Why SSL is so important
If you’re a new website owner, you’ve probably heard that you should buy an SSL certificate to secure your site. But if you’re new to this space, you may be a little bit confused about what SSL does and what the big deal about it is. If that sounds you, you’ve come to the perfect place. Read on to find out what SSL does and why everyone needs it for their website.
What SSL is
SSL is a simple digital certificate that does a lot of important work. When you install an SSL certificate on your website’s server, it encrypts the connection between your site and the browser of anyone accessing it. When this connection is encrypted, no third parties can eavesdrop on any information that’s passed along. This helps protect sensitive user data and both recipients from many cyber attacks such as man-in-the-middle attacks.
Why you need SSL
Well, don’t you want to keep both you and your users safe? If you ask your website users for any information at all, whether that be through sign-up pages or credit card details for a purchase, an SSL certificate will ensure that this personal data won’t end up in the wrong hands. Furthermore, when you install an SSL certificate, you may notice a padlock symbol appearing in the address bar. This padlock indicates that a website is SSL-secured, something that has become a key trust marker for many users. Savvy Internet users now know to look for this symbol when visiting a new website. If you don’t have one, they may bounce sooner rather than later.
Compounding this is the fact that major web browsers have basically made SSL certificates mandatory in recent years. If you don’t have an SSL certificate, browsers like Firefox and Chrome will flag your site to users, warning them that it may not be secure. Most people will listen to a warning like that and decide not to proceed. If you don’t want to lose potential website visitors before they even get to your site, you should invest in an SSL stat.
The takeaway
SSL certificates are a crucial element of website security for website owners and users alike. By having one, you’ll keep user data safe, communicate you care for user well-being via the padlock symbol, while also keeping comoonly-used web browsers satisfied. If you care about any of these things, be sure to get your site an SSL certificate.
