Why Your Website Needs an SSL Certificate

The benefit of using an SSL certificate is that it offers encrypted protection during the online transfer of sensitive information. Whether a site has a contact form, online store or user registration, SSL certificates can help you gain your customers’ trust and protect against phishing schemes. Additionally, Google now provides a slight ranking boost to websites using HTTPS.

What Is an SSL Certificate?

SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer, a security method which allows for the encryption of data when being transferred over a server. SSL certificates help to protect the transfer of sensitive information such as credit card numbers, passwords and usernames, Social Security numbers and more. For example, when you interact with a favorite online retailer, like Amazon, or a payment processor, like PayPal, you can be confident that you are dealing with that company and not an impostor.

How Can One Tell if a Website is Certified?

Image Source: Digicert

The address bar will have a green background color to indicate a higher level of security vetting, called Extended Validation.
A tiny padlock appears on the left-hand side of the browser bar. If there isn’t a padlock, or the symbol is “broken,” visitors will know that the company isn’t using SSL.
You’ll find an SSL image, typically at the bottom of the webpage. Custom images are available, but most contain a padlock, “SSL” or “Security,” and other information that indicates a certificate.
The URL starts with “https” to indicate that you are connected through a secure server. Hypertext Transfer Protocol (http) is a system for transmitting data on the web, and the “s” at the end is the security indicator.

We Can Help!

Let Matchstick do the heavy lifting of implementing an SSL certificate on your site. We take on working behind the scenes to keep your site secure. The advantages of using SSL certification far outweigh the disadvantages. If you ask customers to choose between a company that is SSL certified and one that isn’t, why would they choose to expose their personal information?

Help Me Get an SSL Certificate!

Sources: WP Beginner, Search Engine Land, BlueHost