Secure landing pages

[Joakim]

A question for anyone to answer, but especially experienced domaineers.

Do you enable/prioritize secure landing pages (SSL) on your domain names? I believe I've read a dozen articles on this topic lately, urging to secure landing pages with SSL.

However, I see 3-letter .com names parked without it. And with inquiry forms.

Does anyone have an opinion as to whether it could make a difference on your sales?

 

[NamesAgent]

You should absolutely use SSL if it's available to you. First, some people will not submit a contact form if it's not SSL so you may be losing leads. Second, Google is giving priority to SSL sites/pages in search results. Third, Chrome and other browsers will make non SSL pages uglier and uglier with security warnings and other undesirable attributes. If at all possible, USE SSL!

 

[creataweb]

Well isn't Chrome starting to enforce SSL for pages now? Which means if you're not secured you may lose traffic and that in turn costs you in lost sales.

 

[Joakim]

I have all my pages secured because of all that. Especially the potential of lost leads. It makes me wonder though why someone with a very valuable 3 letter domain choose not to.

I guess, a name will sell regardless if it's valuable enough.

 

[DomainVP]

Not having SSL on your parked/undeveloped website is not going to make a difference. It's just a "nice to have".

Keep in mind they aren't looking for a secure developed property, they are just looking for the domain.

To remove the "Not secure" from Chrome I started using SSL on all of my domains.

I had a buyer freak out over "clientTransferProhibited" being on the WhoIs, I had to explain to them that it just meant that the domain was locked by me at the registrar. I can only imagine what "not secure" does to someones novice/inexperienced mind when considering acquiring a domain.

A knowledgable buyer or company won't care if SSL is enabled or not.

 

[Joakim]

Not having SSL on your parked/undeveloped website is not going to make a difference. It's just a "nice to have".

Keep in mind they aren't looking for a secure developed property, they are just looking for the domain.

To remove the "Not secure" from Chrome I started using SSL on all of my domains.

I had a buyer freak out over "clientTransferProhibited" being on the WhoIs, I had to explain to them that it just meant that the domain was locked by me at the registrar. I can only imagine what "not secure" does to someones novice/inexperienced mind when considering acquiring a domain.

A knowledgable buyer or company won't care if SSL is enabled or not.

Incredible, that made me laugh. Thanks for sharing! Nice to hear what I actually was thinking. It's basically a nice thing to have.

 

[creataweb]

2 options that are pretty easy really:

Use a place like Undeveloped's landers with free SSL

or

Use your own lander with your own hosting and Cloudflare's free SSL with little work

zero cost and works like a charm.

 

[NamesAgent]

Not having SSL on your parked/undeveloped website is not going to make a difference. It's just a "nice to have".

Keep in mind they aren't looking for a secure developed property, they are just looking for the domain.

To remove the "Not secure" from Chrome I started using SSL on all of my domains.

I had a buyer freak out over "clientTransferProhibited" being on the WhoIs, I had to explain to them that it just meant that the domain was locked by me at the registrar. I can only imagine what "not secure" does to someones novice/inexperienced mind when considering acquiring a domain.

A knowledgable buyer or company won't care if SSL is enabled or not.

It's more than a "nice to have"! See how many inquiries you get when your non SSL contact form pages start throwing warnings at the potential buyer's browser before they even submit. Unless there is no reasonable way for you to use SSL pages, it's very important. These days there are plenty of options. As createaweb said, Undeveloped offers SSL pages, and Efty does too. Those that don't, probably soon will if they want to stay in business. The time will come soon when non SSL sites will be the internet ghetto and will be shunned by Google and most others.

 

[DomainVP]

It's more than a "nice to have"! See how many inquiries you get when your non SSL contact form pages start throwing warnings at the potential buyer's browser before they even submit. Unless there is no reasonable way for you to use SSL pages, it's very important. These days there are plenty of options. As createaweb said, Undeveloped offers SSL pages, and Efty does too. Those that don't, probably soon will if they want to stay in business. The time will come soon when non SSL sites will be the internet ghetto and will be shunned by Google and most others.

SSL is a nice to have, nothing more.

I don't use contact forms, Efty, nor Undeveloped. These are all bandwagon solutions that domainers latched onto over the last few years. Similar to how all of the sudden people need to know the "hold time" when someone makes a sale.

I'm wrong? I'm crazy? Check out Mike Manns domain market; http://obey.com/ OR http://LaserCutMetal.com

No SSL on the landing pages, featuring an eMail address and phone number for contact instead of tossing contact forms in your face. The only form that the site uses are cart forms not directly on the landing page, and these forms do use SSL but again this is off the landing page and on the core developed site which you should always use SSL for.

I've been developing web solutions since 1999, so maybe I might know a thing or two about that. But even if you don't believe me, look at how the guy who sells six-figures in domains every month presents his domains.

Cheers.

 

[NamesAgent]

SSL is a nice to have, nothing more.

I don't use contact forms, Efty, nor Undeveloped. These are all bandwagon solutions that domainers latched onto over the last few years. Similar to how all of the sudden people need to know the "hold time" when someone makes a sale.

I'm wrong? I'm crazy? Check out Mike Manns domain market; http://obey.com/ OR http://LaserCutMetal.com

No SSL on the landing pages, featuring an eMail address and phone number for contact instead of tossing contact forms in your face. The only form that the site uses are cart forms not directly on the landing page, and these forms do use SSL but again this is off the landing page and on the core developed site which you should always use SSL for.

I've been developing web solutions since 1999, so maybe I might know a thing or two about that. But even if you don't believe me, look at how the guy who sells six-figures in domains every month presents his domains.

Cheers.

Yes, and click any link on the entire site, including the buy now or make offer button on the landing page, and you go immediately to SSL. Not to mention the "Not Secure" message in the browser bar on the landing page. So what's your point? Sure, if you have created your own domain sales platform and you don't want to spring for the cost and overhead of a wildcard SSL, then the way Mike has done it makes sense. But don't overlook the fact that he is absolutely using SSL throughout the website and for a very good reason.

So if you just have a landing page that does absolutely nothing accept link to SSL pages, that's okay, aside from the not secure warning in the address bar. But any page that has a form needs SSL. And if you don't understand that Google is quickly moving to an ALL SSL world, then you have not kept up with the times.

I too have been developing websites since the late 90s, but that has nothing to do with the web of today! And the "bandwagon" solutions that you refer to make good sense for most domainers who don't have the resources or desire to reinvent the wheel. So jump off that high horse already.

 

[Josytal]

I had a buyer freak out over "clientTransferProhibited" being on the WhoIs,

Thanks for sharing this info, I will add it to the FAQ on my website.

 

[wizard]

Its nice to have but it doesnt affect sales

 

[branding]

I'm not sure it'll affect sales right now but it's always good to be prepareded for the future. I can understand as of yet not everyone uses ssl on landers though. Generally speaking, running any website not using SSL is just plain lazy. Certificates are free (or very cheap) these days so there's really no reason not to use one.