If you’ve been setting up a website, you may have come across the term SSL Certificate and are wondering is an SSL Certificate worth it? The short answer to your question is that an SSL Certificate (Secure Sockets Layer) is most definitely worth it and is now something that is seen as a norm in terms of website security.
Below we’ll take a look at various factors to answer the following questions:
- What Is An SSL Certificate?
- Is An SSL Certificate Necessary?
- Is An SSL Certificate Worth It?
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What Is An SSL Certificate?
An SSL Certificate (Secure Sockets Layer) essentially enables a secure connection between a website and a user’s browser. Any information exchanged is encrypted and is therefore protected from unauthorised access.
This is important with any website but particularly so for those that exchange user logins, email address, personal details and bank details.
You can tell if a website offers SSL data protection as it will usually have a padlock symbol next to the URL or simply state “Secure”.
The other way to tell is that sites with SSL will start with HTTPS whilst those without remain with HTTP.
Is An SSL Certificate Necessary?
There are many reasons why SSL Certification is now essentially a must-have for website operators.
Data Protection Is A Visitor Priority
Data security and protection is a visitor priority now more so than ever before. Data breaches can result in serious consequences for users and website owners alike.
The SSL certification tells your visitors that you value their data security and are taking the necessary steps to try to protect it.
It provides an automatic seal of legitimacy and professionalism whether you’re a big or small site.
Google Sees It As a Must Have
Google, Firefox and other browsers have essentially made SSL Certification a must have by displaying the “Not Secure” warning on URL’s that are not encrypted with SSL.
This red flag can put off visitors immediately and keep them away.
In addition, Google will de-prioritise sites without HTTPS. Without it you will not be able to access some features that users come to expect as standard from their online experience such as geolocation.
Ranking Factor
Another major reason why an SSL Certificate is now effectively a must for any serious website owner is that Google has indicated previously that it is ranking factor.
That means if you don’t have SSL Certification for your website you’re likely to see your ranking negatively impacted and with it traffic to your site.
Match Your Competitors
There are many fields in which it literally pays to stand out amongst a crowded field. This is not one of them. You do not want to be one of the only operators in your chosen niche to not have an SSL Certificate.
This would give potential customers who have an endless list of choices a quick way to eliminate you as an option no matter how good your content is. Why bother take a risk with you when a competitor has this base covered?
According to Google, Chrome and Mac users spend over 90% of their online time on HTTPS pages demonstrating how imperative SSL Certification is for your website.
Is An SSL Certificate Worth It?
By now it’s probably clear why an SSL Certificate is most definitely worth it for your site.
The benefits outweight the actual cost of an SSL quite significantly. It’s very easy and relatively inexpensive to get an SSL Certificate for your webiste.
Bluehost offer free SSL Certification alongside their hosting packages.