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Imagine your personal information, like your bank account details, gets leaked to unauthorized Internet users-- or even worse to hackers. That would be your worst nightmare, right?
To ensure this nightmare does not come true, you should truly consider getting an SSL certificate for your website if you have not already. And if you are wondering whether your site you are searching on is secure or not, look for a green padlock in the URL bar along with the website’s name in green. If you do not see this secure site seal, then the website you are on is not safe to browse. Also, the word “not secure” will appear next to the URL if your website or the site you are visiting is not secure. The reality is you just cannot live without an SSL certificate if you want to dri
You may have come across the message “This website is not secure.” Many users, upon seeing that message, immediately close their tab, because who wants to be on an unsafe website? HTTPS signals the site visitor that the site they are on is equipped with an SSL certificate.
An SSL certificate comes in handy when someone tries to breach your site. It also provides you with secondary authentication like the PKI (public key infrastructure), which helps in sending only information to the respective server to ensure data is not accessible from any other device on the same server.
This certificate works as digital documentation that verifies the credentials, such as the certificate holder, their serial number, and the expiry date with the signature of the certificate issuing authority. Also keep in mind that Google may flag websites that do not have an SSL certificate, and could possibly show a message in the address bar saying “Not Safe” for websites without a certificate, especially if those websites have been compromised due to a lack of security.
It should go without saying that people trust a more secure site than one that is simply not secure. Let's hope you check to see whether a site is safe or not by checking the URL, especially if you are on an e-commerce site. With an SSL certificate, you are simply more trustworthy to your customers since you are showing that you take their privacy seriously. And without that SSL certificate, this may be a red flag to users or visitors who do not feel they can trust that their information will be completely secure in your hands. Trust is truly the cornerstone of a secure, successful site.
Whenever someone visits and sees that beautiful green lock icon with the word “secure” next to it, it builds an immediate sense of trust with all of your visitors. Letting your audience know the information they submit will be stored and transferred securely. This simple “https” communicates to your site users and visitors that you care about investing in their web presence, and are considerate of the well-being of the people you serve. Ultimately, a secure (https site) avoids any possible questions or concerns that could be raised, and in turn, make users wary of you.
First impressions are everything in the digital age. Having the “https” and lock icon gives you the advantage to build trust with your audience from the very moment your page loads. Always keep in mind that we are making a website for humans, and that real people will be viewing your website and deciding whether or not they want to contact you or use your services. SSL will ensure you are trustworthy in a world of cybercrime, where many customers are becoming more and more suspicious.
Build trust today with an SSL Certificate built for you.
By building a secure site with an SSL certificate, you are able to encrypt sensitive information that is stored and transferred between two computers, and from a computer to a server. This information can be anything from credit card details, to passwords, to other financial information. Having an SSL certificate stops hackers in their tracks while keeping your information protected.
An SSL certificate protects your personal information through encrypted connections. Meaning only that the encoded data can be read by someone with the corresponding key. No matter if your site is collecting personal information or not, you need encryption to ensure your site is not vulnerable to a cyber attack. Behind the scenes, SSL uses asymmetric encryption (separate key for encryption and decryption) and symmetric encryption (single key pre-shared encryption) to ensure you have a secure connection. Wondering which one is stronger? Well, asymmetric encryption is tougher crack but symmetric encryption requires less computational burden. Something to keep in mind is that SSL decides the encryption of variables for both the link and data being transmitted.
Google and Chrome may not like your site that much if you don’t have an SSL certificate. Search for anything, and the majority of results on the first page will show up as https addresses. If you were to ask any SEO experts, they would tell you it is crucial for you to appear on the first two pages of results. Staying ahead of your competition starts with putting the security of your site first. With an SSL certificate, not only will users trust you more, but search engines will too.
But something else to keep in mind is that there is still debate around whether an SSL certificate boosts your SEO. For instance, only about 2% of the top 1 million websites redirect users to an HTTPS/SSL version. In a study done by Moz, they found a slight correlation between HTTPS and search rankings, but these results were combined with other factors, and in the end they found Google uses SSL as the tie-breaker, not a major ranking factor. So the mystery still remains, does an SSL certificate skyrocket your rankings, or do nothing at all? No matter if it does or does not, having an SSL certificate will signal users that security is your top priority.
Your site ranking in part is also determined by site speed. And the faster your site is, the more people will visit and the higher you will appear in the search results. While if your site is slow with high load times, this will result in Google ranking your site below faster loading websites. It is also a good thing if you have an SSL certificate since it improves the loading speed of pages. When your site loads quickly for the user, they will likely return as a result. HTTPS is a signal in Google’s ranking algorithm. Not only does HTTPS make your site faster and more secure, but it also increases the confidence and directly impacts your page ranking.
An SSL certificate provides authentication to ensure you are sending information to the right server and not to an imposter trying to steal your information. This especially important if you are having customers sending information from several computers. Reason being, any of these computers can pretend to be your site and trick your users into sending them personal information. You can avoid this by getting an SSL Certificate from a trusted SSL provider.
Why are SSL providers pertinent? Trusted SSL provides only issue an SSL certificate to a verified company that has gone through copious identity checks. And certain types of SSL certificates like EV SSL Certificates required more validation than others. But then how do you know if an SSL provider is trusted? You can use SSL Wizard to compare SSL providers. Web manufactures then verify that SSL provider is following outlined guidelines, and has been audited by a third-party using a standard, such as WebTrust.
Having an SSL certificate can gain consumers’ confidence by authenticating your company with SSL. Authenticating your site is the best way you can ensure that your customers feel safe on your site. Keep in mind that authentication differs between certificates, and offers assurance about the identity of the certificate’s owner. There are three categories of SSL certificates:
Authenticating your site is the best way to ensure customers feel secure.
While adding an SSL certificate can be an intimidating task, there are SSL certificates that don’t cost an arm and a leg. In this instance, you want to consider the SSL certificates that best fit your needs. You do want to keep in mind that SSL certificates vary in price depending on the level of site security you want. Do know that installing an SSL certificate is not particularly straightforward, but there are step-by-step guides on how to install an SSL certificate. In the end, though, it may be best and save you time to have a developer run the upgrade for you. At the end of the day, an SSL certificate provides your customers with peace of mind that their information is secure and other benefits to you in the long run.
Do keep in mind if you choose not to get an SSL certificate, you may end up paying a huge price tag for it. And if your website is not equipped with a strong SSL certificate, you could likely end up losing private personal information or business data. Having an SSL certificate on your website, in the end, will save you the horror of cyber-crimes.
If you are wondering how do I get an SSL certificate, well there are various SSL certificates you can choose from to best match your security needs. And if you are a client of ours, contact us today to get your site secure.
Still not convinced you need an SSL certificate?
Read “9 Popular Web Design Trends to Avoid in 2019” on Why You Should (Avoid) Not Having an SSL Certificate
Neoreef addresses the two biggest issues with websites: lack of control and lack of support. We enable easy control of your website, while a dedicated support team provides you with training, mentorship, and specialized skills.