What kind of SSL certificate should you get for your website?

At Name.com, we believe that every website is worth securing with an SSL certificate—which is why we now offer them for free to anyone who hosts a website with us via our Encryption Everywhere program. But for certain website users, its worthwhile to add additional levels of security to your site via an upgraded SSL certificate.

Before we jump into the level of security your website should have, let’s talk about why SSL certificates are important in the first place.

Who cares about SSL certificates?

Well, your customers do. When people browse a website—especially one that could handle potentially sensitive information like a username and password or bank account number—they want to know that they are on a site that they can trust. Whether they’re checking for HTTPS in the browser or a green padlock in the navigation bar, having visible signs of website encryption can increase user trust and mean a more secure website for visitors.

Choosing the right SSL certificate

SSL certificates are not one size fits all: There are numerous options out there that suit different security needs and vary widely in terms of price point. These are a few of the features you may want on your site that are offered with various levels of SSL encryption.

256-bit encryption

Good news for you! All of the SSL certificates at Name.com offer 256-bit encryption, which is one of the most secure encryption methods out there. This encryption is stronger than its 128-bit counterpart, so you always want to choose an SSL certificate with this higher level of security.

Browser lock icon

Recognize that icon? Your users will too—the green padlock is one of the most commonly recognized signs of a secure website. However, not all SSL certificates include a padlock icon or similar visual for encrypted websites. If you deal with personal information or take payments on your website, having a browser lock icon will reassure visitors that your website is a secure space.

Dynamic site seal

Dynamic site seals vary based on the SSL certificate provider, but they all have the same gist. They’re small images that can be added to your website as a visual cue that indicates that your website is secure.

Wildcard capabilities (aka unlimited subdomains)

If you have more than one section of your website that you want to encrypt with an SSL certificate, you’ll need a wildcard SSL certificate, or a cert that covers multiple subdomains. For example, you could not only protect the domain mycoolwebsite.com but also shop.mycoolwebsite.com.

Organizational or Extended Validation

Organizational Validation (OV) and Extended Validation (EV) require more time and effort to set up, but provide additional credentials for visitors who want to ensure that your website is one they can trust with sensitive information. These certificates can take hours or even days to activate, but it’s well worth the effort for the additional vetting involved in the set up process.

One you’ve determined which features work best for your website, and what level of security you need, browse the options available on our SSL page.