growth / What does SSL mean and how can it help my online business?

What does SSL mean and how can it help my online business?

Andy Thorne
What does SSL mean and how can it help my online business?

What does SSL mean and what is it? SSL, more formerly known as a Secure Socket Layer and which is also sometimes called a “digital certificate”.

To put this into tech-speak, this is a commonly used “cryptographic protocol” that involves Transport Layer Security. It all sounds very technical but this small addition to your website will help bring in traffic by securing data like bank details, phone numbers and other personal information users want to keep secure from online hackers. So what are the further benefits of an SSL?

 

The meaning and benefits of SSL

Unless you’ve been living in a cave in Greenland, you will be familiar with the wonders of the internet and the immense value of having a website. However, there are still digital secrets to be unravelled and often overlooked features of the world wide web.

A shining example is something you’ve probably seen many times, possibly without even realising that it’s important. We are talking about the difference between a website address that includes only “http://”, and one that features “https://” and a little padlock symbol.

The subtle variation is extremely important, especially if site security is something your organisation takes seriously.

“https://” and a little padlock symbol notifies you that this website is secure with an SSL certificate.

In English, it means SSL is technology used to create a more secure channel of communication between two pieces of equipment. Its most common purpose is to make it safer for someone using a web browser (on their device) to interact with a web server (where your website is hosted). Having SSL attached to your web address creates in important gateway between your site and its visitors/ It encrypts data, putting it into a code that’s much harder to “crack”.

SSL is an important gateway between your site and its visitors/ It encrypts all the data.

This goes a long way to making sure hackers can’t visit your website to strip out data such as credit card details and passwords with “listener programmes”! It also ensures intranet, extranet and file sharing activities are far more protected, and there’s less chance that emails can be intercepted.

What is the advantage of SSL for customers of your online business?

Clearly, the fact your site is extra secure is always going to be a welcome bonus. Having a digital certificate – that important encryption gateway – as means any information they post of your website is carefully coded, making their transaction more private and secure.

So, the three values of SSL are encryption, authentication and data security – which are extremely important for anyone selling or buying online.

 

Benefits of SSL for SEO!

Anything that increases your position within search results is worth considering, and buying an SSL certificate for your website is a simple way to improve your Search Engine Optimisation. That’s because the Google algorithms that assign rankings place a high value on the presence of SSL.

Google algorithms that assign rankings place a high value on the presence of SSL.

Also, keep in mind that the latest versions of Google Chrome are configured to spot the difference between a SSL protected website, and one that’s not. Research shows that 85% of people searching online won’t click on a website if security is flagged as an issue.

How many customers are you losing, from not having this security in place?

 

How do you get an SSL certificate?

Clearly, having SSL on your website is good for your business in many ways, especially as it reassures customers that you’re up to date on data management controls and privacy obligations. So,

how do you get a digital certificate and what does it cost to have SSL on your site?

Much depends on the level of sensitivity of your data, and whether you use multiple domain names for your business. Some online businesses can operate effectively with one standard SSL certificate, but others may need multiple certificates or ones with additional security features.

Getting an SSL for your website could cost you nothing, or it could come with a hefty bill.

Particularly if you get an SSL certificate that expires too frequently. Apply them is something best left to experts who understand the ins and outs of Domain Name Servers (DNS) and the technical part of website structure.

If in doubt, give us a shout. We can help your business get SSL in place quickly, as we are a “Swift Sorting Lot”!