What SSL certificates can do for your business

Online security is of paramount importance this day and age. Our entire lives and livelihoods revolve around Internet, which has become a vital part of our existence.

Because we spend so much time online, we need to know our privacy is protected. Same goes for business owners who rely on online marketing of any kind.

SSL (Secure Socket Layer) is an encryption protocol designed to protect data that is sent across the Internet. It is one of the most popular and trusted Internet security solutions and it’s being embraced by entrepreneurs and corporations of all kind and from all over the world.

But why are SSL certified websites better than the rest? Here are some of the most important benefits of using SSL certificates:

• First and foremost, SSL certificates encrypt your online information so that it can’t be interpreted and maliciously used by anyone
• They are mandatory for websites that want to process online payments. The PCI (Payment Card Industry) requires all online businesses to have an SSL certificate that uses an encryption of at least 128-bit. Otherwise you won’t be allowed to accept credit card payments
• SSL encrypted sites will rank higher on Google. Google takes into account SSLs in their ranking algorithms and boost websites that use SSL encryption. There’s your first free SEO tip right here!
• They convey trust and professionalism to your website, which helps build a good reputation for your business. Users will always prefer to conduct their business on a ‘https’ site than a ‘http’ one, especially when it involves shopping and online transactions. When you get such a certificate, it also comes with a server certificate that customers are able to see and know that your SSL is in order, up to date and the site they’re about to access belongs to you and is not a fake one
• They protect you against Internet scammers, phishing attacks and so on. Phishing email camouflaged as ads for instance, are a common practice. Their purpose is to collect sensitive information like credit card details. SSL certificates however are way harder to replicate and without them, users tend to close the page and take their business somewhere else

There are some concerns related to SSL certificates that have proven incorrect and it is important to know the truth before deciding to walk away on SSLs. One of the most common misconceptions is that SSLs will slow your website. That might have been the case in the beginning, but it shouldn’t be a concern anymore, because modern technology improved both the network protocols and the devices that we’re using.

The only valid ‘inconvenient’ we could find in using SSL certificates could be the financial one, as SSL certificates, especially the premium ones, can be quite pricey. However, given the set of benefits they offer in return, we consider it to be a fair deal. Moreover, there are providers that offer SSL certificates for free, so you can start from there and upgrade if and when you see fit.