You, as a website owner, need to be your client’s ‘online-bodyguard’, especially if you are asking them to submit personal information via your website. They could be accessing your unprotected website with WiFi in a public place and not realizing that someone is ‘eavesdropping’ and stealing their private information that was requested from either a signup form or even worse, a purchase.

If you had a SSL Certificate it would create encrypted traffic and HTTPS is used to portray this. HTTPS means that the TLS (Transport Layer Security)* has been added to encrypt traffic travelling to and from your website. This encrypted traffic between your website’s server and your client’s browser (whether on a personal computer or mobile device), is indicated in the URL address bar of their browser as a HTTPS prefix and usually has a ‘locked padlock’ icon as well.

Not only is this used to ensure that personal information entered by your visitor, and any other communication, is encrypted – it also validates you as a business owner. This validation has nothing to do with the size of your business, but rather your professionalism and public image; it assures your website visitors that you are authentic (you are who you say you are) and that you have integrity by assuring their online safety is also your concern.

Did you know that it is estimated that more than 85% of internet users usually ignore security alerts?

Google themselves released a Security Blog stating that Google Chrome 56 would start indicating a site’s security connection with an icon in January 2017, which will actually state ‘Not secure’ next to the URL address. This ‘mark’ on your website page’s URL will specifically be on sites where sensitive information is collected without the validity of a SSL Certificate e.g. Password and Credit Card information.

This is only the beginning, as Google is out to ‘make the web secure’ for everyone and will continue this until they eventually use a red triangle icon with red ‘Not Secure’ text to really make sure that internet users notice an unsecure website.

Domains.co.za ensures that you can provide your customers and yourself peace of mind with both month-to-month and annual SSL Certificates. For our Hosting and Site Builder clients, we have the month-to-month Comodo Domain Validated SSL Certificate which you can access via your Control Panel. For all our other clients and Resellers, you can choose the most appropriate SSL Certificate for your business: Domain Validated Certificates and GeoTrust True BusinessID, EV & Wildcard SSL Certificates .

* TLS (Transport Layer Security) is the successor of the original SSL (Secure Sockets Layer)

Chantel Venter

Chantél Venter is a creative writer, strategic thinker, and a serious gesticulator. She’s passionate about storytelling, small businesses and bringing color to the world ­– be it through her words or wardrobe.

She holds a four-year degree in Business and Mass Media Communication and Journalism. She’s been a copywriter and editor for the technology, insurance and architecture industries since 2007 and believes anybody can run a small business successfully. She therefore enjoys finding and sharing the best and most practical tips for this purpose.