An important consideration while setting up a website for your business is to ensure that it is secure and that the data provided by its visitors remains safe. This can be done by choosing VPS plans or buying shared hosting plans that include an SSL certificate for your website which indicates that your site is secure.  An SSL certification builds a foundation of consumer confidence and encourages them to provide information without any doubts or concerns.

What is SSL Certification and How Does It Work?

The SSL certificate is a protocol for the servers and the web browsers and ensures that the data passed between the two is secure and private. This is achieved by the use of an encrypted link connecting the server and the browser. The certification was first developed by Netscape in 1995 for ensuring that communication done over the internet remained private and could be authenticated. 

The encrypted link between the server and the browser ensures that no one besides the user and the website can see or access the information inputted. The need for such certification is felt by websites that seek personal information like email addresses, payment information, etc from their users.  Visitors are assured that your website is secure when they see the padlock and https:// in its address.

Benefits of SSL

Some major benefits of getting an SSL certificate for your website are:

• Enhanced Security– SSL certificates are a must for ensuring that your website is secure and the data communicated over it remains private. HTTPS which includes SSL and TLS encrypts data in transit making it difficult for someone to intercept and tamper with it. This plays an important role in building visitors’ trust in your website.
• Better Search Engine Ranking– Another reason to get an SSL certificate is that popular internet browsers like Google and Firefox display a Not secure warning in the website URL bar for websites not having SSL. This tends to dissuade visitors from visiting your website 
• Safety for all Sub-domains– Certain SSL certificates allow you to secure your main site as well as all its subdomains. Check the type of certification included in your hosting plan.
• Allow Safe Payments– Having an SSL certification is mandatory for websites accepting online payments from users. Any online store or website seeking payments needs to first ensure that the banking and other financial details of its customers are safe and an SSL certificate helps in ensuring that.
• Customer Trust– The certification indicates that your website is secure thereby boosting visitor trust in your website. The display of a security padlock in the address bar indicates that the connection is secure while passing a message to the visitors that you take their privacy seriously.
• SEO Advantages– Having an SSL certificate ensures that you get a better ranking on the search engine pages. Several search engines label sites that do not have SSL certification as unsafe thereby dissuading visitors.

The simplest way to get an SSL certificate is to check with your hosting services provider. When you buy shared hosting or choose VPS hosting in India, go for plans that include the SSL certificate. This will help you keep your site safe and secure from cyber criminals besides reassuring target customers about the safety of their information.