Learn About SSL Certificates from Web Developers in Austin

Austin TX

31 May, 2022

10:02 AM

Description

Photo by Muhammad Zaqy Al Fattah on Unsplash Take a look at the browser on this web page. Do you see the padlock icon? That means that this site is secure. In order to get that icon, you need to have an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate. This is something you will have to regularly renew, either with your web developer in Austin or through another site. The job of an SSL certificate is to authenticate your website’s identity by creating a secure connection through an encrypted link. Every organization needs to be able to keep customer information private if they want to be seen as credible. Otherwise, their browser will probably show a warning message. They won’t feel comfortable inputting their personal information into your forms, and that means fewer conversions for you. Now that you know what an SSL certificate is, let’s explore more of what it means to have one. A web developer in Austin will tell you that having an SSL certificate will improve the transfer of data as it is sent over the connection. If you are handling the credit card information of your customers, you don’t want to risk a hacker compromising any data. Not only would it be bad for your customers who now have to contact their banks about shutting down their cards, but it will also be a hit to your reputation. They more than likely wouldn’t trust buying from your website again. The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) was created for this very reason. It’s a set of security standards that credit card companies mandate to ensure that transactions will happen safely. This is especially important for e-commerce websites to be aware of, considering your business is dependent on making those online sales. But SSL is not just for e-commerce sites anymore. It’s a modern standard for all types of websites. And this trend is led by the authors of the web browser software we use, by search engines, and by security organizations. Google knows just how important it is for sites to be secure. Because of that, it frowns upon those that seem sketchy. Since 2014, it has even considered SSL certificates as a ranking factor. When you install an SSL certificate, you are able to improve the security profile of the site and the opportunity to rank higher in search results. Web developers in Austin know that this is one of the most critical SEO factors because of how it can impact your user experience and conversion rate. It’s important to realize that SSL certificates are not just installed once and forgotten forever. You must stay on top of the expiration date of your SSL certificate so that you don’t wind up on Google’s bad side. The easy way to check this is by clicking the padlock icon. In some browsers, you can click on “Connection is secure” and “Certificate is valid.” A box will pop up to show the date you purchased it and when renewal will be necessary. Or you can ask the web hosting company that you bought your SSL certificate from. Any web developer in Austin will agree that every Austin business website should have an SSL certificate. If you have been holding off on getting one, this is your sign! You could be losing the business of those who have opted not to trust your site, but otherwise would have made a purchase or further looked through your pages. That, in itself, shows just how worth it they can be.