Does Your Website Need an SSL Certificate?

by March 1, 2017

As an honest professional, I strive to keep my clients informed with the latest developments in the online community. I want them to feel confident that I will share my expertise and help their business succeed. There has been a lot of buzz recently about SSL Certificates. What are these, why had I not recommended one, and why might you consider owning one now for your business?

The SSL Certificate

SSL stands for Secure Socket Layer. It is a security protocol that conveys your communications over the Internet in an encrypted form. SSL encoding is commonly employed by eCommerce websites to protect sensitive information such as credit card numbers or personal data. SSL certificates ensure that information is delivered to the server for which it was intended, without falling into the hands of third parties (hackers!) who could tamper with the data. You’ll recognize sites that have a SSL certificate by the domain URL https://, rather than the unsecured http://, plus the green padlock icon that appears in your browser’s address bar (the color / appearance varies by browser).

SSL Pioneer Media

What Are the Benefits?

  1. Trust & Reputation — An SSL certificate helps build a trusted online brand recognized by customers as a reputable website. When completing transactions over the Internet, online shoppers trust the https:// URL and padlock symbol over the unsecured http:// URL. With an SSL certificate you can inspire the highest level of trust in your customers. That means you can confidently sell products or services in an online shop knowing that each of your transactions is secure.
  2. Search Engine Ranking — In addition to popularity with customers, an SSL certificate will make you popular with search engines as well! The SSL certificate is recognized by Google’s algorithm as a seal-of-quality and assurance, meaning your website will appear higher up in the search engine’s results compared to unsecured websites. This means that you will enjoy increased traffic to your website from customers searching for your services on Google – all you need to do is show them that the security of their sensitive data is your priority

Why Am I Just Now Hearing About This?

SSL Google PadlockSince the birth of the SSL Certificate in the 1990s, they have always been understood as essential for eCommerce websites — sites that sell products and take in sensitive credit card information and personal user data. They were unnecessary for static brochure websites that didn’t sell anything.

For the past couple of years, “privacy” has been a huge topic in politics and technology. Encryption is advancing to prevent unauthorized prying eyes. SSL Certificates encrypt websites’ data. However, if you are marketing your company’s services, testimonials, and contact information, why would you need it encrypted?  Don’t you want to put it out there for everyone to see?

Encryption, browsers and SSL have all matured. They are becoming more mainstream. Search engines can easily scan and index secure websites. Moreover, Google recently set HTTPS / SSL as an official ranking signal. This was not the case in the past. It’s a small factor, albeit a positive one. Experts in the web community foresee SSL Certificates becoming 1) much more common / necessary and 2) a larger ranking factor.

Conclusion

SSL Security ApprovedBecause of this push for SSL in the web community, I am now recommending this to my clients. They aren’t free, but the price has come down significantly from years past. Instead of hundreds of dollars per year, I can now get you an excellent SSL Certificate for just $75/year. I can also install this to your website as part of my Website Care Service to you. Here are a few features of the superior SSL Certificates I use:

  • 256-Bit SSL Encryption — World-class 256-bit SSL encryption for maximum protection
  • Over 99% Browser Recognition — All major browsers recognize these security standards
  • Lightning-Fast Validation — The digital verification (validation) is accomplished easily online, with no tedious paperwork or forms

Are you interested in obtaining an SSL certificate? Send us a message, and we can set this up for you!

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