Ecommerce businesses today are found to make a beeline for dedicated hosting because this will give them access to a unique IP address and a private SSL certificate. The private SSL or Secure Socket Layer certificate is a must-have for these websites because they need to accept customer credit cards. So, they handle a lot of client-related sensitive financial data. In short, these websites will require additional security or protection from hackers and cyber threats. The private SSL certificate will help to keep all this sensitive data secure and confidential by encrypting this information. It will also activate secure locks in the web browser.
The first step to get a private SSL certificate is to get a dedicated IP address. A dedicated IP address indicates that your website is the only site which uses that particular address. It cannot be shared with any other website, as in a shared hosting environment. Ecommerce sites will require dedicated IP addresses and should look for quality web hosts which will offer them a dedicated IP address and a private SSL.
Why are dedicated IP address and SSL certificates important for ecommerce sites?
With the IoT or Internet of Things gradually making its presence felt in our daily lives, it has brought about many changes in the way in which individuals and businesses look at security. As the numbers of data theft cases have increased in the last few years, the need to implement extra rigorous security measures to prevent these occurrences has also gone up. It is vital for online businesses to protect the information they obtain from their buyers. But, protecting yourself from hackers and malware which are strong enough to penetrate firewalls is not an easy task in any way. Businesses may not know how to deal with these threats independently, but they are aware that the first step is to get a private SSL certificate.
Why is the SSL certificate vital?
The SSL certificate is nothing but an electronic protocol. It is designed to make communications across computer networks completely secure. This is done by ensuring that content which is delivered is obtained from only an authentic sender. So, when you carry out transactions with reputed retailers like Amazon, you do not have to worry about getting scammed and cheated. Businesses may choose from different types of SSL certifications and they will accordingly have to undergo different screening and testing stages before the certificates are installed.
How to know is a site has SSL certification:
The best way for consumers to know whether a site has proper SSL certification is to look for a green color on the address bar. This is indicative of a higher level of security screening which is called Extended Validation. When customers can view this they can be certain that data in their emails, payment transactions etc will be protected against unauthorized access. They will also be assured that when they are making online purchases, the retailer they are dealing with has genuine third party players.
How to get the SSL certificates:
When you have chosen a vendor for this purpose, you can proceed to pay for the certification. Each company will have its unique rules and once the payments are made, you will get to know verification processes will be carried out. Usually the certificates do not take very long to be approved but there are times when they may be delayed depending on how complex your business is and how you plan on using the certificate. Once it has been approved, you may install it and then start connecting through secure web protocols.
What are the key benefits of using a SSL certificate for your business?
There is no denying the fact that your buyers will want their private information to be kept discreet when they are shopping on your website. When you can show that your site is SSL certified, you will get more buyers because viewers know that your business values online safety and identity theft protection. This helps to consolidate customer trust in your enterprise.
Incidentally, Google also attacked a lot of importance to this feature when ranking its websites. Initially this factor is not going to be as crucial as other factors such as page loading speeds or high quality content, the significance is expected to grow as time passes.
Need for a dedicated IP address:
Like the SSL certificate, the IP address is also a must have for any ecommerce site. To understand its worth, it is necessary to know what it does. The IP address for any website will work almost like a post code or zip code and this means that many sites can actually share an IP address. When you have signed up for shared hosting, you will be forced to share the IP address with many other co-users. But, when you pay for a dedicated IP address, it implies that the address is exclusively reserved for your enterprise. It cannot be used by any other company and you will be in complete control of who will be authorized to use it. without a dedicated server hosting IP, you cannot get a private SSL certificate.