What Is an SSL Certificate?
SSL is Secure Sockets Layer but what does this actually mean? In its simplest terms it is the method by which information is protected when being transmitted between the server and browser and back again. SSL encrypts the information with an unbreakable key which means that no one else other than those that are meant to be able to read, can.
When information is transmitted on the internet from the browser on your computer to the server on which an ecommerce or other site is hosted it may make several hops through other servers. Without encryption the information being sent could be intercepted and read during any of those hops. SSL encrypts and protects that information so that no one else can read it.
Setting up an e-commerce site is therefore far more complex than just building a website. You can hire Ruby on Rails developer talent that can turn out the best performing site, but if your visitors cannot use your site securely then your business will suffer. You must consider more than just the different technologies and languages that you will use in your website, if you cannot make the site secure then you are never going to convince visitors to use your site.
A website needs to purchase an SSL certificate from a trusted provider. They will only issue the certificate to a verified company or site to protect consumers from sites that could be only out there to steal their information.
So when you hire Ruby developers to create your ecommerce site you need to ensure that they fully understand the need for your SSL certificate.
Why Do Ecommerce Websites Need to Implement SSL Certificates?
Your Ruby developer must ensure that you have an SSL certificate for your ecommerce website. Without one your business is going to fail to make the sales that you would otherwise expect. Their Ruby developer salary will have been wasted if no one will use your site as they simply do not trust it.
So what are the main reasons for your Ruby on Rails developer to implement an SSL certificate?
- Trust: using SSL is not just one of those eCommerce trends that needs to be followed. Users expect your site to be secure. When you have SSL installed on your website the start of the address will change from HTTP to HTTPS, the “S” meaning secure. The address bar will also turn green or a padlock icon will be shown. This informs the user that your site uses SSL encryption and that any transaction will be safe. Many browsers such as Chrome will warn anyone trying to navigate to a non-secure website without SSL certification, this will be enough for the average user to avoid your site.
- Rankings: where your site appears in the rankings on the various search engines such as Google relies on a number of different signals. The use of an SSL certificate is a major signal when it comes to eCommerce websites. Without an SSL certificate it is unlikely that your website will have any chance of appearing in the first page of any searches. This is true for all websites and the use of SSL will boost your rankings over sites that do not have it.
- Prevents Phishing: often a website will be set up to look like another that is well known and trusted so that the unscrupulous owners will be able to steal user’s information. It is highly unlikely that the site created will be able to gain an SSL certificate so they are now much harder to set up and easier to spot.
- Ability to accept a credit card: before you can accept credit card on your site you must be sure that you comply with the Payment Card Industry requirements (PPI). One of those requirements is now the possession of SSL certification on your site and its proper use.
- Improved conversion rates: potential purchasers sent to your website are more likely to buy if your site is secure. Failure to implement SSL will put many off from making a purchase as they simply will not be comfortable using your site and will probably go to a competitor to get what they need.
- Information is encrypted: lastly and of course most importantly, any information that is sent between your browser and the server and vice versa is completely secure. It is impossible to break the encryption that is provided through SSL and only the server with the correct SSL certificate will have the key to read the information. This means that any user’s credit card and other details are safe from being stolen during any transactions.
You Should Be Using an SSL Certificate on Your Site
Online sales are worth more than 500 billion dollars in the US alone, which is why so many people want to build an online store. Without SSL however, your online store is unlikely to be able to compete successfully or make the sales that you would hope for. Your Ruby on rails developer salary needs to be earned by ensuring that an SSL certificate is provided with the site.
Only those sites that have a minimum of SSL certification are going to survive and thrive in the online marketplace. With more than 2 billion people making purchases online that is a huge market place not to be part of for the want of a simple SSL certificate on your site.
Cyber Security Researcher. Information security specialist, currently working as risk infrastructure specialist & investigator. He is a cyber-security researcher with over 25 years of experience. He has served with the Intelligence Agency as a Senior Intelligence Officer. He has also worked with Google and Citrix in development of cyber security solutions. He has aided the government and many federal agencies in thwarting many cyber crimes. He has been writing for us in his free time since last 5 years.
