To run a successful website, you need customers. Studies show that customers only feel comfortable buying from websites that are secure. This is why SSL certificates are so important to your website.
SSL, which stands for Security Sockets Layer, provides communications security over networks. When your website is SSL certified, people know that they can submit their payment information to your website securely. Below is more information about the benefits of having your website SSL certified.
Data Encryption
The first and most important reason to have your website SSL certified is for data encryption. SSL encrypts the data sent to your website into code that hackers and identity thieves can’t read. Having a secure website helps protect the reputation of your website and makes your customers feel safe.
SSL certified websites encrypt data such as social security, phone and credit card numbers. This ensures that the information that you send to customers and the information that they send to you is always protected.
Compatible With Most Browsers
Another benefit of having your website SSL certified is that it’s compatible with more than 99 percent of web browsers. This means that you won’t cut off a large portion of your customer base by choosing this kind of security. Some of the browsers that support SSL-certified security include Chrome, Internet Explorer and Firefox.
Protection Beyond Encryption
While encrypting data that’s sent over a computer network is important, SSL-certified websites also provide authentication. A proper SSL certificate lets people know that they’re sending information to the right server and not an imposter website. SSL providers only issue certificates to websites that undergo several identity checks. These checks ensure that phishing websites can’t pretend to be the real deal.
Visible Trust
Whether you know it or not, web browsers send visible cues SSL-certified websites. Sometimes this is a green bar that appears in the address bar. Sometimes it’s a green lock that simply says “Secure.” Regardless of the cues that browsers provide, they let visitors know whether websites are trustworthy or not.
When a site isn’t SSL certified, the web browser also sends cues to warn visitors about the potential threat. These cues often physically block users from visiting websites until they click on a button to show that they understand the risks of proceeding. This is usually enough to deter people from visiting websites in the first place. You don’t want this to be your website, which is why getting SSL certification is so important.
PCI Compliance
For a website to take credit cards, it has to comply with Payment Card Industry standards. One of the requirements is to be SSL certified. So if you want to accept credit cards on your website, you will need SSL certification.
As you can see from the benefits above, making sure that your website is SSL certified is important to its success. When customers see that your site is SSL certified, they know that they’re protected from the growing number of threats that plague the internet.
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