Protect Your Website Without Spending a Dime

The simplest way to protect your business online

There are a million ways to protect your business online—apps, software, scanning services, you name it. Most of them come with price tags and extra learning curves. But one of the simplest (and most effective) ways to protect your business costs absolutely nothing.

Strong passwords.

Yep, I said it. Don’t roll your eyes just yet, my friend—because passwords don’t have to be the annoying headache you’re used to. Done right, they can actually be motivating, easy to remember, and secure all at once.

Make your password motivating

One of my favorite ways to create passwords is by pulling from my goals, intentions, or a motivational phrase that fires me up.

When I launched my web design business, my focus was on creating WOW-worthy designs. So my inspiration statement was:

“I create WOW-worthy designs.”

See how simple that is? It’s positive, personal, and it means something to me.

Make your password easy to remember

The key here is to keep the phrase short and clear. That way, you don’t mix it up when it’s time to log in. From the original inspiration above, I could easily play with versions like:

• ICreateWOWDesigns

• CreatingWOWDesigns

• WOWDesignsEveryDay

Pick the version that feels easiest for you to remember.

Make your password secure

Now let’s add in the security layers most systems require:

Step 1: Remove spaces
Most sites won’t accept spaces anyway.

creatingwowdesigns

Step 2: Add capitalization
Capitalize one or more words for strength.

creatingWOWdesigns

Step 3: Add numbers
Instead of using obvious dates (like your birthday), use substitutions or creative swaps:

• Replace letters with numbers: 3 for E, 1 for I, 0 for O.

• Try “sounds like” swaps: use an 8 in place of “ate” or “create.”

Examples:

• cr3atingW0Wdesigns

• cre8ingW0Wdesigns

Step 4: Add special characters
Use punctuation or symbol substitutions to throw hackers off:

• cre8ingW0Wdesigns!

• cre@tingW0Wde$igns

Bonus: Add meaning for you
I sometimes tack on the date I created the password in YYMMDD format so I know how old it is.

creatingWOWdesigns190528

To everyone else, it looks like a random string. To me, it has purpose.

The genius behind this approach

When you build a password from something that matters to you, you’ve just created a little boost of motivation every time you type it. Add in numbers, caps, and special characters, and now it looks like a completely random mix to anyone else—making it both secure and memorable.

That’s what I call a win-win.