Our daily activities are increasingly shifting to the Internet. Think of it this way: nowadays you can buy a gift on the Internet or even do your shopping online. This is one of the reasons why it is extremely important for you as a user to be able to surf safely online. To do this securely, we install an SSL certificate. In this blog you can read why an SSL certificate is so important.
What is an SSL certificate?
SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer. Nowadays we work with a successor called TLS (Transport Layer Security), but colloquially we still call it SSL.
This layer provides a secure connection between the Internet browser and the server on which the Web site resides. You can best compare this to walking through customs at the airport.
Why do you use an SSL certificate?
As the owner of a website or web shop, you want to make your visitors feel as confident as possible. By using an SSL certificate for the website, you encrypt all data before it is sent over the Internet.
If you have a website that processes personal data, for example, you even have to offer a secure connection. If you don't, you'll see a notification on the screen that the website is not secure, and thus you'll lose a lot of potential customers.
Moreover, Google is crazy about installed SSL certificates, of which you have several types. This will get you a better rating from Google, which means you may be ranked higher in search results than your (direct) competition.
What does an SSL certificate cost?
The cost of an SSL certificate can be prohibitive. You can purchase a certificate from larger agencies such as GlobalSign starting at 179 euros per year, but you can also get an SSL certificate for free from LetsEncrypt.
In both cases the certificate is good and our choice would be LetsEncrypt. Partly because of this, we give all our customers a free SSL certificate for their website and/or web shop.