Secure Certificates: RapidSSL & GeoTrust

Does your website need an SSL Certificate?

Not always. If your website is mainly informational and does not incorporate a form for collecting information from your visitors or does not have a shopping cart for purchasing products from your site then the obvious answer is no.

However, if you do have a section on your website where your visitors can input their contact information such as their mailing address or telephone number then it is highly advisable that the details are encrypted. It is especially critical to have a secure certificate if you are collecting credit card details as well. To successfully conduct business online, your online transactions must be secured through encryption technology.

Secure certificates ensure that credit card numbers are encrypted and cannot be intercepted and that the data sent and received cannot be tampered with or forged. Online shoppers expect to see security integrated into the websites they visit and as a result they expect the details they provide through your site will remain confidential and integral. For the large part, the only time a shopper will consider purchasing your products online is if they are satisfied that their details are secure. Using a secure certificate reassures your customers that you take their security seriously. The lock icon will instill confidence that their transactions are secure and that you have removed the risk associated with trading over the Internet.

We have a variety of secure certificates that are available to meet each of these needs. What type of SSL Certificate would we recommend?

RapidSSL: This SSL certificate is an ideal solution for securing forms that collect information from your visitors and for websites conducting light levels of ecommerce. RapidSSL certificates have a browser recognition of around 99% however it is important to know that RapidSSL has minimum compatibility with mobile devices due to low ubiquity levels. Therefore visitors to your website would experience error messages on mobile devices and is not advisable for higher volume ecommerce sites. It is also important to mention that RapidSSL comes with a Static Site Seal, unlike the higher-end GeoTrust certificates.

GeoTrust QuickSSL Premium: If you have a website with high transaction volumes and your customer confidence demands professional level certificates from well known, long time security vendors, then GeoTrust can provide highly trusted professional level and enterprise class certificates. GeoTrust is the 2nd largest Certification Authority in the world and owns its own root certificate - its root is already trusted and present in all popular browsers and are most compatible with mobile devices with high ubiquity levels. GeoTrust Smart Seals are dynamically-generated when someone accesses your site and displays a live time and date stamp and/or your company name. Users can click on a site seal to display additional verification information.

*These rates are in Canadian Dollars and include the installation. Take advantage of the current GST rate by purchasing your SSL for multiple years and saving on the HST when it's introduced in 2010.

To purchase a secure certificate for your website or to ask further questions that will help with your decision, please contact one of our representatives by sending an email to service@wedohosting.com.