A secure website is essential, especially for car dealers. Your website serves as both a business card and a workspace – it’s often the first impression potential customers get of your company and a platform where sensitive data, such as customer information and stock management, is processed. But does your website meet modern security standards? Time for a check!

DealerNexa’s Web Security Checklist

Use an SSL Certificate
An SSL certificate encrypts data transmitted between the website and the visitor. For car dealers, this is particularly important when customers leave details such as their name, phone number, or search queries for specific cars. Visitors can recognise a secure website by the padlock symbol in the address bar. This builds trust and can contribute to higher conversion rates.

Choose Strong Passwords and Restrict Access
Passwords like “12345” or “password” are easily hacked by automated programs. The hacker doesn’t even need to try hard and can access your system within seconds. Instead, use unique, long passwords with a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols.

Additionally, only grant website management access to those who genuinely need it. In car dealerships, multiple employees may have access to stock and customer data, so it’s crucial to set clear roles and permissions. Check if your software provides these options and make good use of them. Ensure you understand how to adjust these roles, so you can make changes when hiring new employees or if an employee’s role changes.

Keep Software and Plug-ins Up to Date
Outdated software is an easy target for hackers. Ensure that your website, software, and plug-ins are always up to date. For car dealers who often use additional functionalities such as stock management or integrations with CRM systems, this is especially critical. Any point where data enters or leaves presents a potential security risk. If software isn’t regularly updated, it can lead to data leaks or malfunctioning features.

Use Automated Backups
Even with the best security, things can go wrong. Automated backups ensure that if your site is hacked or encounters a technical failure, you can quickly restore it. For a car dealer, this means that stock pages, contact details, and search functions can be quickly reinstated for customers.

Protect Customer Data
As a car dealer, you likely process sensitive customer information, such as personal details, appointments, or financing applications. Ensure this data is well protected through encryption and a clear privacy policy. Compliance with GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) is not just a legal obligation but also helps build customer trust.

Your Results
If you can tick off all the points in this checklist, you have nothing to worry about. But if you’re unsure or missing a few, it’s time to take action and address security issues.

Why Are Some Websites Not Secure Enough?
While many web developers promise secure websites, security gaps often remain in practice. The reasons for this vary:

Budget Constraints
Not all providers invest in advanced security tools or continuous monitoring.

Lack of Focus on Updates
Websites are sometimes delivered without clear agreements on maintenance and updates, making them vulnerable as software ages.

Insufficient Knowledge of Industry-Specific Needs
A general web developer may not consider the unique security risks of a car dealer’s website, such as customer data protection or integration with external systems.

Over-Reliance on Standard Solutions
Many agencies use standard plug-ins and themes that may not be optimally secure or tailored to the specific needs of a car dealership website.

The result? Your website could remain vulnerable to hacks or data breaches, negatively affecting customer trust and business performance. And once customer trust is lost, it’s nearly impossible to regain. Take web security seriously and make improvements before it’s too late.