Do You Need A SSL Certificate?
What is a SSL Certificate?
Yes you do need a SSL certificate. A Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate encrypts any data on the website. That way the information can be shared safely. This encryption protects sensitive information. Everyday people around the world enter sensitive information into websites. When you do online shopping you enter in your credit card information and address. You enter in your username and password for your online banking. People enter in this information on websites, but how do you know your information is safe from hackers, and viruses. Currently you know if a website is safe and secure if the website has a valid SSL certificate.
Why Have A SSL Certificate
As of February 2018, 59.9% of the world uses Google Chrome. Because of a new Google Chrome update you could be losing business if your website doesn’t have a valid SSL certificate. If you don’t have a SSL certificate the new Google Chrome update displays a warning message to their users telling them that the website is not secure. Google has already started to display this warning message on websites that collect information from visitors. Starting July 2018 100% of websites that don’t have a valid SSL certificate will display a not secure message.
A Survey done by HubSpot Reseach showed that 82% of people who received this warning message decided not to visit that website. The warning message that displays makes customers feel unsafe visiting your website. Websites with a vaild certificate helps build trust with their visitors, because the visitors know it’s safe to enter in their sensitive information.
On top of losing traffic and customers, you could be ranking lower in search results. Google’s Webmaster Trends Analysts Zineb Ait Bahajji and Gary Illyes publicly stated that having a SSL Certificate does have a positive effect on your websites ranking in Google’s search results.
Ways To Tell A Site Uses A SSL Certificate:
There are different types of SSL Certificates. Each type of certificate is based on a websites own needs. Because each website needs different certificates. Each site might have a slightly different way of displaying to visitors that they website is safe and secure. Overall there are 4 main ways to tell.
- The first is looking at the url and seeing if there is https instead of http. The add s stands for secure.
- The second way you can tell is if a lock is in the website’s url. The lock should be green and closed.
- The third way you can tell is the url bar is completely green.
- The last way you can tell is by seeing the websites valid SSL certificate. The easiest way is to click on the green lock. A pop up will tell you that the website is secure. From there you can get more information and see who the certificate is owned by, who issued it, and when it expires.
It’s safe to say that you need to get a SSL Certificate before July 1st. We understand it can be hard to know exactly what type of certificate you have. You can contact us if you need help pick out the right SSL certificate for a reasonable price. If you know what type of certificate you need we offer SSL Certificates. If you already have a valid certificate, great! Just make sure you set a reminder to renew your certificate.
