Why do you need a SSL certificate?
From end of January 2017 Google will start labeling websites that do not have an SSL certificate as “not secure”. This " not secure"-message will be shown in the Google search results in Chrome. This will most likely influence your SEO rankings although, as usual, Google doesn't confirm nor denies this.
A visitor to your website will notice the website is not secure and might (will) therefore hesitate in using all functions on your website like contact formst, buy products, register, subscribe to your mailing lists or access client portals.
What is the function of a SSL certificate?
When you visit a website your internet browser connects to the website you visit. Any information that is transferred during this visit is not protected without a SSL certificate. SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer, the protocol which provides the encryption.
The SSL certificate makes sure that all transferred information between visitor and the website is encrypted. This encryption protects any data that is being transferred, whether it is payment information or login details.
But even if you do not ask for this kind of information from your visitors, Google will label your website as not secure in the Chrome webrowser. So probably all websites do need this SSL certificate in the course of 2017. All other browsers like Firefox, Internet Explorer and Apple Safari will follow Chromes strategy and will therefore also show that a website is not secure.
Learn more about SSL certificates in this short article.
What does Google say?
From the Google security blog is the following text:
To help users browse the web safely, Chrome indicates connection security with an icon in the address bar. Historically, Chrome has not explicitly labelled HTTP connections as non-secure. Beginning in January 2017 (Chrome 56), we’ll mark HTTP pages that collect passwords or credit cards as non-secure, as part of a long-term plan to mark all HTTP sites as non-secure.
Read more on the Google support page.
How to get an SSL certificate?
There are different levels of SSL with different coverages and uses available. See the table below to see which one you need to have for your website. As a rule: most websites do not need more than the Essential package. Only if your website processes online payment you need the Extended package. The Instant package offers extra information about your company in the certicate.
| Essential SSL | Instant SSL | Extended SSL | |
| In URL |  |
|
 |
| Garantee | $ 10.000 | $ 10.000 | $ 250.000 |
| Company information in certificate | No | Yes | Yes |
| Subdomains included | Yes 1 | Yes 1 | Yes 1 |
| Validation of company information | No | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile support | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Application of certificate | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Validation on server | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Update | Annual | Annual | Annual |
| Price per year | € 124,95 HT | € 134,95 HT | € 274,95 HT |
How can we help?
We can help you select the best SSL package for your website. We will then order it and make sure it is installed and validated on the server where you site is being hosted. Call us, send an email and we will proceed with the necessary actions to secure your website as soon as possible.