What Every Business Should Know About SSL Certificates
It’s normal to focus on creating a beautiful and user-friendly website, but do you know if your site is secure?
This article will walk you through everything you need to know about keeping your site secure with a website SSL certificate. We’ll explain what they are, how they work, how to get one installed, and why they're essential for every business website.
What Is an SSL Certificate?
An SSL certificate, or Secure Sockets Layer certificate, is a digital certificate that authenticates your website's identity and enables an encrypted connection between your web server and a visitor's browser.
There are three types of SSL Certificates:
Domain Validation (DV)
Organization Validation (OV)
Extended Validation (EV)
For small and medium-sized businesses, having an SSL certificate for a website is now non-negotiable. In addition to building trust with visitors, Google has made HTTPS a ranking factor, meaning sites without SSL certificates are at a disadvantage in search results.
Beyond SEO SEO benefits, customers expect secure connections, especially when making purchases or sharing personal information.
An SSL certificate is also a trust signal – to both your visitors and Google. It indicates that a trusted third-party organization has verified your site and confirmed it belongs to you, not an imposter trying to steal customer information.
How Do SSL Certificates Work?
Understanding how website SSL certificates work doesn't require a computer science degree, but knowing the basics can help you appreciate why they're so important. Here’s a quick breakdown:
When a visitor comes to your website, their browser and your web server engage in what's called an "SSL handshake.” During this process, their browser requests a secure connection, and your server responds by sending a copy of your SSL certificate and a public key.
The browser then verifies that the SSL certificate is valid, hasn't expired, and was issued by a trusted Certificate Authority.
Once everything is confirmed, the browser uses the public key to encrypt a randomly generated session key and sends it back to the server.
Your server then uses its private key to decrypt your information.
From that point forward, all data transmitted between the browser and server is encrypted, creating a secure channel that protects sensitive information from eavesdroppers.
How to Apply an SSL Certificate
Do you want to know how to apply an SSL certificate? Here are the steps:
Choose the right type of SSL certificate for your needs.
Purchase it from a trusted Certificate Authority like DigiCert, Comodo, or Let's Encrypt. You can also typically obtain an SSL certificate through your website builder, such as Squarespace or GoDaddy.
Generate a Certificate Signing Request (CSR) on your web server and submit it to the Certificate Authority.
After a quick verification process, you'll receive the SSL certificate files.
Install your SSL certificate. This process varies by your web hosting platform and server type, but typically involves uploading the certificate files and configuring your server to use them.
Once installed, update your website settings to require all traffic to use HTTPS instead of HTTP.
Test your SSL installation to ensure there are no errors, mixed content warnings, or security vulnerabilities.
Regularly monitor your SSL certificate to stay on top of expiration dates and other factors.
While some business owners like to handle this process themselves, others prefer to hand it off to a professional to ensure it’s configured correctly. A single mistake during SSL installation can leave security gaps, cause browser warnings, or even make your website inaccessible, problems that can be costly to fix and damaging to your reputation.
Why Your Business Website Needs SSL
Having a website SSL certificate is a best practice that protects your business on multiple fronts.
From a security standpoint, SSL certificates are a must. They encrypt all data exchanged between your website and its visitors, including login credentials, payment information, contact form submissions, and personal details. Without encryption, this information travels across the internet in plain text, making it vulnerable to interception by hackers who can use it for identity theft, financial fraud, or other malicious purposes.
SSL certificates have also become a critical factor in search engine optimization. Google never wants to send its users to an unsafe website, which is why HTTPS is now a ranking signal. While SSL alone won't catapult you to the top of Google, it's part of the foundation of a well-optimized website.
Additionally, even if your business is completely trustworthy, if your certificate has expired, most browsers will flag it and display a warning. This warning will deter customers from visiting your site before they even open it. Not only will this tank your conversion rates, but it can also cause you to lose customers and damage your reputation.
TL;DR – SSL certificates are required to conduct business online successfully!
How a Web Design Maintenance Package Can Help
While obtaining an SSL certificate is important, maintaining it over time is equally critical. That’s where a web design maintenance package becomes invaluable.
SSL certificates don't last forever. They expire after a set period, typically one year. If your certificate expires, visitors will see frightening security warnings that can bring your online business to a halt.
A web design maintenance package ensures:
Regular SSL certificate monitoring
Proactive renewal
Regular security scans to detect vulnerabilities
Updates to keep your SSL configuration aligned with current best practices
Troubleshooting when issues arise
Technology evolves quickly, and security protocols that were considered safe a few years ago may now have known vulnerabilities. Having experts monitor your website's security means you're protected against emerging threats without having to stay on top of technical developments yourself.
Protect Your Website and Data with HeiPro Digital
SSL certificates have evolved from a nice-to-have feature to an absolute necessity for every business website. They protect your customers' sensitive data, boost your search engine rankings, and build the trust that's essential for online success. But SSL isn't something you can set up once and forget about. It requires ongoing attention, timely renewals, and staying current with evolving security standards.
That's exactly why HeiPro Digital offers comprehensive web design maintenance packages that take SSL management off your plate. We handle everything from initial implementation to ongoing monitoring, renewals, and security updates, ensuring your website remains secure without requiring you to become a technical expert.
Don't let SSL certificates become another item on your already-full to-do list. Whether you're launching a new website or need to secure an existing one, HeiPro Digital's web design services provide the expertise and ongoing support your business deserves.
Your online presence is too important to leave to chance. Partner with HeiPro Digital to build and maintain a website that's not only beautiful and effective but also secure and trustworthy.