As a small business owner you already know there are many advantages to e-commerce (online shopping). You can reach millions of consumers and not have to travel far and wide to satisfy customers. No doubt e-commerce has made our lives easier, but both the consumer and the business owner want safety and security when shopping online. Secure connections and transfers of information are made possible with something called an SSL Certificate.

What is an SSL Certificate?

SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer; this technology makes an encrypted connection between your web server and the visitors' web browser. This technology allows for private information to be transferred from the consumer to the business with a secured connection. Things like data tampering, message forgery and identity theft are all at risk when a transaction occurs online.

An SSL Certificate is something you definitely want to have if you're in the e-commerce business. When an SSL certificate is installed on your website you will typically see the secure padlock icon. Doing this will ensure customers that your website will keep their information safe throughout the entire transaction.

Google SSL Requirement

We've done some research and it appears that soon Google will require all websites with Logins and/or Payment Portals to have an SSL Certificate. While it's best to have this technology on your side, Google plans to make it a requirement. Soon Google will notify its users that no SSL certificates means a lower page rank.

Your business will be harder to find because it will be seen as the less secure and legitimate option. The number of customers that come to your site will suffer greatly due to this change. With this knowledge you can start your process towards a more secure website.

Who should have an SSL Certificate?

If your belongs in the following categories this is information for you:

• Accepts payment information
• Has PII (personal identifying information)
• Uses medical information
• Has a secured section (not admin, but user account-related secured section.

All transactions with your customer should be private if the information exchanged is listed above. When the business day ends you want to be sure you've provided a secure environment for transactions and communication.

Conclusion

You don't want your business to be forgotten by Google. Higher ranks on the search engine means more potential customers. Be secure, SSL Certificates protect your loyal customers from harm and encourage new customers to use your site.