Web Design Tips:-

SSL Certificates (Secure Socket Layer)

Browsing the web a short time ago I came across an article (from Techspot Aug 14) about how to give a search-ranking boost to your website whilst using encrypted HTTPS connections. Increased Search Rankings - I just had to read!

"Google search rankings are a crucial metric for any business that wants to be seen online... after a stream of security breaches over the past few years, the company is using that incredible influence it wields on the web to make it a bit safer for all, tying its search rankings to sites' use of HTTPS encryption." Safety and security is good.

This is getting a bit Technical but please don't give up yet!

A trip to the linked blog post from Google webmaster trends (Zineb Ait Bahajji and Gary Illyes) saw advices given "that Google have been running trials over the past few months to test the use of secure, encrypted connections as a signal in search ranking algorithms, and Google is already rewarding sites that use HTTPS with a slightly higher ranking in searches." Great, a higher search ranking - Nice.

To secure your HTTPS Protocols you need to purchase an SSL Certificate.

Now, I don't know about you but my head is now starting to hurt:-

HTTP - Hyper Text Transfer Protocol
HTTPS - Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure
SSL - Secure Socket Layers

What does this all mean???? Here it is in plain English for those of you who are not technically minded.

Take the above two tunnels - let's say one goes to Wellington City and the other to Porirua. Both tunnels are initially unsecured i.e. traffic can go in and out at will. (HTTP)

We decide that we want to make the Porirua tunnel secured. To do this we would call the City Council and get them to install gates and a padlock on both the entrances to the tunnel to check everything that goes through. This would then mean that the Porirua tunnel is now secured. (HTTPS)

The traffic going through the tunnels is like the two-way data traffic on your computer and the police (in the web case) is the SSL Certificate. This verifies that:-

(a) Clients can have confidence that you have been verified as having safety protocols in place.
(b) Any data your client enters is encrypted to ensure both the safety of your client's information and to stop anyone from trying to access that data without permission.

For those clients with a BigCommerce store:
With the purchase of your own SSL Certificate not only do you get the advantages as listed above, you will also receive the additional benefit that your customers will stay on your website for the entire checkout process enabling you to obtain all the statistics from viewing to sale.

I have to say it all sounds really positive to purchase your own SSL Certificate for your business.

To further explain in simple language visit our website help article on what is an SSL certificate.

Contact us to purchase and install a SSL certificate for your website.

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