If you have a website, or are thinking about creating a website, you have probably heard of an SSL Certificate. Many of our clients have asked us if they need an SSL Certificate. The short answer is, yes. If you intend to take payments, or intend to be taken seriously online, you need an SSL certificate. Your website is not trustworthy without one.

What is an SSL Certificate?

An SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) Certificate is a digital certificate that both authenticates the identity of a website and encrypts sensitive information so that any passwords, addresses, or credit card numbers cannot be intercepted or read by anyone other than the intended recipient. An SSL Certificate encrypts sensitive information, provides authentication and trust, and is required for PCI (payment card industry) compliance.

Why you need an SSL Certificate

If you do not add an SSL Certificate to your website, it would be very difficult to steal all of the data that Is passed through your website, like passwords, credit card numbers, and personal information. When an SSL certificate is used, the information becomes unreadable to everyone except for the server you are sending the information to. If you don’t want your customers, or your, personal information to be stolen, it is necessary to get an SSL Certificate.

Before anyone enters their personal information anywhere on a website, they should check id the website is secure. This means they should look for a small padlock symbol in the address bar and a web address beginning with https://. If your website does not contain this, the person ( and potential consumer) may not feel comfortable on your site, and leave.

 

If I am not collecting credit card information, do I still need an SSL Certificate?

In the past, it might not have been necessary, but it is now important to ensure every websitehas an SSL certificate and is loaded via HTTPS.

 

How do I know if my website has SSL?

Look at the URL of the website. If it begins with “https” instead of “http” it means the site is secured using an SSL Certificate. The “s” in https, stands for secure.

 

How to install an SSL Certificate?

The good news is that most SSL Certificates are very easy to install. Once you buy the SSL Certificate from a provider, it is very simple to activate and install. Many SSL Certificate Providers will help you with it and may even do this process for you. Cost will vary based on the provider. The top 7 most reliable SSL Certificate providers, according to Pluralsight, are listed below:

  1. VeriSign
  2. GeoTrust
  3. Comodo
  4. Digicert
  5. Thawte
  6. GoDaddy
  7. Network Solutions

 

How can Marketing Influence help?

Are you ready to make your website more secure? Marketing Influence creates marketing programs that are customized to your goals and budget. Connect with us now to install an SSL certificate on your website.