Just when you thought you had your visitors right where you wanted them, Google Chrome drops another bomb—“not secure” warnings.

Have you ever been in the middle of an online purchase, and the worry that you could be the next victim of a hack just briefly glazed your mind? Was this thought suppressed just as quickly as it arose, upon first glance at those comforting symbols–“https”–or that infamous lock posted at the top of your browser’s address bar? This relief likely came from knowing that your most private and sensitive information was secure. Now, these features, which indicate a site’s encryption so subtly, yet powerfully, will be necessary for your site too, to survive on Google.

Beginning in July, Google Chrome will brand all existing “HTTP” sites with “not secure” warnings in the address bar if it senses that your site is not encrypted. Why is Google taking such what some would consider “drastic” measures now? To properly answer this question, you’d first need to understand what encryption is. As noted, your encrypted sites are represented as “HTTPS” in address bars. The “s” actually stands for “secure,” meaning that the site you’ve landed on is maintaining a secure connection, and any data exchanged through the site from the user is protected. Without this encryption, your site could be susceptible to interception or, worse, malware. Google understands these impacts and keeping the end user in mind, is just taking yet another step to ensure their browsing safety.

So, what does all of this mean for you?

Well, for starters, if your website is not currently encrypted, then your traffic is in jeopardy. Your average user will not likely interact with or trust potentially unsecure content, no matter how much they may be interested in your property.  And, considering that your website is likely the gateway to a majority of your rental traffic, it’s important that you take customer security and safety pretty seriously right about now.

But, no need for tears just yet. You do have a few options.  There are existing online tools that will help encrypt your site to place you back into the green. However, you would need to be somewhat versed in web coding to do this successfully. Another option, of course, would be to consult the services of a reputable web designer who would be able to encrypt your site for you for a fee, providing you with the additional time to do what you do best—lease. Last but not least, you can opt to leave your past encryption woes behind and re-invest your resources into the creation of a brand, new site.

Now, if losing precious traffic isn’t enough of a justification for you to take action now, it may push you over the edge to know that Google actually uses encryption status as a ranking signal in its search engine results pages. So, higher placement in the SERPS and greater customer trust—win-win.

Rentbot can help.

Don’t let your website hold you back. An investment in customer security is an investment in more leases for you! With Rentbot, you can drop your encryption heartaches at the door because each Rentbot site is secured automatically so both you and your prospects can be confident in knowing that all data will stay between just the two of you, as it should. And, considering our added online features like online rental payments, applications, deposits and maintenance requests, this level of security can make or break the rental experience for your prospect.

The Google clock is ticking! Don’t wait to get flagged before you take action. Invest in a Rentbot site today, and we’ll provide you with a fully encrypted [and affordable] turnkey solution in a matter of days. Let’s chat!

About the Author

Jonsette Calloway joined the Rentbot team in 2015. With a background in public relations, advertising and copywriting, she has helped a multitude of clients achieve their marketing and communications goals within various fields, but she particularly enjoys working with the apartment industry.