Let’s start with the basics. A wildcard SSL certificate is a digital file that verifies the identity of your website and encrypts the data you send over it. This helps prevent theft and tampering of your information by third parties, which is crucial for protecting sensitive information like credit card numbers and login credentials.
An SSL certificate ensures that all traffic between your website and clients is encrypted and secure, including traffic from mobile devices. It also ensures that any personal information submitted through forms (such as credit card numbers) cannot be intercepted by intruders or other third parties who may be lurking on public Wi-Fi networks.
Commercial or Free Certificates?
Wildcard SSL certificates are a vital part of website security. They provide a layer of encryption between your site and the viewer, and they help prevent malicious hackers from accessing private data. But SSL certificates come at a cost that can be prohibitive for small businesses and startups.
Luckily, there are free options available! Organizations like Let’s Encrypt offer free DV-type SSL certificates to anyone who owns a website. This is great if you want primary site verification or if you’re just starting out on your journey to profitability.
It’s also possible to get free coverage through other service providers. For example, using Cloudflare as a Content Delivery Network (CDN) allows you to utilize their blanket SSL service – and all the perks that come with it!
Benefits of SSL Certificate
The following are the benefits of an SSL Certificate:
1. Improves trust with your visitors
SSL certificates provide an important layer of security for your site, and they can make a huge difference when it comes to improving trust with your visitors. In fact, a recent study found that over half of users who experience a security breach on their website will be less likely to return if they see an SSL certificate.
2. Reduces risk of phishing attacks
A survey conducted by Symantec found that half of American internet users have been victims of phishing attacks, and this number is growing every year. By including an SSL certificate on your site, you can significantly decrease the chance that a malicious hacker will be able to gain access to sensitive information like credit card numbers or social security numbers through a fake website.
3. Increases search engine rankings for your site
Another benefit of using an SSL certificate is that it helps improve search engine rankings for your site by making it easier for users who are looking for information about someone in particular (like “John Smith”) to find content related to them instead of having no idea what they’re looking for at all! It also helps improve the site’s security, which means it may rank higher in search results than other sites.
In the event that you’re hoping to work on the security of your site, an SSL certificate is the best approach. It protects your site from attacks by encrypting all of its content so that only those with a valid SSL certificate can see it. It also prevents phishing attacks, which occur when someone impersonates a legitimate site on the internet and tries to steal information from unsuspecting visitors.
SSL certificates help boost search engine rankings for your site as well because they improve the trustworthiness of your brand name or domain name by proving that it is safe and secure. They also help increase conversion rates, especially on mobile devices, by giving users a sense of security and confidence in their purchase decision when they visit a website with an SSL certificate.
