4 Reasons Why An SSL Certificate Is Important For Your Company Website
First, things first — What is an SSL Certificate?
SSL stands for Secure Socket Layer. These are digital certificates that are the foundation for strong internet security. It protects sensitive data from being exchanged when it’s not warranted. This is done by establishing an encrypted connection between an individual’s computer and your website. These are becoming more and more important in the digital era, and are a must to have for new businesses.
Google Considers SSL Certificates Essential to Websites
One of the areas where new businesses put most of their efforts is to rank well on Google. While there are many aspects to this, one of them is the trustworthiness of your website. Google places a high level of trust on SSL certificates for both individuals and corporations. In fact, it has rolled out a feature in its Chrome browser that displays websites without SSL certificate as “not secure”. This can make you come across as fishy and will not help in establishing good relations with your visitors.
When a website has an SSL certificate properly installed on its server, a small green lock will be shown to the left of a website URL in the browser and https will be in green as well.
These certificates are essential as they are used to secure data transfer, credit/debit card transactions, individual logins, and other important information. They provide a sense of security to customers and make visitors more likely to stay on a website for longer periods of time.
Listed below are four reasons as to why you need an SSL certificate for your website:
1. Protects From Information Theft
Any information submitted to a website goes through a channel of computers before it reaches the intended party. If SSL is not properly installed on the website’s server, the chances of this information being stolen are higher. SSL encrypts the information making it readable only to the party it is intended for. The way this is done is, it adds random characters to the submitted information which can only be accessed with an encryption key. The information is useless for those without the key.
2. A Must For Online Transactions
If you are an eCommerce business or if you require your customers to pay for your products or services online, then an SSL certificate is a must. In fact, it should be with an encryption of at least 128-bit. It is one of the first things you should consider getting done when building your website.
3. A Sense of Security
The green lock and green https gives people a sense of security when visiting your website. With identity theft on the rise, information security is more important than ever. SSL certificate ensures you keep everyone’s information safe, which builds confidence in people who are visiting your site.
4. An Absolute Must in 2018
To ensure safer browsing in 2018, Google flagged any website that doesn’t have SSL certification by the end of 2017. This change has affected every single website and not just websites that deal with online payments or are selling something. Whether you’re a lawyer, a restaurant owner, a dentist or whether you are building your personal website, don’t get mistaken thinking this change doesn’t apply to you.
Maintaining an online presence is not an easy job. So take the right steps to avoid making it tougher than it already is. Ensure that your website has top quality security available.
