Why a Domain Validation SSL Cert is Not Good for Ecommerce
The main reason you don’t want to use this type of cert for a web shop is simple – trust. If you take a close look at a domain certificate with a browser, you’ll notice that a DV SSL Certificate has no identifying information included. This is fine for some types of data being transferred, but if you’re running an online store, this is not a good thing because a person might end up not trusting your website.
A Better SSL Choice for Ecommerce Sites
If you want to ensure that you’re trusted when people come to your site, you want to consider using an Extended Validation (EV) or Organizationally Validated (OV) SSL Certificate. These are issued only after the Certificate Authority does due diligence to ensure that a website is run by the company listed on the certificate. An EV Certificate is going to include the most information, which can increase trust levels for your online shop.
Anyone who has done any selling online knows that trust plays a big part in whether or not you make the sale. At the end of the day, you want to ensure you’re giving your customers everything they need in order to come to a decision about trusting you. With a plain DV certificate, a CA doesn’t check the extra information and this lack of information can really affect your sales and your bottom line due to cart abandonment.
Over the years, consumers have become more aware of threats and security online. With younger generations interacting with smartphones or tablets as soon as they can grab onto them, chances are high that in the future having the right type of SSL certificate will make a difference in whether or not people trust your online store. This is why it’s so important to not use just price when deciding what type of certificate to buy.
When to Choose an EV Certificate
Now that you know a bit more about why not to buy a normal DV SSL certificate, we’re going to go over some of the reasons you might choose an EV cert.
- Assurance – An EV certificate is the highest signal you can give visitors to your website that you’re taking the responsibility of keeping their information safe seriously. As mentioned, this can actually affect sales.
- Visibility – Going along with the point above, an EV certificate will be displayed differently on most browsers. Basically, it makes it easier to see that there’s a secure SSL connection and who owns the digital certificate.
- Information – Speaking of information about the owner of the SSL EV certificate, the Certificate Authority must validate the data using different sources. This makes them even more trustworthy online.
When to Choose an OV Certificate
While an EV cert is good for a lot of different situations, it’s not always optimal. For one thing, an EV certificate is only available to corporations and other entities – not to individuals. Additionally, wildcards are not usable with an EV although you can use them with an OV certificate. Last but not least, it can take a bit of time to get an EV certificate approved and installed. If you need to move fast, an OV SSL certificate may be a better idea.
Which is Right for You?
Knowing that DV certificates are not good for ecommerce is the first step to deciding which type of SSL certificate is going to be best for you. Making sure you understand all the different options available can assist you in your decision. Hopefully, the information above will give you a slightly better idea of the options you have so that you can make the right choice.
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