SSL Certificate Importance, Different Options and Installation Guide

SSL certificate has become one of the basic requirements of a website. Its reason is that for business websites, it is necessary to receive and send payments and for general websites, it is necessary for better ranking. There are different kinds of SSL certificates are available.

SSL Certificate Importance, Different Options and Installation Guide

SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer. It is a digital certificate that ensures a secure link between a website and the browser of the visitor. SSL certificate ensures that the data that you will share with this website will be secure. SSL certificate secures your data with the help of SSL encryption and it prevents the hackers to steal your private information like credit card numbers, names, and addresses. If you have prepared an online website for the selling and buying of different products, SSL certificate is necessary for you because it is providing security to your website.

Importance of SSL certificate

There are lots of benefits of using an SSL certificate for a website. Some of them are explained below;

1) SSL protects data

One of the most important benefits of an SSL certificate is to protect the communication between the servers and clients. Its reason is that while installing an SSL certificate, all the information on your website is encrypted. According to Layman, SSL certificate will lock your data and intended recipients can only unlock that data because no one has the key to open it. The sensitive data on your website like credit card information will be protected from the mischievous behavior and activities of the hackers and skimmers.

2) SSL affirms your identity

Along with security, SSL certificate also provides authentication to a website. If your website is facing some security issues, SSL certificate will require identity verification step. In the past, before the SSL certificate, most of the people had lost thousands of dollars on fake websites. Its reason was that these websites were not secure without an SSL certificate. Later on, with the help of an SSL certificate, it is possible for visitors to differentiate between fake and reliable websites. While installing an SSL certificate, you will have to pass through a validation process. This validation process is set by the Certificate Authority. This Certificate Authority will identify your identity and the identity of your organization.

3) Better search engine ranking

As we know that Google makes lots of changing on its algorithms day by day. Nowadays, it is one of the most important changing in the algorithms of Google that such website will be preferred in ranking that has SSL certificate than other websites. Therefore, if we want to improve the ranking of our website, it should be HTTPS-enabled.

4) SSL helps you satisfy PCI/DSS requirements

If you are providing some services or you are selling some products on your website, you will have to enable online payment method. PCI complaint is one of the most important requirements of such website. The payment card industries have set 12 requirements for a website in order to accept online payment. In these 12 requirements, one is that your website should have an SSL certificate.

5) SSL improves customer trust

For a website owner, it is necessary to maintain the trust of the website visitors. From the customer trust point of view, an SSL certificate is one of the most important requirements of your website. With the help of the SSL certificate, the visitors feel it secure to send and receive data on this website. All you need is to provide necessary information about your website to the SSL certificate authority and they will visit your website. After visiting your website, if they feel that you are a legitimate customer, they will allow installing an SSL certificate on your website.

Options of SSL certificates to secure your website

If you are running a business website, it is necessary for you to build the trust of the customers. It is possible only if you have installed an SSL certificate on your website. The possible options of SSL certificate to secure your website are given below;

1) Extended validation certificates (EV SSL)

If you are looking for the highest ranked SSL certificate, EV SSL is the best choice for you. After installing this kind of certificate, you will see a padlock lock HTTPS along with your country name in the address bar. After seeing the information of the website owner on the address bar, it is easy for the visitors to distinguish the website from other malicious websites. This kind of certificate is used by the high profile websites that receive some identity assurance like payment methods. The best example of this kind of website is The Academic Papers UK.

2) Organization validated certificate (OV SSL)

OV SSL certificate is also just like EV SSL certificate because it is required by those organizations that want to encrypt the sensitive information of the users during the transactions. Like EV SSL certificate, OV SSL certificate will also show the information of the website owner on the address bar that is helpful for a visitor to distinguish this website from other malicious websites.

3) Domain validated certificate (DV SSL)

This kind of SSL certificate has low assurance and usually, this kind of SSL certificate is used by the informational websites or personal blog owners. The installing process for this kind of SSL certificate is also minimal. The website of blog owner just needs to identify the ownership of the domain by responding to an email or a phone call. DV SSL certificate is also less expensive and we can obtain it instantly. After installing this SSL certificate, the browser will show green padlock along with HTTPS.

4) Wildcard SSL certificate

With the help of Wildcard SSL certificate, it is easy for a person to secure a base domain along with lots of other subdomains. It is cheaper for us to buy a Wildcard SSL certificate than EV or OV SSL certificate. The main characteristic of a Wildcard SSL certificate is that it is using an asterisk*.

5) Multi-Domain SSL certificates

There are some people who are running lots of domains and they want to secure all of these domains with the help of SSL certificate. For them, Multi-domain SSL certificate is the best choice. Its reason is that this kind of SSL certificate can secure up to a hundred domains and their sub-domains. This kind of SSL certificate not only save their money but it can also save the precious time of the people.

6) Unified Communications Certificates (UCC)

If you want to secure a Microsoft Exchange or a Live Communication website, Unified Communications Certificate is the best choice for you. Like Multi-domain SSL certificate, this kind of certificate also allows us to secure lots of domains with the help of a single SSL certificate.

Tips to install SSL certificate

After getting enough idea about the importance and types of SSL certificates, the next step is to install this certificate on your website. In order to install an SSL certificate on your website, you just need to follow these simple steps;

1) Buy an SSL certificate

The first step to install an SSL certificate on your website is that you should have an SSL certificate. There are two ways to get an SSL certificate. First, you can get a free SSL certificate. Some free SSL certificate providers are Let’s encrypt, Comodo, CloudFlare, StartCom, SSL for free, GeoTrust and GoGetSSL etc. Anyhow, you can also buy an SSL certificate. The annual charges of using a paid SSL certificate for your website are from $50 to $200.

2) Install a certificate on the server

After purchasing an SSL certificate for your website, you can send a request to your website hosting provider to install your SSL certificate on your server. If your website is in WordPress, there is a possibility that you may be asked to install a Wordpress plugin to install the SSL certificate.

3) Prepare your website for SSL certificate

In order to use SSL certificate or HTTPS on your WordPress website, you will have to follow these simple steps;

If you are going to install an SSL certificate on a new website, you should try to update the URL of your website. On the other hand, if you are installing an SSL certificate on an old website, there is no need to update the URL of your website.
In order to update the URL of your website, you just need to go into the setting and click on the General. In the general setting, you will be able to see the updating field for your URL address field.
After that, you should try to update your website from HTTP to HTTPS. Now, you can see that the SSL certificate will be successfully installed on your website.

To Sum UP'

SSL certificate has become one of the basic requirements of a website. Its reason is that for business websites, it is necessary to receive and send payments and for general websites, it is necessary for better ranking. There are different kinds of SSL certificates are available. You can select one of them according to your requirements. Anyhow, you can also use a free SSL certificate for your website. After successfully installing an SSL certificate on your website, you will not only be able to improve the ranking of your website but you will also be able to increase the trust rate of the visitors.