There are a lot of people today that have set up a website and are now thinking about whether or not they should sell things online. One of the main concerns with online shopping is security, and that’s where having an SSL certificate comes into play. Before you jump into this world, first make sure that you understand that selling online can be a simple thing, but if you’re going to work within the confines of credit card processing, and a lot of transactions via sales, you’re going to have this fully in place with your webhost or you’re going to end up dealing with trouble down the road. Understanding what an SSL certificate is and how it works is the first major step to getting a site that is not going to get targeted by hackers.
The Security Issue
When someone comes to an ecommerce store and looks at purchasing items, they have to look at the security issue. The security issue that you’re going to run into at first, no matter what, is the payment. When someone is going to purchase something from you, their information is going through the internet to you. For most, this is an automatic type of transaction, as they assume your site is secure, but that’s not always the case. If you have installed a free shopping cart or have worked with PHP and connected a MYSQL database to collect information and transactions, you will find that there is a huge loophole in place. The information that the consumer provides is going to be easily found if there’s no SSL certificate in place. The SSL certificate essentially protects their information and does it on a very complicated scale.
The Lines of Defense
There are three major parts to having a SSL certificate installed and in place for your shopping site. You will find that the first major issue is the encryption of data. Credit card numbers, personal information, and more gets a full encryption so that if a hacker tries to pull the information straightway, they cannot. They will get a scrambled digital signature that will not help them do anything worthwhile.
The second line is more of a peace of mind issue. You’ll find that when you purchase a SSL certificate, you can advertise to your clients and customers that their information is safe and can guarantee it through the encryption information.
Security is at the helm of this third issue, and it’s a matter of coding, and structure in place. When you’re dealing with any type of shopping cart, the SSL certificate comes into place to protect information and secure your site as a whole. You will find that no matter what you’re doing overall, whether you’re selling digital wares or you have real inventory, you’re going to end up making serious moves that are 100% safe.
Are SSL certificates For Everyone?
This is a question that a lot of people have at first glance. The short answer is no. However, if you’re going to sell anything down the line, even if it is for donations or any sort of transaction you may have on your page, you will absolutely need to look into this. You will need to have a good SSL certificate in place if you’re going to get to sales online. No major website today has no protection, or has ditched the notion of an SSL certificate today. There is all sorts of encryption going on to keep consumer data safe and sound, and that’s a good thing.
If you’re not going to sell online however, and you never want to sell anything online, then you don’t need to purchase an SSL certificate. You just won’t have to, and that’s something that is quite interesting. If you want to process credit cards though, even if it’s in small amounts, bank on an SSL certificate from your web host or get left behind.
Where To Get AN SSL certificate
If you’re not sure where you’re going to get an SSL certificate, don’t panic. You’ll find that most web hosting companies will help you procure one. You can get it directly from them, or you can get some from a third party yourself. Once you have an SSL certificate in place, you can connect all the pieces for your ecommerce solution and start getting sales without having to worry about information getting stolen, or encryption issues. You’ll have all the right tools in place to gain serious leverage online. At the end of the day, that’s all that matters, safety, and leverage. Do not skip out on an SSL certificate when setting up a shopping cart.
