Cyber-attacks are one of the biggest threats faced by online companies today, and an increasing number of businesses are looking at adopting different strategies for protecting their core data. Regardless of the size of your business, security is a vital requirement of every company that manages confidential information.
SSL certificates can guarantee the best protection for your data by securing communication across networks by providing data encryption to reduce the possibilities of cyber threats. Also, SSL encryption can boost customer confidence and help them carry out financial transactions in a secure manner.
SSL certificate is a growing necessity for every business
SSL or Secure Socket Layer provides an encrypted form of communication between the web browser and the server. It provides a defense mechanism for protecting your websites against attacks and reduces the risk of losing valuable personal or customer-related information. Thus, websites with SSL are marked as secure sites and displayed as HTTPS, making it easy for online visitors to identify legitimate sites before sharing their personal information.
Websites that collect information from customers, for example, ecommerce companies, cannot ignore the importance of SSL certificates and need to install them for ensuring the safety and protection of customer-related data. Also, small businesses that depend solely on their customers for boosting their sales need to take security breaches seriously and ensure the safety of sensitive information using proper SSL encryption methods for their business.
Why is it important for small business to have SSL certificate?
According to National Cyber Security Alliance statistics, 60% of the SMB’s that are hacked tend to lose their business within six months. Many research studies indicate that small and mid-sized businesses are likely to be significant in cybercrime targets activities. Most of such small companies lack proper security measures because they are more vulnerable to data breaches and have greater exposure to malware threats.
- Helps improve site security
SSL certificate can be useful in protecting sensitive information and data transmitted from your website to the users’ website. This may include sensitive information such as personal details, payment information and other login details and provide effective data encryption to help your visitor’s data from misuse against hackers.
- Build trust and credibility among customers
One of the key advantages of using an SSL certificate is to gain your visitors’ trust and confidence. Websites with SSL certificate display a security padlock in the address bar of the browser to online visitors. It assures them that their connection is secure and gives them greater confidence in your brand. On the other hand, websites that do not have SSL certificates will label websites as not secure, and visitors will hesitate in navigating such sites.
- Provides safety for all sub domains
There are specific types of SSL certificates available from global SSL providers such as SSL2BUY that offer diversified SSL certificate. For example, if you wish to secure the main site along with their subdomains using a single SSL certificate, then you should go with wildcard certificate. They are most suitable for business owners with large websites or if you have multiple subdomains. On the other hand, with a standard SSL certificate, you need a separate certificate for every subdomain.
- Improve website traffic and business sales
Small businesses with an online presence need to win customer trust and confidence to ensure visitors come back to their site regularly for making purchases. Mainly, this is where SSL certificates can help in providing a secure checkout experience to online visitors. The bounce rate can be reduced drastically while improving customer experience with an SSL certificate on a website. The green padlock acts as a trust mark and indicates the website’s authenticity, thereby attracting traffic and increasing sales volume.
Which are the different SSL certificate options?
Many numerous SSL providers offer SSL certificates depending on the security requirements of small businesses. So, when you buy SSL certificates, it does not always be expensive. Here are a few types of SSL certificates which may be used based on your small business requirements:
- Domain Validation SSL certificate
This is one of the most affordable SSL certificates available for companies that allows them to manage their domain name, and they can be easily acquired through certificate authorities. It informs the visitors that they are viewing the web pages from the original sources. However, it does not give information regarding the person or business related to the domain.
- Organization Validation SSL Certificate
Organization Validation certificate is also known as a full business validation certificate. It certifies the owner of the domain and information regarding business registration to prove the legitimacy of your business. They are more expensive when compared to DV certificates and require a slightly longer time for validation. However, they provide a confidence to your customers about your online business’s authenticity, which is essential for building rapport with them and building trust in your brand.
- Extended Validation SSL certificate
An extended validation certificate helps secure a vast amount of information related to transactions, online purchases, web locations, and certifying business registration and owner authentication. Thus, it adds multiple layers of encryption and protection to help avoid malicious activities, including phishing. EV SSL certificates are useful in all applications that require more trust and more robust identity verification. An EV SSL certificate provides the highest form of validation and authentication among all other certificates that provide greater assurance to your website visitors regarding the authenticity of your website.
Conclusion
Many benefits are having an SSL certificate for your online website beyond encryption and security as some of the high-end certificates offer malware scanners and vulnerability assessments. An address bar with the padlock provides a trust mark for your website and increases the possibilities of website conversion rate to over 30%, which no small business can afford to ignore.
With an increasing number of cyber threats, SSL certificate provides adequate protection against malware and identity thefts and helps your business grow by addressing security concerns.