Is an SSL certificate necessary for a small e-commerce business? Let’s break it down. What an SSL certificate does is it protects any communication between a server and its client. By installing SSL, all data is encrypted. Put simply, information can only be decrypted by its intended recipient. This means that sensitive user details such as IDs, passwords, credit card information and others are safe from hackers. 

SSL also comes in handy when it comes to providing authentication. Without verifying anyone’s identification, web security goes out the window. In today’s world, the internet is growing increasingly deceptive. By using SSL certification, you’ll prevent nefarious activities from occurring on your website, and that will save you money in the long run.

You might be asking, “Why do I need an SSL certificate for my blog?” Well, if you own a website, you naturally want a better ranking on Google. By making your site HTTPs enabled, the chances of that happening is much higher. That’s because the search engine giant changed its algorithm to give websites with SSL certification an upper hand. 

In order for your website to receive online payments, it has to comply to Payment Card Industry (PCI) requirements. The PCI has a list of 12 primary conditions, and having an SSL certificate is one of them. 

Aside from encryption and authentication, SSL is also important because it makes your clients trust you more. It’s a sign that your website represents a legitimate entity. Nobody wants to conduct business with a party they do not trust.