Do I need an SSL Certificate for my website?

What is an SSL, How does it work?
SSL Means Secure Sockets Layer. It’s most commonly used when websites require sensitive information from a visitor, like credit card details or passwords. It encrypts information sent between your website and your site visitors browser. So that it can’t be read by a third party whilst it is sent across the internet.

When you get SSL, you’re actually getting a certificate which digitally binds a cryptographic key to any of your online business details. When installed, it secures any connections between your web server and browsers. These Certificates are issued by trusted authority who will identify you, your site or your business and ensure you are who you say you are. When approved, we can install this certificate onto your domain name and encrypt the pages on your website.

Do I need SSL?
The majority of online business’s need an SSL Certificate, it is also a Payment card industry (PCI) Standard required to accept credit card information on your site. Most commonly used for e-commerce websites. But they can be used where sensitive information is exchanged. Examples:

• Entering Credit Card Details
• Using a login with username and a password
• Viewing or sending emails
• Chatting in a private room
• Conducting online banking or any financial details
• Use of any database

Does my site already have it?
There are visible ways of seeing if a website has an SSL certificate installed, these are what visitors will look for when they visit your site to see of they trust it or not. Most web browsers will display a padlock somewhere on the web browser to show If its secure or not. When the SSL certificate is active it will also show in the address bar in green with a padlock. Not only this the most identifiable thing is the URL, the address of a secured page starts with https:// instead of the http:// Protocol.

Does it improve Google Rank?
Although only less than 1% of all websites are secure (time to get ahead of the competition!), 40% of Google’s page one organic search results feature an HTTPS site. Google has encouraged webmasters to make the migration to a secure site for a while now and has been giving an increasing amount of weight in ranking boosts to websites that are HTTPS.

If you are interested in having your site more secure, trusted more by your customers and performing better in search results, please get in contact and ask to speak to Michael Taylor ([email protected]).