Forget your position as a business owner; imagine yourself as a customer who wants to buy a product from an online store. Don’t you have these questions running through your mind? For example, is it safe to use this website, and is my personal information secure? What about your customers? It will pop into their minds and make them think twice about using your website. So, providing better products and services without considering website security is akin to eating undercooked bread. Similarly, your website looks great, but going deep can be dangerous for your website visitors without any security protection.
As of 2023, there are more than 26.5 million e-commerce stores worldwide. Compared to regular websites, an e-commerce website should be more accurate and care more about its security because it involves collecting more information from your potential customers, such as personal details, logins, passwords, and, most importantly, bank details. If you run a website that collects this kind of information from your visitors or customers, consider purchasing SSL certificates for your website.
In this article, we will explain SSL certificates in more depth and how they can be a layer of protection for website security and search engine optimization.
What is an SSL certificate?
An SSL, or Secure Sockets Layer, is a digital certificate that encrypts communication between a web server and the client. These small data files are installed on the origin server of the web server and contain the public key and the site’s identity. The public key is used to encrypt data sent to the server. The website’s identity ensures that only the website can decrypt the data. This helps protect data from being intercepted or manipulated. This encryption process helps protect user data and ensure its security. It also helps prevent attackers from accessing sensitive information.
How do I find a website that uses SSL?
If a website has an SSL certificate, its URL will be https://, while a website that does not have an SSL certificate will look like http://. With this, you can quickly determine if your web browsing is safe. The website should also display a lock icon in the browser’s address bar. Additionally, the site should display a “Certificate is valid” message after clicking the lock icon. It is unsafe to use if a website does not display these things. You should immediately leave the site and look for an alternative.
SSL certificate workflow
Website owners can obtain an SSL certificate from a certificate authority. Then, the certificate authority uses the certificate signing request to create the site. Next, the browser asks the webserver to send its SSL certificate and public key for verification. The browser will generate two symmetric keys to encrypt the connection. After receiving the encrypted symmetric key, the server uses its private key to decrypt it. You can then find https:// appearing in your address bar, and all content between the web browser and the web server will be encrypted.
When does a website need an SSL certificate?
Installing an SSL certificate for all types of websites is appropriate, whether you intend to collect data from your customers or not. If we will not collect any information from visitors, why do I need to consider installing an SSL certificate for your website? Even if you do not collect data, you must provide your visitors with a smooth and seamless browsing experience, which is mandatory to differentiate yourself from your competitors. Below are some common types of websites that require SSL certificates:
- e-commerce website
- Websites with credentials
- Website with forms
The benefits of SSL certificates for your website
SSL certificates for your website offer several benefits. First, it ensures that all data transmitted between the web browser and the server is encrypted, giving visitors a secure browsing experience. In addition, SSL certificates help build trust and credibility with your audience by indicating that your website is legitimate and takes data protection seriously. Finally, an SSL certificate can also increase your website’s search engine rankings, as search engines favor secure websites. It protects your website from malicious activity. It provides a safe environment for your website visitors. It increases the visibility and credibility of your website.
Improve your SEO with an SSL certificate.
Google generally considers security to be one of the search engine optimization features when ranking websites, and it also finds an SSL certificate to be a positive signal for website rankings. In addition, encryption also helps protect websites from malicious attacks that can cause significant damage to a website’s reputation and revenue. When visitors visit your site, your padlock, Secure, has the trust of people who will spend some time on your site, including those who are more afraid to visit your site. It also indirectly says your website is safe from malware and online theft. In addition, SEO To increase the base, CTR through the search engine website also helps improve your website’s ranking results.
If you have a journey ahead of you on this online site, an SSL certificate will improve your brand identity through search engines and results while building trust with your target audience. If trust is built, people are more likely to buy your product online without worrying about their bank details or personal information being hacked or stolen. If you want to strengthen your brand identity and trust, installing an SSL certificate will be a stepping stone to success in the highly competitive online journey.
Conclusion
From the above guide, you will understand what an SSL certificate is and how it plays a significant role in improving the security and SEO of your website. Most web hosting providers will offer free SSL certificates with their hosting plans, and some also provide paid SSL certificates with warranty and liability coverage and a wide range of certificate options at an affordable price. Now you can understand how vital this SSL certificate is for your website. We can provide a cheap SSL certificate price if you want to purchase SSL or any other hosting. In that case, you can use eWallHost, an affordable Web hosting provider in India that offers cost-effective hosting and security solutions for every individual, small, medium, and large business. Start protecting your website today!