If you run an ecommerce site, you probably already understand the importance of having SSL (Secure Socket Layer) protection on your site to protect your customers’ information when they submit orders for your products. Many payment portals require SSL to be present and installed on your server and website in order to even function, so it’s likely you’ve already purchased an SSL license that keeps your site safe.
But what you may not know is that even if you don’t sell a product online, it’s important now to have an SSL installed for your website. Recently, Google changed the game with their search engine by giving more weight in their search results to those sites with SSL encryption present. What this means for you on a practical level is that, even if you had a good Google score before and were likely to show up on the first page of search results, this may no longer be the case if you don’t have SSL protection. Google and other search engines are raising SSL-protected sites higher in their rankings because those sites are more secure and therefore assumed to be more trustworthy and safe.
If you’re priced SSL licenses, you know how confusing that particular marketplace can be. There are several different types of SSL licenses, ranging from basic to premium and beyond. You’ve seen the price tags associated with SSL licenses and probably found them to be off-putting, at best. Most webhosts now offer SSL licenses, with the most basic usually starting at $75 or higher and going as high as nearly $400 on the high end. For most websites, these prices are prohibitive, especially if you’re simply running a small website that doesn’t sell any kind product of any kind.
Fortunately, there is a solution. Let’s Encrypt is a service that provides free SSL licenses to anyone with a domain name. The philosophy behind this is to provide a more safe, secure, and private web experience. It has the added benefit of fulfilling Google’s search requirements, restoring the weight of your score and boosting your visibility in their search results.
The only caveat to this is that, while Let’s Encrypt provides SSL licenses free of charge, your webhost may charge a small fee to install the license. The upside to this is that this fee is generally still far less than it would cost to purchase the license directly from your host.
Acquiring and installing the SSL license can be a little tricky, particularly if you’re not necessarily web savvy. This is where we come in. Dragonspire Media provides installing SSL security as a new service and we will begin bundling this into all web design projects we do moving forward. If you already have a website and want to add SSL protection and security, please contact us for a quote. We’re more than happy to take care of all the details of acquiring an SSL license for you and installing it so you don’t have to give it a second thought.