SSL certificates: What are they and why do websites need one?

  06th Dec 2018

Recently, SSL certificates have boomed in popularity, and with good reason. They are increasingly becoming a must-have for website owners, because they ensure secure connections between a web server and a browser. This basically means that sensitive information belonging to the website user is secure, including any payment details they submit.

Gaining the trust of website users is vitally important – website visitors want to know that they can securely browse sites, without their personal details and in particular, payment details, being compromised. SSL is commonly used to secure data transfer and login details, as well as securing credit and debit card transactions.

Research by Globalsign showed that 84% of online shoppers abandon their purchases as soon as they realise a website is not secure, and so it is not surprising that SSL certified websites are fast becoming the norm.

What is an SSL certificate?

An SSL certificate is a digital certificate that encrypts information sent to the server, that is, it acts as a secure connection between the website and the server.

Their high encryption ensures transactions and all sensitive information is fully secure. If a third party was to intercept the information between the website and the server, the SSL certificate would ensure the information was ‘scrambled’ and unreadable.

Once an SSL certificate has been successfully installed, all web traffic between the web server and the web browser is fully secure. The application protocol, displayed as the http, will change to https, with the added s denoting that the website is secure. Https stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure. A padlock or green bar may then be displayed on the browser, depending on the type of certificate issued and what browser is being used.

Why SSL certificate are needed

SSL certificates are necessary to protect sensitive information – namely passwords, usernames, debit and credit card information, etc. Without them, data sent between your website and the user can be intercepted and even altered by a third party.

Additionally, SSL certificates have the added bonus of improving Google rankings for websites that have them, as well as building customers’ trust and confidence and improving website conversion rates.

Without an SSL, customers will see that the website, and therefore their sensitive information, is not secure. Data integrity is vitally important, and customers have to know that websites are trustworthy, or they will go elsewhere.

SSL certificates at Designweb

Here at Designweb, we are reputable and established providers of SSL certificates at very competitive rates.

SSL certificates cost £80 per year, plus a £100 one-off installation fee which covers updating all your websites internal site links and file references from http to https.

SSL Certificates are compatible with all major browsers and can be installed by on your website, hosted with Designweb within 24 hours.

Show your website visitors that you value security – contact us today.

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