If you’re running an ecommerce website or have sensitive information being sent to your site, then you definitely need to have SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) to encrypt the data for added protection. A lot of web hosting companies now provide Shared SSL free with you hosting plan. However, in order to utilize Shared SSL you need to use your hosting account ID under your web host’s domain. In this case, your URL is going to look something like https://YourUserName.YourWebHostingCompany.com–which is usually not what you want.
In order to have SSL under your own domain, you need to purchase a Dedicated SSL Certificate. Then your secured URL will be something like https://YourDomain.com. You can order your Dedicated SSL from your hosting company. You’ll need to fill out an application when you submit payment. One thing to note is that if you have domain privacy you’ll need to remove or disable it while your application is being processed—in order to verify that you are in fact the owner of the domain.
The SSL verification process will take several days (in some cases maybe up to 10) to complete. After you are notified that your application has been approved and processed, you need to inform your hosting company as to which domain to apply the SSL certificate. You may also be given a seal or trusted site emblem to display somewhere on your website. Once you confirm your request to apply the SSL Cert to the domain you specified with your hosting company, they will complete the certificate installation process.
For ecommerce sites, you may need to configure some settings in your shopping cart program regarding your SSL Certificate. Although it takes a little more work to set up your dedicated SSL, the peace of mind in having secure data transmission is definitely worth it.
