WEBSITE SECURITY AND SSL CERTIFICATES

An SSL certificate allows a website to use HTTPS. When a site is served over HTTPS, the certificate encrypts the connection between the site and its visitors. One Step Design offers SSL as an optional hosting feature and recommends it particularly for e-commerce websites. Its main benefit is secure data transfer and visitor trust, not a guaranteed boost to search rankings.

Why Does Website Security Matter?

In light of the Tesco Bank hack (November 2016), in which between 20,000 and 40,000 people had their accounts compromised, website security is again in the news. Although this is a high profile case there are many more instances that happen daily and either aren't detected, aren't publicly disclosed or aren't reported on, for various reasons.

Security is a critical part of any kind of web application, and should be taken seriously, otherwise you leave your clients’ data in jeopardy, and that can be bad for business.

What Does an SSL Certificate do?

Here at One Step Design our security measures have changed to meet the changing landscape and will continue to evolve to meet the needs of tomorrow. One of the major security products that we offer as an optional hosting feature is an SSL Certificate. This means that when a site is served over HTTPS, traffic between the server and the visitor is encrypted, and therefore someone able to view the traffic between the two systems will not be able to decrypt the information and retrieve any sensitive information. Your website visitors are now also more likely to check to see if your site is protected with an SSL certificate before entering their information.

Does HTTPS Help with Search Rankings?

The other benefit of using an SSL certificate is that Google announced in 2014 that they would be giving a ‘small’ ranking boost to sites using HTTPS, this could result in slightly higher search engine rankings, improving your website’s traffic.

Why do we Recommend SSL for E-commerce Sites?

We recommend all e-commerce sites implement SSL certificates to give their users a sense of trust and security which may in turn help give them confidence to make a purchase.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Does an SSL Certificate do?

It encrypts information sent over an HTTPS connection between a website and its visitors.

Does One Step Design Offer SSL?

Yes, as an optional feature with hosting. Ask us about adding it to your site.

Should an E-commerce Site Use SSL?

We recommend it, so that customers can see the connection is encrypted when they make a purchase.

Does SSL Improve Search Rankings?

Google announced in 2014 that HTTPS would be used as a ranking signal, a lightweight one (Google's 2014 announcement). SSL does not guarantee a higher position in search results.