Every ecommerce must have an SSL or Secure Sockets Layer certificate if it wants to transmit security to its customers. In fact, no user who is used to buying online would leave their personal data, including their credit card or other payment method, on a web page that does not have a certificate of this type. This means that not having it implies less sales and, consequently, less income.
We explain what exactly an SSL certificate is and why it is so important that you have it in your hosting.
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What is the SSL certificate?
SSL is the acronym for Secure Sockets Layer and is a technology that allows data to be transferred securely. The information passes between a server and a web browser or vice versa in an encrypted or encrypted way to prevent hackers or third parties from having access to that data, which is usually, for the most part, sensitive.
This type of protocol protects all types of information, since it is a technology that encrypts everything from the information that is provided in a standard registration form to those that are given to be able to make an online purchase.
The SSL certificate is also used to verify the authenticity of a web page. That is, it is a way to protect all the content that is on a site.
Although payment gateways already have their own SSL certificate, for the user to fully trust the web page it is necessary to install one that fully protects it. Otherwise, it could generate mistrust, which would translate into less sales and less income.
SSL certificate types
There are three types of SSL certificate and each of them offers a type of guarantees. The domain validation certificate, the organization validation certificate, and the extended validation certificate are known.
Domain Validation (DV) Certificate
The domain validation certificate or DV is the most basic, since it serves exclusively to validate the trust level of the domain. This is ideal for small web pages or personal blogs, where it is not necessary to ask the user for compromised information. It is not recommended for websites where personal data is requested or where payments are processed, since it could be insufficient.
To find out if a web page has this type of certificate, just look for a small padlock in the address bar.
Organization Validation (OV) Certificate
The organization validation certificate or OV offers greater protection than the previous one, since it ensures that the brand behind that web page and that owns the domain is real and legal. That is, you have some information about the company.
Through this certificate you can be sure that this company is real and operates legally. It is ideal for small and medium-sized businesses or online stores.
With this certificate, a padlock also appears in the address bar. You only have to click on it to know if you are using an OV.
Extended Validation (EV) Certificate
The extended validation or EV certificate is the most advanced, since it offers the highest level of protection, and it is also the most expensive and the one that generates the greatest security among users.
Websites with this type of certificate will be saying that the brand behind it operates legally and collects all data legally. In fact, to obtain this type of certificate, the company behind the web must provide a large amount of data to guarantee its legality.
The EV is easily recognizable, since in the address bar there must be a padlock and the name of the company. Due to its high price, it is used by large companies or online stores, as well as organizations of a certain prestige.
It is very important to choose the type of certificate that best suits the type of website, otherwise the data of the users, even the content of the page itself, could be in danger.
How to check that websites have the SSL certificate
One of the most frequent questions among users is how to know if a website has an SSL certificate or not.
Any website that has an SSL certificate must have:
A URL address that begins with https:// and not with http://: this is one of the most characteristic and also most appreciable elements. In some browsers the complete url does not appear, so you must click on it to view it. We also want to highlight that Google Chrome warns the user that they are trying to enter a non-secure web page when it is http://.
The lock next to the url:
there is another very distinctive element that indicates whether the connection is secure or not, the lock that is located on the left side of the url bar. All browsers show this element that, in addition, clicking on it gives information about the type of SSL certificate.
We recommend that, as a first step, you check that the url contains the s, which means safe. The second step should be to check that the padlock appears and find out what type of security that web page offers to know how secure the data that is entered will be.
What websites need an SSL certificate?
Although any website should have an SSL certificate to transmit security and trust to the user, those that handle sensitive data is practically mandatory. In fact, there is a series of information that is considered confidential and that every website must protect in order not to violate the data protection law. This information is:
- Passwords: those web pages where it is necessary to register and establish an access password.
- Personal data: on any site where the name, surname, postal address, email, telephone number or other personal data must be entered.
- Financial data: this type of data is usually requested on shopping websites. Likewise, any website that asks for bank information, be it the credit card number or the bank account number, must be protected by at least an OV certificate.
- Legal documents and contracts: hey are a type of documents that contain personal data, as well as other confidential information, hence they must also be protected.
When a website does not have an SSL certificate, it is more vulnerable to computer attacks. Hence, users are wary, since their data could be misused. So those people or brands that have a web page, it is important that they take into account that an SSL certificate is not only necessary when it is a shopping website, but in any in which there is compromised data.
Advantages of obtaining an SSL certificate in ecommerce
Having an SSL certificate installed in the hosting is practically essential, but even so there are some clear advantages for the owner of the web, be it a person or a brand.
The first advantage, and also the clearest one, is confidence. When a user accesses a web page, whether they have to enter personal data or not, they will trust those that have an SSL certificate much more. In fact, it has been proven that many users leave the web when the browser warns that it is not a secure page. So having it would also lead to increased web traffic.
In the case of an online shopping website, having an SSL certificate gives the customer enough security to enter data as sensitive as their credit card number. This means that sales will increase and, consequently, also income.
In addition to security, a Secure Sockets Layer certificate gives authenticity to the site. That is, it is a way of demonstrating to the user that this website is official and legal.
Finally, a secure page wins in positioning compared to those that are not. Search engines like Google value user security, so they take SSL certificates into account. In addition, as we have mentioned, there are users who leave the web when a message appears indicating that it is not a safe site, and these abandonments penalize positioning.
We can conclude, then, that an SSL certificate is essential for a website or blog, especially when personal data must be entered, whether bank or not. Bearing in mind that there are different types of certificate, for those websites that are not for purchases, it will be enough to have the basic one, while for those with more sensitive data, a more advanced one must be used. It is important to take the latter into account, depending on the type of website, one type of certificate or another will have to be chosen or, otherwise, the data could be in equal danger.