If you’re trying to access your website and you’re immediately hit with warning that says your site is “not secure”, that could mean your site’s SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate is not functioning. This could be for a number of reasons. Having an unsecure website can actively hurt your credibility and search rankings.
Let’s break down why this happens and what you can do to fix it.
Pictured: A site with a misconfigured SSL
What Does “Not Secure” Actually Mean?
An SSL certificate encrypts the data exchanged between your website and its visitors. This protects sensitive information like:
Contact form submissions
Login credentials
Payment details
Personal user data
Without an SSL, browsers like Chrome, Safari, Edge, and Firefox warn users that your site may not be safe. This can cause problems because visitors may lose trust and leave your site. Not to mention, most browsers often make it difficult to access unsecure sites after warning them. Having SSL issues can lead to lower visitor counts, lower SEO rankings (Search engines like Google favor HTTPS sites), and blocked contact forms or payments in some cases.
Even if your browser doesn’t display an error message, there are other signs that show your site isn’t secure. The address in the top of your browser window will start with “http” instead of “https”, and you may see an icon of an unlocked or crossed-out padlock to the left of the address. The words “Not Secure” may also appear before or after the address. There are slight differences between browsers, but the signs are universal.
Common Reasons Your Site Is Showing as Unsecure
1. No Certificate Installed
This is the most common issue. An SSL may not have been purchased in the first place when your site was being developed. If your site is still running on HTTP instead of HTTPS, it doesn’t have encryption.
2. Expired Certificate
SSL certificates must be renewed regularly. If yours has expired, browsers will treat your site as unsafe even if it worked fine before.
3. Incorrect Configuration
Sometimes the certificate is installed, but not configured properly on the server within your hosting account. This can cause security warnings or prevent HTTPS from loading correctly.
4. Hosting or Domain Changes
Migrating hosts, changing domains, or even updating DNS settings can break an SSL if it’s not reconfigured afterward.
Let’s fix it!
How to Fix an Unsecure Website
The first thing to do is to check if your SSL is actually installed or needs to be renewed. If you have access to the hosting account where your site, domain, and potentially SSL are located, log in to check the status. From there, you should be able to install, renew, or purchase an SSL. These processes can be different across the many hosting services that exist, so consulting an expert like the ones here at Target Marketing Solutions is advisable.
If a functioning SSL is present, forcing HTTPS across the entire site may be required as well. This is a more advanced process which should be left to experienced users or professionals in order to not mess things up further on your site. While some hosting companies offer basic SSL options, fixing errors properly often requires technical experience.
Verifying proper server and DNS configuration may also be needed, and we stress again that this is to be done by someone with experience since it could cause serious errors. After changes have been made, the next step is to verify that the SSL is functioning by checking the site on multiple browsers and devices. Open your site on a browser like Firefox, then check it again using another browser such as Safari or Brave. Once the site is consistently secure among multiple browsers, check the website using another computer, a smartphone, or tablet to further ensure the SSL is functional.
Let Target Marketing Solutions handle it!
At Target Marketing Solutions, we understand that not everybody knows how to perform technical work on a website to keep it running smoothly. We help businesses:
Diagnose SSL and security issues
Properly install and configure SSL certificates
Fix HTTPS errors
Ensure sites are fully secure, compliant, and SEO-friendly
Prevent future security warnings from coming back
Whether your site suddenly started showing as “Not Secure” or has never been secured in the first place, our team can fix it promptly and correctly. Don’t let a browser warning cost you trust, traffic, or sales. Contact Target Marketing Solutions today and let us secure your website the right way!
