22 Aug What is an SSL Certificate and Why It Matters?
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What is an SSL Certificate and Why It Matters?
If you’re the sort of person who pays attention to the URLs you click on, you’ll likely have noticed that some websites have the prefix “HTTPS”. The letter “S” stands for secure and indicates that the site in question is actively protected by an SSL certificate. It is an important element that everyone should pay close attention to.
As your business scales up, the website will adjust to cater for such expansion. Similarly, in case you encounter rough times, it can be modified to factor in the reduction in business. This is a flexibility that is not easy to come by in most website builders.
As you ponder over whether or not to choose Woocommerce development, the following 9 benefits should help you to make a more informed decision.
HTTPS is an acronym for Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure. This is the protocol through which data transfer happens via a secure connection. When a secure connection like Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is used, it guarantees that your privacy and data are being protected. It also indicates that the website you’re accessing has been authenticated – especially important for e-commerce websites.
This goes a long way in providing you with peace of mind knowing that effective counter-measures are in place to protect any data being transmitted. Customers will be more willing to part with bank details knowing that the website has been secured and its authentication validated.
What is an SSL certificate?
As you already know by now, SSL is the short form of Secure Sockets Layer. SSL certificates play the role of enforcing trust through the establishment of a secure connection. When these certificates are installed on a website, a padlock symbol appears, indicating that the https protocol is active. This encrypts the communication between a browser and a web server.
There are different situations in which SSL certificates are used. Most of the cases being in data transfer, credit card transactions, logins, as well as browsing of social media sites. Every business looking to earn users’ trust must take the extra step of installing an SSL certificate so that a secure session is initiated with the browser.
As e-commerce becomes a boom, hackers are also getting smarter. One common thing about online business is that at some point, they will need you to input your financial information into one of their forms. This information helps the business finalise a transaction. There is just no way can this part be ignored as it’s necessary for the exchange of currency for services rendered or products sold.
The information is provided at a time when hackers are eyes-open and looking to exploit any weaknesses to gain access to users’ sensitive data. Sensitive data includes names, addresses, and banking information.
SSL ensures top-notch security for such data by making it hard to read data transferred between users and websites or between two systems. Its operations are powered by algorithms which scramble the data being transmitted, making the information almost impossible to discern by hackers. The introduction of SSL certificates has fundamentally enhanced security for all users browsing the World Wide Web.
Is SSL really that necessary? Read on to find out.
Why SSL matters to your customers
Whether you have heard of this term before or not, SSL certificates have already progressed to the level that you can barely operate without them. As one of the most important technologies of our time, their inclusion on your websites matters a great deal to your customers. Any business that ignores such a fundamental feature loses out in terms of both traffic and revenue. You wouldn’t like your business to be among the losers.
Here is a detailed explanation of why SSL certificates are important and why you should pay attention to them:
#1: Data protection and privacy
The number one reason why you might be interested in SSL certificates is to keep your data safe. SSL works by providing client-server protection. The encryption in the in-between channels ensures that no one else can read information sent until it reaches the recipient. For instance, if you are filling out bank account details on a website that has an SSL certificate installed, this will be transmitted as scrambled data to the server.
Any persons who might be trying to gain access to the data before it reaches the target audience will be kept at bay. This kind of data security is exactly what regulatory bodies have always pushed for.
“Protect your website and keep your customers’ information secure with ssl encryption.”
#2: Proof of identity
When you install an SSL certificate on a website, you are basically authenticating it as your own. It could be likened to obtaining a national identity card or social security number. This is uniquely yours and can never be used to identify someone else. Proving your identity is paramount, especially on the Internet where identity theft can be easily executed, and fraudulent activities are widespread.
For instance, someone can clone a website that looks exactly like yours to serve their endgame. With an SSL certificate in place, they will be prevented from authenticating the page as their own exposing the website as false.
#3: Higher google rankings
Google is the most powerful search engine in the world. If you can appear on the first page of its search results for selected keywords, you will have set yourself on the path to success. As a matter of fact, a greater number of websites have most of their traffic coming from the search giant.
One of the latest changes that Google made is to give priority to websites that have SSL certificates installed. That’s because these websites have already been proven to be genuine and safe. Because Google believes in providing value to its users, it will not direct them to a website that does not abide by its own strict security mechanisms. It’ll always favor the website that has demonstrated strict adherence to security through the inclusion of an SSL certificate.
#4: Customer trust
If you think that installing certificates is a waste of time, you should be aware of what you’re missing out on. Customers trust you more when they see “https” come up on your website. By having an authenticated “Secure Site”, you immediately earn their trust.
As a result, they will confidently transact with you and even invite others to do so if they liked their experience. Do not let lack of customer trust be the reason for the loss of key business opportunities.
#5: Provides authentication
Apart from encrypting data, as explained above, SSL certificates play the role of authenticating your website. You and your customers can be certain the information being sent is going to the right server as opposed to an imposter whose aim is to steal your information. What makes authentication so important? The Internet is structured in such a way that customers will send information via numerous computers.
Any of these computers can create a false impression that it is your website and get your customers to send them sensitive information. This can only be avoided by getting yourself an SSL certificate delivered by a reputable SSL provider.
#6: For PCI compliance purposes
PCI stands for Payment Card Industry. It specifies a set of standards which must be met before you can begin receiving card payments on your website. One such requirement is the installation of Secure Socket Layer certificates. If you do not remain compliant with this requirement, all the popular browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Mozilla will penalise you by warning customers that their details are not safe.
As you know, no customer will be willing to submit their bank account details to a website where the risk of them being stolen is high. Even if you have the most impressively designed website, no one will make a purchase from you as long as they have been advised by Google and their browser not to do so.
Google loves SSL. You too should because your customers already do. Act now! This is the right time to have Secure Socket Layer certificates installed.
How can edirect help me with SSL?
At edirect, we leave no stone unturned, ensuring that an SSL certificate is installed and fully incorporated into your website. This ensures the maximum level of protection. We provide the best encryption mechanism possible so that your website security cannot be compromised. Our solutions are customised to work with all of the most reputable and efficient browsers.
When you get in touch with us, we will help you with choosing the best SSL certificate that will seamlessly meet your needs. Among the things we consider are the volume of transactions and the kinds of risks faced due to the nature of your website.
Since we are a reputable firm in Dubai, letting us work on your website assures you that we will not rest until your goals are met. Our highly skilled team has been doing this ever since SSL certificates came out. Thus, we have vast experience in website security.
Get in touch
Contact us today to learn more about how we will help with securing your website. Our professional team will guide you through the whole process of what we do and what you should expect. Discussing expectations is important as it ensures we are all on the same page. Get in touch now; we are eager to hear from you!