Does My Website Need a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) Certificate?

An SSL certificate creates an encrypted connection designed to protect sensitive information.  You know you are on a website that has an SSL certificate when you see https:// in the URL bar.

We always recommend SSL certificates for websites that process financial transactions or collect personal information. This includes all e-commerce websites. Because of recent changes by Google, we are now recommending SSL for every business website.

As of July 2018, the web browser Google Chrome will more prominently identify websites that do not have an SSL certificate.  Visitors will now see the words “not secure” next to the URL of websites that do not have a properly configured SSL certificate.

Because this could act as a deterrent to anyone visiting a website using Google Chrome, we recommend that all websites have an SSL certificate, even if they do not process financial transactions, sell products or request personal information.  Although Google Chrome is the only browser that is changing the way it handles websites without an SSL, we expect the rest (i.e. Safari, Firefox, Edge, etc.) to eventually follow suit.

If your website does not have an SSL certificate, don’t worry, we can completely set it up for you.  The cost to implement SSL is usually less than $100 per year.

Have additional questions about an SSL certificate or websites in general?  Feel free to call or e-mail us.