SSL Certificates: How to Secure a Website

An SSL certificate is no longer a luxury for your website - it's a necessity!

We install (and automatically renew) SSL certificates on all our client's websites. We also have configured your site to "force SSL," making sure that your website loads securely every time it loads.

How do you know a site is secure?  

First, the site will have an HTTPS prefix instead of HTTP.

Second, in some browsers (like Chrome), you'll see a little closed padlock icon in front of the web address.

What's the difference between HTTP and HTTPS?

HTTP stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol.

HTTPS stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure.  

 

What does an SSL Certificate do for my site?

1.  Protect Data

An SSL certificate protects server-client communication. It ensures that every bit of information is encrypted. The data your website is sending is locked and can only be unlocked by the intended recipient (browser or server) as no one else can have the key to open it. That might not matter for your most recent blog post, but whenever your site deals with sensitive data (such as IDs, passwords, credit card numbers, etc., SSL is essential. It protects you and your website users against the mischievous army of hackers and skimmers.  

2.  Verify Your Identity - Build Customer Trust

 An SSL certificate tells your website users that your site has been validated through a process set by an independent third party. This verification makes sure that no imposter creates a fake website pretending to be yours. SSL helps your potential clients and customers be confident they're on your real website - which saves them from frauds and enhances your reputation. Once they see that little lock sign in their browser, they're more likely to revisit your site and far more likely to do business with you.

3. Better Search Engine Ranking

In the past few years, Google has made changes to its algorithm to give higher rankings to sites with an SSL (HTTPS-enabled websites). They also flag the websites which do not have an SSL Certificate installed on their website. Even if your website is not sending personally identifiable information (names, emails, credit card numbers, etc.), Google's algorithm changes mean SSL is mandatory for today's websites.  

What is an SSL Certificate?

SSL ( which stands for Secure Sockets Layer) is a digital certificate that authenticates a website's identity and encrypts information sent through that site. It is the global standard for security technology on websites.