next to your address. Some now throw up a full-page warning before the visitor even gets in. Imagine a customer in Newark clicking your link and being told the site might be dangerous. They’re not going to read your lovely services page.

Why it matters beyond the scary label

Google has said for years that it prefers secure sites. It’s not the biggest ranking factor, I wouldn’t oversell it, but when two businesses in Nottingham are otherwise similar, why hand the other one an advantage?

And there’s trust. Even if your site only has a phone number and a contact form, that form is collecting names, emails and sometimes addresses. People are more careful with their details than they used to be. Quite right too!

AI tools and search engines also tend to skip or flag sites that look neglected. A missing certificate is one of the first signs of a site nobody’s looking after.

How to check in ten seconds

Open your website on your phone. Look at the address bar. If it says “Not secure”, or the address starts with http:// and not https://, you’ve got a problem. If you see a closed padlock or a plain address with no warning, you’re fine.

Then try the version without www, and the version with it. Sometimes one is secure and the other isn’t. Ask someone in Grantham or Lincoln to try on their phone too, because older devices can behave differently.

How to fix it

Usually it’s easier than people expect.

Most hosting companies give you a certificate for free. Look in your hosting dashboard for something called SSL, or “Let’s Encrypt”, and switch it on. On Wix, Squarespace and Shopify it’s normally already included, so if you see the warning on one of those, something’s been set up oddly and a quick message to their support will sort it.

On WordPress it’s usually two steps. Turn on the certificate with your host, then make sure your site address in the settings starts with https. A plugin can help tidy up old links, but ask someone who knows what they’re doing before you go clicking around. I’ve seen sites go blank from a wrong setting.

If your site was built years ago by someone who’s since disappeared, this is the moment to find out who actually has the login. Which brings me to the boring bit.

The boring bit that saves you

Certificates run out. Usually they renew by themselves, but sometimes they don’t, and one morning your site says “Not secure” when it didn’t yesterday. Same goes for your domain name, the bit that ends in .co.uk or .com. If that lapses, your website vanishes.

So do three things this week. Find out who your domain is registered with and when it renews. Check the email it’s attached to is one you actually read. And put a reminder in your diary a month before each renewal date. Five minutes, and it stops the kind of problem that costs you a week of enquiries.

If you’d like me to check how your website looks to a customer, including whether it flags as secure, message me for a free visibility check. I’ll tell you straight what I find.

Frequently asked questions

Is “Not secure” the same as my website being hacked?

No. It just means the connection between your visitor and your site isn’t sealed. Your site could be perfectly fine underneath. But a site that’s been neglected for years can have other problems too, so it’s worth asking whoever looks after it to have a proper look.

Do I need HTTPS if I don’t sell anything online?

Yes, I think so. If you have a contact form, a booking form or even a newsletter sign-up, you’re collecting people’s details. And even if you don’t, browsers will still label you “Not secure”, which puts customers off before they’ve read a word.

How much does an SSL certificate cost?

For most small businesses, nothing. Many hosts include one free, and Wix, Squarespace and Shopify build it in. If someone is quoting you a big yearly fee for a simple local business website, it’s worth asking why.

Will switching to HTTPS hurt my Google rankings?

Done properly, no. The old http:// address should automatically send visitors to the https:// one, so nothing gets lost. Done badly, you can end up with broken links or a blank page, so it’s worth getting help if you’re not confident.

Why does my site say “Not secure” on some devices but not others?

Usually because one version of the address is secure and another isn’t, for example with and without www. Older phones and browsers can also behave differently. Check on a couple of devices and ask a friend in Bingham or Cropwell Bishop to try too.

How do I know if my certificate has run out?

Visitors will see a full-page warning, or the “Not secure” label will suddenly appear. Your host should email you before it happens, so make sure that email address is one you actually read.

What happens if my domain name expires?

Your website and any email addresses using it stop working, and someone else may be able to buy the name. Find out who it’s registered with, check the renewal date, and set a diary reminder a month ahead.

Can you check whether my website is secure?

Yes. It’s part of my free visibility check. Message me and I’ll look at your site the way a customer would.