November 12, 2020 - NEWS

Vrbo Releases Its 2021 Travel Trends Report

September 2, 2020 - NEWS

Not All SSL Certificates Are Created Equal

NOVEMBER 12, 2020 - NEWS

Not All SSL Certificates Are Created Equal

The importance of having a SSL certificate has been preached by Google, SEO experts and online marketing professionals over the last 6 years.

Unfortunately, the SSL certificate that you invested in may not be as good as you hoped. Here's why:

As of September 1, 2020, Safari, Chrome, and Firefox web browsers have stopped trusting SSL certificates with a validity period of over 398 days.This means that viewers that visit your website may get a "not secure / untrusted website, proceed with caution" message, which is usually reserved for websites that don't even have an SSL certificate.

VRBO recently released a list of trends they've come to believe will influence the travel landscape in 2021.

Everyone's travel habits have changed due to COVID-19, and it looks like many of those changes are here to stay, at least into 2021. Due to social distancing mandates and the desire to stay away from cities and crowds, travelers have spent a large chunk of their time on road trips and in the great outdoors.

Another interesting trend is the rise in bleisure (business + leisure) travel or flexcations, where travel is prolonged and work is accomplished alongside leisure travel/vacation. Due to the wave of companies allowing – or even requiring – employees to work from home, many stays that would have traditionally been measured in days, turned in to trips of a week or more.

VRBO includes some insightful statistics in their travel trends report:

59% of families say they are more likely to drive instead of fly on their next trip.
61% of U.S. families said they are more likely to visit an outdoorsy destination than an urban one.
52% of travelers who took a Flexcation this year found the experience refreshing and 67% said they would do it again.

What's an SSL Certificate?

Everyone with a website has probably heard about SSL certificates, but those who are new to owning/operating websites might not know. Here's what it actually is.

SSL Certificates are small data files that digitally bind a security key to an organization's details. Basically, it's the ‘s' in https, and it stands for secure. As the web began rapidly expanding, additional security was essential to protect the increasing number of people browsing and doing business on the web. Most major sites, especially those that have access to sensitive personal or financial data, use SSL certificates to give their customers the peace of mind that comes with knowing their data is secure.

Travel to Lakes, Rivers, and Streams Sees Rise in Popularity

Places offering families a location to camp, fish, and hike have seen a huge uptick in popularity, likely due to the isolated nature of these activities and the fact they all take place outdoors.

Places such as Emory, TX and Slade, KY have become vacation destinations as travelers come to appreciate their proximity to cities such as Dallas or Lexington, each town offering lakes, rivers, or other natural points of interest.

Families looking for a bit more comfort chose cabins and chalets, which are often found in similar locations.

Vrbo demand for cabins increased nearly 25% and chalets were up over almost 20% year-over-year.

Why Does This Matter?
If your site doesn't have an SSL certificate, you will find it difficult to get traffic to your website, much less get visitors to enter their credit card information and personal details.

When a user visits a website, the major web browsers will let that user know that the site they're on isn't secure. Take the University of Florida's site, for example. Google Chrome (the browser in the below image) displays a clear ‘Not secure' message to any user that finds themself on a website without an SSL certificate with a validity period deemed safe. Due to UF's reputation and the thousands of people that use the site safely every day, Google Chrome's message may not influence people to leave the site.

This is not true of smaller businesses or websites that offer some form of ecommerce. Without a sterling reputation and proof of safety, many would-be customers will simply leave your site, trusting it is, indeed, not secure. Chrome tells them as much when they click to learn more.

2021 Could See Many Doubling Down on Travel

Nothing makes one appreciate travel more than being unable to do it. Many families found themselves frustrated that their annual trips were canceled due to travel or safety restrictions. Many travelers are planning on going BIG in 2021.

65% of travelers plan on traveling more than they did pre-COVID.
33% are willing to spend more than they traditionally would.
54% say they are more likely to take their bucket list trip.

2021 could be the year the travel and hospitality industry needs to recoup some of the losses sustained in 2020.

Read more or download the full report from Vrbo.

This message becomes a serious problem for those in the hospitality industry. Hotel Managers and Innkeepers depend on their websites for direct bookings. Their guests must feel safe entering their personal details and payment information.

How does this affect my ranking on Google?
Google has become more and more concerned about web security for its users. For this reason, websites deemed less secure will either move down in ranking or fail to rank as highly compared to sites that are deemed secure. Google has been and continues to make it easier to obtain SSL certificates and works to ensure no websites lose traffic or rankings when they add an SSL certificate to their website.

My Site Has an SSL Certificate. I'm Fine, Right?
Maybe, maybe not. Previously, SSL certificates remained valid for 2 to 5 years. Despite having an SSL certificate, these affected sites will still be flagged as insecure.

Websites previously labeled as secure might lose that label, along with the trust of the people visiting that site. You'll want to make sure that your SSL certificate has a validity period of no longer than 398 days, which is about 13 months. Contact your SSL certificate provider to find out what specific changes they may be implementing. And if you don't have any SSL certificate, it's time to get one.

The Good News...
If you have a ResNexus website, you've got nothing to worry about. We've been using SSL certificates through Amazon with the correct validity period long before this change was ever announced. Rest assured that we will stay on top of industry trends and changes to provide you with the best products and services available.

If you would like to get an affordable ADA compliant website for your hospitality business, click here to learn more.

SEE WHY RESNEXUS IS TRUSTED BY THOUSANDS OF PROPERTIES

SCHEDULE A TOUR

CALL US 385.292.1518

SEE WHY RESNEXUS IS TRUSTED BY THOUSANDS OF PROPERTIES

SCHEDULE A TOUR

CALL US 385.292.1518