SSL/TLS Buyer’s Guide
SSL/TLS
Buyer’s Guide
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW TO CHOOSE
THE RIGHT CERTIFICATE FOR YOUR WEBSITE.
Almost every website involves some exchange of information — from login details for an online application to contact info on a landing page — and today’s savvy online consumers won’t stay on a website unless they feel confident that it’s secure.
Use this guide to help you select an SSL/TLS option for your business.
Three Things to Consider Before you Buy
The visual cues provided by SSL help your visitors feel confident they can trust your site. Choosing the right certificate is about both security and selecting the level of trust you need to gain from your customers.
The certificate authority that issues your SSL/ TLS certificate is just as important as the kind of certificate you choose. You want to be backed by a name that both you, and your visitors, know and trust.
EV is recommended by PCI (Payment Card Industry) for websites that handle sensitive information, such as insurance records, credit card information or personally identifiable information (PII).
Here are some key reasons why you need an SSL Certificate in the first place:
Meet new website requirements
Avoid “Not Secure” browser warnings
Protect customer information
Boost search rankings and traffic
Enable popular mobile features
Improve website speed and security
Increase trust, confidence and conversions
Stand out vs. competition
To choose the right certificate type and functionality, answer these questions:
Do I Need to? |
Solution |
Use Case |
|---|---|---|
Secure one site? |
Single-domain Secure 1 domain (both www and non-www) |
Available in DV and EV |
Secure site(s) with sub-domains? |
Wildcard Secure 1 domain and unlimited first-level sub-domains (www.domain.com, *.domain.com, login.domain.com) |
Available in DV |
Secure multiple sites? |
Multi-domain Secure up to 250 domains, (domain.net, domain.org, domain.com) |
Available in DV, OV and EV Simplify management Save money |
Secure multiple domains? |
Multi-domain Wildcard Secure multiple domains along with multiple sub-domains (www.domain.com, blog.domain.com, domain.org) |
Available in DV, OV and EV Simplify management Save money |
What level of identity/business validation do I need?
Choose from three levels
Basic |
Business |
Enhanced Business |
|
|---|---|---|---|
Validation |
Domain |
Organization |
Extended |
| Validates | Domain Ownership | Domain Ownership Legally Legitimate Company |
Domain Ownership Legally Legitimate Company Operational Existence Physical Address Telephone Verification |
| Visual Trust Indicators |
HTTPS + Padlock |
HTTPS + Padlock |
HTTPS + Padlock Green Address Bar  |
| Site Seal | Encryption Only No Forms, Logins or Other Info Sharing |
Business Validation Secure Logins, Passwords & Profiles |
Highest Validation Secure Credit Card & Sensitive Financial Data Maximize Conversions Build Trust Protect Brand Reputation |
| Best Fits | Blogs, Personal, Internal, non-customer-facing websites | Small Business Websites without e-commerce | e-commerce Websites Financial Websites National/Global |
| Warranty protection | Up to $10K | Up to $1,750,000 | Up to $2,000,000 |
What length of term do I need?
Default is 1 year. Save time and money with the maximum of 2 years.
Just so you know all SSL Certificates:
Include industry standard 256-bit encryption (SHA-2)
Ensure a secure encrypted connection between browser and server
Verify domain control
Display HTTPS and a padlock next to web address in browser bar
Other things to consider:
According to PhishLabs, within a 30-day-window, 99.5% of HTTPS phishing sites had a Domain Validation (DV) SSL Certificate so it’s getting tougher to distinguish legit from non-legit DV sites
Bizrate reports 69% of online shoppers specifically look for websites that display trust symbols
In a Ted-ED Survey:
- 77% of online buyers are hesitant to shop on a website without EV SSL
- 100% noticed the green address bar
- 93% prefer to shop on sites with EV
- 97% are likely to share credit card info on sites with EV vs. only 63% on non-EV sites
EV is proven to reduce shopping cart abandonment and increase conversions:
- Overstock.com — 8.6% decrease in shopping cart abandonment
- Canadadrug.com — 33% more purchases were completed with 27% higher sales per transaction
- CRS Hotels — 30% more conversions for their central reservation service
- Fitness Footwear — 16.9% increase in conversions
- iStyles — 28% jump in conversions