While investing in a great visual and easy navigation for your website, you likely forget the security aspects of it. But if your website is truly built to provide users with a second-to-none experience, then avoiding a website with an SSL certificate is wrong. Let’s understand why.
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What is an SSL certificate?
SSL is all about safety and security required during online interactions – between the website owners and the users as they browse the website’s products and services and share confidential information like banking and payment details online.
SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer, and its job is to protect the information in your browser that you send across the web to the servers. By installing this, you provide your visitors with a secure online experience.
Any individual or organization can purchase a digital SSL certificate, which binds a cryptographic key to the details of your company or organization. The certificate contains key information, including the certificate holder’s name, serial number and expiration date, a copy, digital signature, etc. Having a digital SSL certificate for your website means you have authenticity and your users trust that it is you who is operating the website and not taken over by a hacker.
Why should your website have an SSL certificate?
Many websites require users to send and receive sensitive information, and without a safe and secure website, your users are not going to go ahead with the website. For example, if the user is using an eCommerce website to buy products or services from it, then an aware buyer will always look for a secure website with an SSL certificate before they share banking details with your site.
Here are some of the advantages associated with an SSL certificate.
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Offer a secure payment gateway for your users/buyers
Hosting an e-commerce website requires that you have major credit card acceptance. For this, you will need to have a merchant account, and without an SSL certificate, it might not be possible. But whether you need an SSL certificate for a merchant account depends on your web hosting company.
Even if you are not installing SSL security, you are putting your user’s credit card information at risk, and if it doesn’t go well one time, there goes your repeat business.
Note that some online stores have a built-in secure payment system, meaning SSL-certified security is not required. Small businesses mostly use GoDaddy’s Online Store to avoid purchasing additional SSL protection.
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Secured web forms
Many websites on the web are trying to understand the requirements, expectations, and intents of the users or their target audience. For example, this information can sometimes be a way to find out more about a customer’s buying journey or request the client’s job or education details. And before your website asks for information like phone number, home address, and email address, you must have an SSL certificate.
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Protect log-ins and passwords
Many websites require users to sign up and log in, and even membership sites with multiple log-ins are a common target for hackers. Many sites have poor-to-zero password protection pages, and even amateur hackers can easily hack into these sites. Some of the sites that use log-ins are WordPress or Joomla.
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Purchasing and cost of an SSL certificate?
Some hosting companies offer SSL certificates as a part of the hosting packages, and small businesses find it easy that way. But if not, you might have some prerequisites before buying an SSL certificate.
For example, before applying for an SSL certificate setting up your server and updating WHOIS reports is important.
Conclusion
You will find various types of SSL certificates, and depending on their types, some can be free. But some can be expensive, although not as expensive as any virus attack or customer’s data compromised.
