How to Get an SSL Certificate

What is an SSL Certificate?

An SSL Certificate is a cryptographic key that is bound to your details. When you install it onto your web server, this cryptographic key then allows secure connections to occur from your server to a browser, ensuring the data is protected for both you and the user.

More importantly, this domain certificate is the standard for securing data transfers, particularly during credit card transactions, logins, and data transfers. Users know and can recognise when a website has an SSL Certification due to the padlock and HTTPS next to your URL.Why Do You Need One?

You need an SSL Certificate in order to:

• Secure data between servers and browsers.
• Increase your ranking on Google’s SERPs.
• Be Trustworthy.
• Increase conversionA conversion is a desirable result on a website that leads to an action such as completing an order, filling out a form, or simply clicking on a link. rates.

How To Get SSL Certificate Today

To obtain an SSL certificate on your domain, you will need to buy one as they are only used from trusted Certificate Authorities. You can get this certificate, for example, from Go Daddy, a popular third-party hosting site. You will need to:

• Generate a Certificate Signing Request (CSR) which indicates which server you will use and which domain names you want to be certified.
• Request an SSL Certificate, available after you purchase your certificate. On Go Daddy, this means going to SSL Certificates > Set Up > New Certificate.
• Verify your certificate, by validating all the required information, depending on the type of certificate. The most common certificate is Standard Assurance, though there is also Deluxe Assurance, Extended Validation, and Code & Driver Signing.
• Verify Domain Ownership, done by following the instructions from your Certificate Authority.

The type of certificate you want will change what you will need to do in order to have it issued, and how long it will take. The Premium extended validation (EV) SSL certificate, for instance, will light the URL bar green to make it more obvious to users your site is secure, but will take longer than the standard certificate to issue.

Regardless of what kind of SSL certificate works for you, ensure you have one. It is important for your, and your customers’, safety.