The number of websites using HTTPS encryption has nearly doubled from just over 40 percent in 2016 to 80 percent at the end of 2019.
HTTPS connections get encrypted so all the data that flows back and forth between the website and its visitors is protected. This is done by installing an SSL certificate on the webserver.
Let’s look at why these certificates are so important and how you can get one for your site.
What is an SSL Certificate?
An SSL certificate is a small data file that cryptographically “signs” all data that’s transferred to and from your website. It lets the visitor’s browser verify the connection to your site to help keep information like personal data and credit card information safe.
These certificates get issued by a trusted certificate authority (CA). There are several degrees of verification they can perform, which we’ll get into shortly.
How SSL Encryption Works
When someone enters your website domain starting with HTTPS in the address bar of their browser, the browser sends an SSL request to your web server. The server replies with your valid SSL certificate.
Once the browser verifies the certificate, it sets up a secure connection between the visitor and your website. Everything that goes back and forth gets encrypted.
If there’s any problem with the connection, such as the SSL certificate expired, the visitor will see an error so they know it’s an unsecured connection.
Benefits of Using an SSL Certificate on Your Website
There are obvious benefits to having all the data going to and from your website encrypted but protecting that connection isn’t the only benefit. Some of the other benefits are less black and white.
Protects Data Transmitted Between You and Your Visitors
The primary function of an SSL certificate is to encrypt the information transmitted to and from a website. This helps protect visitors from man-in-the-middle attacks, WiFi sniffers, and other methods of intercepting information on the internet.
If someone manages to access the data they’re sending, it will be useless to them because it’s encrypted. Without the encryption key tied to the secure connection to the webserver, they won’t be able to decrypt it.
Confirms Your Identity
An SSL certificate provides identity verification as well.
When you visit a website using HTTPS, you’ll see a small lock icon in the address bar of your web browser. If you click on it, you’ll see details about the SSL certificate. This lets visitors to a website confirm the certificate details match up to the website.
This is especially important with all the email phishing scams on the modern internet. A scammer can make an email look like the real thing but they can’t spoof the SSL certificate for the real website.
Search Engine Optimization Benefits
In 2014, Google launched its HTTPS Everywhereinitiative to increase the number of websites using SSL encryption. Part of that initiative was including HTTPS support as one of the ranking factors in its search algorithm.
Even if you don’t accept payments or gather any kind of personal information from your website visitors, having an SSL certificate on your site can help it rank higher in the search results.
Plus, Google has started labeling websites without SSL encryption as unsecured in the search results. Even if you rank near the top, having an “unsecured website” label beside your site will scare a lot of people away.
Meets Requirements for Accepting Online Payments
If you accept credit card payments on your website, you need to comply with requirements set out by the PCI Security Standards Council. This council was formed in 2006 by several major credit card companies — American Express, JCB International, Discover, MasterCard, and Visa.
One of the requirements for PCI compliance is having a valid SSL certificate on your website.
Improves Your Trust With Visitors to Your Site
The previous four benefits all work together to help with the final benefit — gaining your visitors’ trust.
Users are more aware of internet security concerns than ever and many people coming to your site know what to look for. If they see you have all the necessary details in place to provide a secure SSL connection, it goes a long way toward gaining their trust.
And people are more likely to buy from you or share their contact information with you if they trust you.
Types of SSL Certificates
There are several types of SSL certificates, with varying degrees of verification for your website. Which is best for your needs depends on what types of actions visitors take on your site.
Free
Many hosting providers, such as the Ale Forge web hosting service, offer a free SSL certificate. These are self-issued certificates that don’t do much (if any) verification of you or your website.
These types of certificates work best for websites that don’t collect any kind of personal or payment information from visitors. While they don’t offer some of the trust factors of the other types, they offer all the SEO benefits.
Domain Validated
With domain validated (DV) certificates, the certificate authority (CA) verifies ownership of the domain name. They don’t do any verification of the company itself.
A DV certificate is the least expensive level of protection.
Organization Validated
With an organization validated (OV) certificate, the CA verifies ownership of the domain name plus does some checks about the company itself. This adds an extra layer of trust by showing more detail in the certificate information.
Extended Validation
An extended validation (EV) certificate verifies the domain ownership but the CA also does a thorough check of the company. This research includes:
- Verifying the legal and physical existence of the company
- Confirming the company information against official records
- Verifying the company’s right to exclusive use of the domain name
- Validating the company’s authority to issue the certificate
An EV certificate provides the highest level of trust and comes at the highest cost.
Don’t Pinch Pennies When it Comes to SSL
When you’re setting up a new website, an SSL certificate may seem like an unnecessary added cost. Don’t cut corners on your website’s security though. You’ll lose far more business due to lack of trust than the cost of the certificate.
Be sure to check out the rest of our blog for more helpful posts about launching and operating a company website.