SSL Certificates


What is an SSL certificate? Maybe you’ve heard the term but never knew what it mean. SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer. Basically, SSL helps to encrypt data between your website and your visitors web browser. This makes sure that all data remains private and secure. With an unsecured connection, third-parties can snoop on traffic and for the longest time if you were an eCommerce store processing credit cards this was a must-have for your website. But nowadays SSL isn’t just for shopping websites. Instead Google is pushing all websites to use a secure connection and will begin punishing sites that don’t and rewarding companies that do.

The Google Difference

In 2014 Google made a huge announcement. It said that SSL was going to become a factor in SEO results. That means that if two sites are equal, fighting for that Top 1 and 2 spot on Google, the website with an SSL Certificate will likely win the battle.  But now it turns out Google is going a step further. Starting this year Google will begin labeling websites without SSL as “non-secure”.

As of July, 2018 Google Chrome will treat all HTTP pages like this:

Thayer2Design encourages all of our current customers and new customers to get their SSL Certificate. Standard plans start at just $39 per Year and Advanced SSL Certificates (for shopping sites) starting at $85 per year.