At the beginning of 2017 Google and other search engines will begin paying more attention to sites that are secured with SSL certificates. In the next few years sites that are not encrypted with an SSL certificate may even be blocked. It is especially important to have the extra layer of security that a SSL certificate provides when collecting information from your website visitors. If you are not careful, it can be rather easy to have personal and private information or even your entire website hijacked and fall into the wrong hands on the Internet. SSL encryption allows for secure connections from a web server to a browser and vice versa. Here are some FAQs:
Do I need to have an SSL certificate for my website?
Yes, if your site collects any information such as payment, email, and other personal details. Including promoting trust between you and your website visitors, you’ll get a nice search engine (SEO) boost.
Aren’t SSL certificates only necessary for e-commerce sites?
This used to be true, but not anymore. With the increase in cyber crime, having an SSL certificate is more important now. A SSL certificate provides a visible sign of confidence for your website visitors.
How can I tell if my website has an SSL certificate?
In the event that your site has a SSL certificate the url prefix will show as https rather than http. Your browser will likewise show a green lock alongside the url demonstrating that it’s protected.
Is an SSL certificate expensive and how can I go about purchasing one?
SSL certificates are very affordable. There are a number of free options such as Let’s Encrypt or Amazon Web Services. If you’re using Managed WordPress Hosting, you can purchase an SSL through your provider and they’re very easy to set up. There are a lot of pros and cons when choosing a free SSL vs. a paid one.
Any tips on setting up an SSL certificate myself?
Once you have your SSL certificate setup through whatever service provider are with, you’ll have to make a few adjustments to your site. The first thing we do is install Better Search and Replace or similar tool/plug-in and find/replace all http://yourdomain.com with https://yourdomain.com. If you’re lucky this will be enough. A lot of times you’ll have third party links or assets on your site like google fonts which use http in their urls. This mixed content will prevent the green lock from showing. If so, you’ll want to install Really Simple SSL which will take care of the mixed content most of the time. The last step is to update Google Analytics and Webmaster tools to reflect your new url. Contact your support staff for assistance.
Is there a way I can have someone set up my site with SSL for me?
Totally! Contact your website specialist or our support staff at Jordan Creative and you’ll be up and secure in no time.
