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Is choosing an SSL certificate giving you a headache? We’ll not be surprised if it is so. Here’s the guide that will work like Aspirin for you. The world is advancing at a much faster pace than ever. Businesses are ditching shops and streets to access humongous audiences all around the world.
A website is a great solution for getting business online. Especially small businesses. There are around 32.5 million small businesses in the USA, out of which 71% have websites. An SSL certificate is necessary for the security of customers’ in-transit data.
But which SSL certificate is best suited for your website? Don’t worry, you are done with your part of worrying. We are here to help you in and out of this dilemma that has resulted due to a long list of Certificate Authorities, SSL Providers, and a wide array of SSL certificates.
Hop on. Let’s understand what questions you should ask before choosing your SSL provider and an SSL certificate that best suits your website-security needs.
5 Questions to Decide Your SSL Provider
1. Is Providing an SSL Certificate the Primary Business of this Provider?
2. Do They Offer SSL Products from Multiple Brands?
3. Do They have 24/7 Support Throughout the Year?
4. Does this SSL Provider have Auto-Renewal for SSL Certificates to Remind You before the Certificate Expires?
5. Do they Provide Money Back Guarantee?
It is necessary to know that the SSL provider you choose is a legitimate one. To get to the roots of such things, we have curated a list of questions that will pave your way to the SSL certificate that will work best for your website.
1) Is Providing an SSL Certificate the Primary Business of this Provider?
Make sure you choose a provider whose first job is to provide an SSL Certificate rather than SSL being just another set of products it sells. Why? SSL is a critical aspect of website security. If anything were to happen to your customer’s data, you would need experts to help you with it. A provider selling everything might not have a team to help you with your urgency. But, an SSL provider whose first job is to provide SSL services to their customers will be helpful in case of urgency.
The name CheapSSLWeb itself suggests that we sell SSL Products. Therefore, we will be there for you can knock on our door when urgency knocks on yours.
2. Do They Offer SSL Products from Multiple Brands?
A provider selling SSL certificates from only one brand will limit your options to an individual brand. This way, you may have to compromise on your purse and buy an expensive or a lesser secure SSL certificate.
Ask your SSL provider if they sell SSL certificates from multiple brands. Later, when you get more options, you can match the specifications and come to a conclusion about whether the certificate from one of the brands from the list matches your security expectations.
The above image explains how a brand that provides SSL certificates can help you select a certificate from a wide array of brands.
3. Do They have 24/7 Support Throughout the Year?
A website’s security is essential, and why you may need support 24/7 for 365 days because the hackers don’t work in shifts, and someone may order something late at night (while it is the day on the other end of the world.) Needless to say, the constant support helps as a business entity.
An SSL provider that sells SSL products as their mainstream products will be ready to shell out any problem or concern you may have regarding the SSL certificate you have installed on your website. Not just that, the chat support can help you solve basic problems right from your PC so you don’t need to wait till the concern is addressed.
4. Does this SSL Provider have Auto-Renewal for SSL Certificates to Remind You before the Certificate Expires?
Most SSL providers focus on sales of SSL products and ignore the fact that SSL certificates need to be renewed every year. Even if you buy a certificate for 5 years, the Certificate Authority Browser (CA/B) Forum asks you to renew your SSL certificate yearly.
Don’t you think this SSL provider must remind you about your SSL renewal as it stands on the verge of expiration after a year? Such efforts are only put in by the providers who love their customers. Imagine your certificate expires and your website lays without encryption, trust and security for your customers. Horrible, right? So choose the one who will love your website as much as you love your customers.
5. Do they Provide Money Back Guarantee?
Let’s say you bought a certificate and for some reason, you realize that a certificate from another brand would have been better for your website. This might look like a basic conflict situation, but it isn’t.
It would be a grave mistake to install a certificate that is underperforming or overpowered for your website. Thus, you must choose a provider who provides a 100% return on your purchase.
Most of the leading SSL providers facilitate their customers with 100% Guaranteed returns if they change their minds and decide to cancel their SSL certificate within 30 days of purchase.
This is pretty much everything you need to know about your SSL provider. Let’s peek into the process of selecting an SSL certificate that fits the needs of your website security.
Read Also: How to Renew COMODO SSL Certificate?
Questions You Need to Answer While Selecting an SSL Certificate
1. Which Validation Level Will Your Website Require?
The validation level is the level of security and assurance your customers need. It depends on the amount of traffic you will be getting on your site, the type of audience and purpose of your website.
There are 3 different validation levels for SSL Certificates:
A. Domain Validated Certificates (DV)
A DV SSL certificates are entry-level certificates and don’t show any visual cues relating to your company. They still provide 256-bit strong encryption and would be good for your website if it doesn’t collect personal information.
B. Organization Validated Certificates (OV)
If you need business verification for a cost-effective purchase, then you can choose OV SSL certificates. It does show Visual cues like Secure padlock and HTTPS URL.
C. Extended Validation Certificates (EV)
The most extreme validation level that thoroughly check the organization papers and provides the most visual cues for your customers to be worry-free while surfing your website or making a purchase from your website.
Check the certificates’ details and decide which suits your website’s security needs.
2. How Many Domains Do You Need To Secure?
If you are making an enterprise-level website with many other domains in it.
A. Wildcard SSL Certificates
Say your main domain is www.domainname.com, and if you want to secure other subdomains under it, like jobs.domainname.com or support.domainname.com, you would need a Wildcard SSL certificate.
B. Multi-Domain Certificates
Let’s say you have a bakery business and decide to sell groceries online. Now you would need two different websites, say www.my-cake-shop.com and www.my-grocery-shop.co.uk.
A Multi-Domain SSL Certificate will help you cover both your domains using a single certificate.
3. How Much Warranty Does Your Business Require?
The answer to this question purely depends on how much security your website will need. Suppose the users coming to your website will have to provide crucial information. In that case, you will need a larger warranty since that data can cause a lot of customer loss if your website ever experiences a data breach.
This warranty is a relying-party warranty, meaning that the customer or the user who gets fraudulently charged from your website will cover their losses from the amount of Warranty money your CA is offering.
Conclusion of Ask These Questions Before Buying an SSL Certificate
We have listed a list of questions that will derail any train of thoughts or concerns that have been making rounds in your mind. Let us know how this information helps you decide which SSL certificate to buy. Leave no page unturned and get answers to all these questions to make the best choice for your love towards your business and customers.
We at CheapSSLWeb cater to you with multiple SSL Certification Authorities to choose from. Let us know if you need help choosing an SSL certificate. Happy buying!
