SSL Certificates come at different forms and prices, and unless you’ve studied or used them before, the big difference in costs between the cheapest SSL Certificate and the most expensive one may surprise you.
But what if you’ve read an article online about the advantages of SSL Certificates, and decided not to waste time, but to install an SSL Certificate on your website.
Without diving too deep into the technical aspects and backend processes, you’ve taken the decision to secure your website. One thing, however, makes you wonder why you should invest in anything other than the cheapest SSL. It’s one of the first aspects you’ve learned about SSL Certificates – the fact that no matter what SSL brand you choose, and what price you pay, the level of SSL encryption is the same.
Certificate Authorities, the entities that issue the SSL Certificates adhere to strict regulations and security protocols, which are continuously reinforced. That’s why both cheap and premium SSL Certificates have identical 2048-bit key encryption and up to 256-bit certificate encryption. But here’s where the similarities end.
To answer our main question, we have to shift our focus from SSL Certificates to your website. Your online project ultimately determines how much you should invest. Let’s analyze a few situations, and see what type of SSL Certificate suits them best.
You have a blog
If you’re a blogger sharing stories, or an artist displaying personal works online, chances are you don’t sell anything on your website. However, you still collect sensitive information via contact forms and e-mail subscriptions. Moreover, without an SSL certificate, your blog won’t appear in SERP. What’s worse, popular browsers will flag your site as not secure. That’s why going with the cheapest SSL certificate available on the market (say hello to Sectigo Positive SSL) should be more than enough to secure your website.
You have an e-commerce store or a membership site
Let’s say you’ve built your online presence and decided to monetize your blog/website. You’ve added a couple of products or a paid subscription for premium content. To accept online payments, you’ve registered a small business. In this case, a Business Validation SSL Certificate is the perfect solution, but it may be too pricey for you in the beginning. Here’s the good news, small businesses could still use Domain Validation Certificates from the likes of Sectigo, RapidSSL, and GeoTrust.
You have an online business
You’re the owner of a successful online business with a large volume of transactions. Your main concern is to increase your reputation, raise the level of trust, and protect your customers’ personal information. The cheapest SSL Certificate won’t cut it anymore. To remain competitive, it’s imperative that you install at least a Business Validation SSL Certificate.
Your company will have to go through a quick verification process before you can get your hands on the certificate, but the waiting time and money paid for the certificate are both worth it. If your budget allows, we recommend going with an Extended Validation Certificate. It offers the highest level of trust, and it also protects your site from phishing attacks.
You have a high-risk business
Whether you’re operating a financial institution or a website which has tens of thousands or millions of transaction, or you have a gambling company or manage a dating site, or you sell airline tickets, then an Extended Validation Certificate it’s not a luxury anymore, but a necessity. You need to provide complete transparency to your customers about who you are, and having the company’s name next to the URL is a good start.
To reach a higher level of credibility and trust, opt for premium EV Certificates offered by DigiCert. They’re the benchmark of online security. Banks, financial institutions, and enterprises use DigiCert’s products to safeguard their online activity. If DigiCert’s pricing is not within your range, consider Thawte. This Certificate Authority is the preferred choice of online bookmakers, casinos, and poker sites.
As always, SSL Dragon is here to help you choose the right certificate for your particular project. Whether it’s the cheapest SSL Certificate or a premium one, with our handy tools such as SSL Wizard and Certificate Filter the whole process is a breeze.
