Secure WooCommerce Website by installing SSL certificate - WooCommerce accounts for about 22% of global e-commerce industry.
Everything simple and scalable WooCommerce has to pay. This is a favorite target for cyber criminals, WordPress website owners often see attacks from malware to DDoS to specialized armed login attacks.
Recognizing this, WooCommerce website security is a serious concern for website owners and developers. You find a range of dedicated WooCommerce security tips, but often the simplest ideas will work best. Trial period (required for businesses) WooCommerce security tips are installing SSL certificates on the website.
Now, many website owners think installing SSL certificates is the best thing for developers. If this is the case for you, this guide is for you. In this section, you will learn what SSL and HTTPS are and how you can easily add SSL certificates to WooCommerce website.
What is SSL?
A secure gateway layer (SSL) is a layer of security protocol between the browser and the web server, ensuring all communications between the two endpoints are encrypted, private, and secure.
Do you notice the website address starts with http: //, while another website starts with https: // and has a green padlock.
Green padlock and https: // mean there is SSL certificate installed on the website.
Why is SSL important to the website?
SSL certificate is an indispensable element, necessary to achieve high rankings in Google SERPs. In fact, Google shows a clear bias towards the WooCommerce website that supports SSL. This is a clear signal that security is a long-term problem for e-commerce industry, Google is attaching importance to SSL certificate on WooCommerce website.
To reinforce their point of view, Chrome from Google has started marking websites that do not support SSL as 'Non-secure' since October 2017. This means that without an SSL certificate on the website, you lose a significant amount of Chrome users, they will see your website highlighted in red.
SSL for commercial websites WooC
If you see the top 1 million e-commerce websites, according to Buildwith, WooCommerce accounts for the highest rate, which is why it is the most popular eCommerce platform.
NOTE: SSL certificates are available with all offers from Shopify; For WooCommerce, it is entirely up to your hosting provider.
For a detailed comparison, see the WooCommerce post with Shopify.
Here is the reference image below:
By online, website owners now reach far and wide audiences with digital advertising media such as Google Adsense or Facebook Ads. This means that the need to physically advertise products minimizes effectiveness.
Due to the increase in online websites, transactions between sellers and buyers are shifting from physical payment options to digital including online banking, credit cards, bitcoin and other secret payment gateways.
What the newbie e-commerce website owner misses is website security. In this post, I will emphasize the importance of using SSL certificates with online websites. This certificate changes the basic protocol to HTTPS, securing client sessions at the website.
Why do WooCommerce websites require SSL certificates?
All communication over the traditional HTTP connection sent in Plain Text, the fact that every attacker has a manager to break the connection between users and the website. In the case of an order, a cart, or a form with login information, an attacker can easily access the information because it is in plain text that is easy to read.
With // https (SSL) connection, the communication between the browser and the website is encrypted. Even when an attacker tries to break into the connection, an additional encryption layer denies access to the information.
Benefits of SSL certificates
There are countless benefits and advantages from having an SSL-certified e-commerce website. Thanks to this, the online website owner gets Customer information, such as: credit card numbers are encrypted, so an attacker cannot block the information.
The visitor can verify that you are a registered business, you own the domain name.
Customers are more likely to trust, complete purchases from websites that have SSL certificates.
This is how websites that enable https will look like at Google Chrome.
Not only this, if a non-HTTP site collects passwords or credit card information, Chrome will mark it as Not Secure. This is what it will look like in Chrome.
Provide your customers with a safe environment
Customers value privacy and security. Therefore, if your website is not secured with an SSL certificate, you are losing potential customers. SSL certificates are an important component of a broader website security policy. When you click the SSL certified padlock icon, a popup message will notify website visitors secured by the SSL certificate.
If you do not provide an SSL certificate, visitors will see a connection message to the insecure website.
If your website does not have HTTPS, then not only is customer data unsafe, but it also has a significant threat to the integrity of the website itself.
See more: Build a Website with WordPress
The easiest way to get an SSL certificate
So, what's the easiest way to get an SSL certificate? You should thank the good people at Let Encrypt for providing SSL FREE certificates to the online website.
Why is it encrypted?
To prevent online data theft, several security experts have launched an open source platform called Let Encrypt - linking the client browser to the server. It ensures mailing from customers is encrypted and secure over the Internet.
The Let Encrypt group defines Let Encrypt as:
Tweet Chieu Encrypt is a free, automatic, open certificate authority.
When you secure your website with SSL Encrypt SSL certificate, a green padlock appears in the address bar and then the URL starts with HTTPS: // instead of HTTP: //
Secure WooCommerce website with Let Encrypt Free SSL certificate
We always care about customer privacy, online privacy. For example, if you run a WordPress Multisite network, this feature is very useful. Here are the proper instructions, how to add SSL on the WordPress Multisite network.
How to create a free WooCommerce Store SSL certificate
I assume you have registered on Cloudways, set up the same application server with WooCommerce and install only your domain name. Or I would suggest following this guide to launch, set up the WooCommerce website completely from scratch. Launch the server, the application at Cloudways.
Issue Please encrypt the WooCommerce SSL Certificate
On the Applications tab, you see all the applications listed.
Add SSL to WooCommerce for a domain name
Navigate to the WooCommerce application, then press SSL Certificate from the menu on the left. Enter your email address, main domain and then press the Install Certificate button. It will only take a few minutes to install SSL at WooCommerce website.
Note: Before attempting to add an SSL certificate, make sure the domain name works, spread correctly, otherwise the certificate installation attempt will fail.
Add SSL to WooCommerce for multiple domains
To add SSL certificates at multiple domains, click the Add domain button. Another text field will appear to enter another domain name associated with the specific application. Repeat the process, you add as many domains as you want. When done, click the INSTALL button.
Get a free Wildcard SSL certificate for subdomains
Let Encrypt announced support for the Wildcard SSL certificate back in March 2018.
You see the checkbox option available next to the domain name. You just need to select the checkbox to receive the SSL Wildcard certificate from Let Encrypt. It takes a few seconds to provide you with the CNAME record that you must add to the domain registrar.
For more information, see screenshot below.
Next, visit the domain registrar's website and then enter the domain registration id and then add the CNAME record as below:
- Species: CNAME
- Host: _acme-challenge
- Value: Your WordPress staging URL
When done, go back to the Cloudways account> SSL Certificate tab, then click Verify DNS. It will cross-check the settings and then notify you. Next, click the INSTALL CERTIFICATE button to get a free SSL certificate for WooCommerce.
Note: If you created Let Encrypt SSL before the free SSL Wildcard notice on Cloudways (August 2018), request Revocation of certificate to receive SSL Wildcard by Let Encrypt.
Automatic renewal
By default, Let Encrypt limits certificates that expire after 90 days and then you must recreate them. However, Cloudways, you only need to Enable the auto-renewal option. You also renew the certificate manually by clicking the Ren Renew Now button. To delete an SSL certificate, click the Revoke button.
How to add a paid SSL certificate on WooCommerce website
Here, I only know you about paid SSL certificates. You must first navigate to the SSL Certificates tab and then create a Certificate Signing Request (CSR). Next, you must send it to the chosen SSL Certificate provider.
Next, Convert the switch from an encrypted SSL Certificate to a custom certificate.
Next, click the Create CSR button, then fill out the form, then submit.
Note: If you want to use a single certificate for multiple domains, select the SAN check box and then add the domain name to the form.
Once the form has been successfully submitted, the CSR will be created. Next, click to download the CSR button.
Next, you must send the download file to the SSLCertert provider to create an SSL certificate based on the request you want.
Next, the provider will provide you with two files: yourdomain.crt (Certificate code) and yourdomain.ca (String file).
Next, go to the SSL Management window and then click the Install Certificate button.
You will get pop up where you must add the Certificate Key along the CA Chain.
Next, click the Submit button. It's done! You have successfully installed the SSL certificate for WooCommerce website.
Final thought
WooCommerce requires SSL encryption because - if it is not guaranteed - the risk of financial damage is unimaginable. Let Encrypt is the only solution whenever we think of FREE, powerful data encryption. Besides the WooCommerce SSL website, there are 13 security tips for the WooCommerce Website that help you to tighten security.
Once you've added your WooCommerce SSL certificate, don't forget to make your website work correctly with SSL.
It is not an exaggeration to say it is simple to add SSL to WooCommerce website. In any case, when you have a question, don't hesitate to ask in the comments.
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