SSL certificates are an extra step in online security, and not just for taking online payments. It also gives users a peace of mind when filling in their details on an site.
I’m sure you’ve seen this on some websites you’ve entered recently:
When you click on it, it informs you that the page is not secure.
Sometimes it even comes up like this:
And in this case it won’t let you proceed to view the website.
A secure website has this:
After the usual http there’s an ‘s’ meaning it’s secure.
Who needs an SSL Certificate?
The short answer is EVERYONE. This isn’t just important for websites who sell products, or those who collect data (including name and email address) but from the 3rd October 2017 Google will give an extra boost to websites that have it.
My phone is very sensitive and won’t even let me return to the “safe” page which means that these pages lose a potential sale – remember over 70% of surfing is done on mobile devices!
It’s even more important for pages that take online payments or ask for name and email address for opt ins because without the SSL Certificate, the card or information owner won’t be assured that their details will only go to the intended recipients. A valid SSL Certificate is an assurance that information you share on the site, will be sent in an encrypted, safe way.
How do I get an SSL Certificate?
It’s simple – just contact your website designer or host. Certificates range in price from as low as €5* anywhere up to €200. It’s a service we include in most of our packages so contact us to see how we can help you.
(*for the first year – rising to €150 the following year)