A Secure Sockets Layer, or SSL, is a type of security that protects visitors and your website from being targeted by many forms of hacking. Essentially, it encrypts the data being transmitted preventing bots from intercepting the information.
Placing an SSL on your Magento hosted website is not only a good practice for protecting shoppers, but it also plays heavily into SEO. Search engines such as good value secured websites over others and will rank them better in the results page. Never underestimate the value of good SEO practices for success. This makes SSL one of the most valuable parts to boost the success of your website.
In this tutorial, I’m going to show you how to configure Magento with SSL. It’s a quick and easy process that will help boost your traffic as well as entice others to make a purchase.
Getting the SSL Certificate
The SSL certificate is provided by your hosting provider. These usually have an annual fee of about $40 depending on the host and the package deal if there is one. These certificates are assigned to your account and are connected to a single domain name.
This means you would have to purchase more than one if you operate multiple domains that need encrypted security. Although the SSL does cost a bit of money each year, the trade-off in security and search engine traffic makes it worth the investment.
Setting Up Magento with SSL
Once you have your SSL ready to go, it’s time to add it to Magento. In Magento, go to the Stores section and click on “Configuration”. The General tab will be the default screen in the Configuration Manager. If it’s not, make sure you’re in the General tools by clicking on it.
Click on the “Web” tool on the left directly under the General tab. Expand the “Base URLs (Secure)” segment for Magento by clicking it.
There will be a variety of settings you can change in this screen. However, you want to focus on two primary elements:
- Use Secure URLs on Storefront
- Use Secure URLs in Admin
Set both sections to “Yes” from the drop-down menus. Once you’ve changed the two options, click the “Save Config” button at the top. Your website is now set to only accept commands from secured interaction. This means people will need to use the “https:” prefix to visit. You may want to change any links to your websites such as those in social media or other places you have placed the URL.
Secure Sockets Layer is your first line of defence for protecting visitors and your site data. Configure Magento with SSL as soon as you’re ready to get serious about making money on the Internet. Buyers are less pensive about an online store that uses SSL certification.
