Making Users Priority One
Posted August 30, 2018
My latest site enhancement was a real-world test of whether I have the makings of a true developer. From a UX standpoint, I passed with flying colors.
Today's blog started off as a case study for Bee-Z Street. My developer friend Patrick and I plan to take our final class project all the way to the big time — registered URL, mobile app & all. But as I pondered the steps to creating a great user experience and how to get those users to our site, a completely separate but serious problem came to the fore of my brain: how to obtain an SSL Certificate verifying the site is secure.
Secure sites aren't a new phenomenon. You've probably noticed the green padlock next to the URL when you bank or shop for awhile. But earlier this year, Google began flagging sites without "https" before the web address. This lack of security is noted by a super scary looking red triangle — with an exclamation point and "Not Secure" in red letters for added terror.
Ironically, our Bee-Z Street prototype is hosted on Heroku, which extended the parent site's security to it. But this could be a problem we'll wrestle with in the future. I've already registed my domain and have it hosted on GoDaddy, so I'm responsible for obtaining my own SSL Certificate. Since I'm already up and running, it made sense to use my URL as a test case to see if I could obtain the certificate. In doing so, I utilized the problem-solving traits I've acquired to tackle everything from learning a new language to debugging errors.
Awareness
I'd read about the looming deadline for SSL Certificates, but because I don't have an e-commerce site or even a database at this point I wasn't that worried about it. It was when I thought about that red triangle and "not secure" warning from a user perspective that I started to see how they might detract people from looking around my site. Clearly I needed to add the peace of mind the certificate brings.
Zeroing in
Once I resigned myself to acquiring my certificate, the Googling began. "Free SSL Certificate" was one of my first searches. I soon discovered Let's Encrypt, which according to its site is a "free, automated, and open certificate authority brought to you by the non-profit Internet Security Research Group (ISRG)." Seemed legit.
But of course it wasn't as easy as that. Different hosts (the server your site sits on to make it available on the web) have varying levels of concern about Internet security. GoDaddy, which I pay to host my site, is on the low end of that spectrum. Long story short, I could add the coveted SSL Certificate, but my host doesn't make it easy.
Tenacity
Here's where the true problem solving began. I had to follow myriad directions. Run into dead ends. Find alternative routes. Create new files, passwords, and folders. Test and find things that weren't working. Retest. Take third and fourth alternative routes. But finally, after a few bad words and much trial and error, I succeeded. My site now welcomes users with a friendly green padlock and a warm and comforting "Secure." Check it out!
Commitment
More than once, I asked myself why I was going to the trouble of securing a non-commerce, database-less site. But I always went back to my users. I want to create a great experience. I want buttons to work and flow to make sense and most of all, I want people to come back! Good sites aren't an accident; they require thought, testing, constant tweaking, and a commmitment to good user experience. I hope that commitment is evident, because it's in every decision I make.
As for Bee-Z Street's case study? Stay tuned.