Ninja Space Content Blog

I've owned websites for over a decade and have never run into this problem until now. In the past, all of my websites were properly indexed in Google with "http" and not "https" because I don't buy an SSL certificate for them but recently one of my websites is being indexed with "https". I don't want this to happen because if Google is indexing it this way, a DANGER DANGER page will be shown to the visitor before they can reach my URL. This causes a high bounce rate and in turn, decreases the value of my website and prevents people from reading my content. 

I contacted my domain company and my hosting company and they both just quickly said to just go ahead and order an SSL cert for it and then it'll eliminate the problem. Thing is, I only have this problem for this one particular site. My other 7 websites are being indexed in the search engine with "http" as they should. I thought that was a very lazy way to get me to just stop bothering them. And no, this is not a new website. It's been up and live for several years.

Anyway, I'm looking into my current set-up in Google Webmasters (also known as Search Console) to make sure my site is indexing with just "http" only. I think I'm heading in the right direction because it allows you to list all of the variations that you'd like your website URL to be indexed as. I'll let you know if the search engine has changed the indexing of the website in a few weeks. If you're having the same problem, good luck!

July 24, 2020 Update: 

I've decided to use the free SSL cert plan from Cloudfare to use for the website that's mistakenly indexing with https:// because my traffic is building and I want to decrease my bounce rates as quickly as possible. So far, all I had to do was change the name servers. The process was so easy and quick and it propagated within the same day! This is so great. They give you a limit if you're using the free plan, which I plan on just utilizing for the near future. However, there are upgraded plans that you can choose from.

I received an email from Belkin last month that informed me my Wemo NetCam will no longer be serviced starting at the end of this month (update: they extended to June 30 2020 now). I'll no longer be able to use my Netcam anymore to view any motion activated movements for my side yard, which is what I've been and still using it for. I am pretty bummed out by this. 

I've been using this particular Belkin Netcam since 2015. It's been helpful for me and my sanity because it informs of any suspicious activities coming into my property via email and I can view it live through their app. I've even moved it with me across states when we relocated. Now, I'm going to have to find a new solution to replace my side yard cam. It's pretty important as a security measure for my home and this is such a huge blow to my trust in tech companies, particularly this one. Now, I'm going to make sure that I believe the next cam I'll buy will keep their services and stay in business for a long time and not disappoint me like Belkin is doing. I don't want to jepardize the security of my home with an unreliable service.

You can get a refund on the purchase of the Netcam, only if it was purchased within the last 2 years and with a receipt so that doesn't apply to me. I've had this hardware for over 4 years. Now, this Belkin Netcam is literally useless. According to the Belkin's website, I can't use this cam with any other app.

So what am I going to do? What technology will I use? What will I substitute my next home cam with for my side yard? 

Right now, knowing that Amazon is going strong as a company, I'm probably going to use Ring cams. They are also easily linked with my already exisitng echo devices (also owned by Amazon) via Alexa so they are hopefully much more reliable than Belkin ever was. The thing with my current Belkin netcam is it's electrical and has to be plugged in. The next cam I am going to get will be battery operated so that I can place it outside and not worry about wiring. Ring cams are either wired (needs to plug in) or battery-operated. Some cams can be used specifically for indoor or outdoor use, or both so I'll have to look for the exact device that will help me be able to place it outside without it getting possibly damaged.
A more reliable webcam among the market are Ring cams, which are owned by Amazon: Ring Stick Up Cam Battery HD security camera with two-way talk, Works with Alexa.

Last year, while on my Instagram page, I received this prompt that turned my social media marketing upside down. It's the "Link Not Allowed" prompt. What this meant was that the link that's on my bio was no longer clickable from instagram because they have marked it as an inappropriate or fraudulent website. How did they determine this? I think I had some clues.

Before I received that problem, I think I was "loving" too many posts within a short period of time. Maybe this caused Instagram to think I was being a spammer. Who knew? So after Instagram had determined that my "Link (is) Not Allowed", I was also unable to include any text in my photo posts on there or "love" other posts. It was all so frustrating.

How did I recover the "Link Now Allowed" issue on instagram?

Well, it took a while but the first thing I did when I had this issue was I removed my bio link from my Instagram's bio. If you're a business, this could be so maddening because you've just lost another big marketing avenue for people to get to your website. Then after a couple of days, I went on my computer (not mobile device) and logged out of my instagram page. I turned off my wi-fi on my computer. Then I restarted my wi-fi modem and turned on my wi-fi on my computer again. After my internet was working properly, I logged into instagram (on my computer, still not mobile phone) and inserted my bio link again and it finally worked! I didn't get a "Link Not Allowed" prompt anymore and could start "loving" other posts and including text in my photo posts. Phew! So if you're having the same issue, try that. Good luck to you.

I ran my first Pinterest ad recently to see if it would help with converting sales. Unfortunately I didn't make a sale but I did get 28 clicks within a span of 4 days for $4. I had originally planned to have it run for 5 days but my credit card that I had on file had expired at the beginning of March (today) so it cut it short. I was actually happy that it cut it one day short because I wasn't too pleased with the results. See the pin that I had used to promote as an ad below.

It didn't let me narrow down to any geographic targets but they only charged me by the number of clicks and not impressions and then it would stop the ad for the day once I've spent my budget for the day. It came down to 7 clicks for $1 a day. The website I was promoting this picture for was SCBeachTrips.com. This website promotes traveling to South Carolina beaches.

This is pretty important to consider when you are starting a website or a blog. If you're an e-commerce website or collecting proprietary and personal information directly through your website like your visitor's driver's license number, credit card information, etc., then an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) Certificate is mandatory to protect your visitors and customers. However, if you're creating a very informative website and not asking for any information from your user for a credit card transaction from your website, then I don't think you need to spend the extra $70 - $150 a year for it.

For example, if you're creating a website for your coffee shop that you're opening in Darlington, South Carolina, where you're going to be the only Alita's Coffee Shop in the whole town and just want to have a website that lists your hours, address, pictures of your coffee shop and your menu items, and you're not selling anything like a t-shirt and not collecting a credit card number or important payment information from the website via an online form or something like that, then you don't really need it. 

It's been said to me by a Godaddy rep that Google's algorithm is factoring in whether a particular website has an SSL cert in their rankings. If your Alita's Coffee Shop is like one of 3 coffee shops in a particular area, I don't think you're going to be worried about rankings. Your website is going to show up on that first page when they google "Alita's Coffee Shop Darlington SC". Of course, you'll have to index it in the search engine first in order to ensure it's going to be properly indexed. But no, in this instance, I don't think you'll need an SSL certificate for Alita's Coffee Shop in Darlington, SC where you're listing information only. See how much this simple website costs to build without an SSL certificate.

I also want to note that important government websites, large corporations with websites and banking websites all have at least an SSL certificate (plus other security protection). If your website evolves into more than a simple and basic website, and you need to keep up with your competition in search rankings, then definitely consider getting one. 

How about for a website that's integrating affiliate ads and they will eventually have to purchase with a credit card from an Amazon affiliate link, for example? 

I can see where this gets confusing. If you have a blog or website that's only providing content and information and they are not inputting their credit card number and other credit card information, etc. directly on your website and all of that is on Amazon's secured website on an Amazon.com domain (not yours), then you still really don't need it. However, if you have the capital and generate enough money to spend on an SSL certificate, then totally go for it. However, when you're just starting out and haven't completed your content yet, then don't purchase it quite yet.

I also want to note that many affiliate programs do have strict rules when deciding to let you join their network. One of them could be that they would require you to have an SSL certificate in order for you to become their partner. If you feel that this particular affiliate program is that important to you and you'd need to have that SSL certificate to solidify that business relationship, then that is really up to you. I hope the sales from that particular affiliate company will make up for the cost of an SSL certificate every year.

What is the most cost-effective way to run an e-commerce website on a tight budget?

If you don't care about having a domain and just want to find a really cost-effective and convenient way to have an e-commerce site, you should totally look into Weebly. They offer you an e-commerce solution that is connected with SQUARE and this makes selling your merchandise online a lot easier. Meet Weebly’s New Suite of eCommerce Tools. It's a website, e-commerce and marketing solution, all in one. Their e-commerce links as default are secured with https.

Recommended Reads:
See all of my recommended domain and hosting companies to purchase your domain and find hosting solutions under the Domain and Hosting page.

Read about a free new SSL service that I've recently discovered after encountering an index problem!