When shopping in an online store, customers should carefully choose the sellers and thoroughly review product pages before adding an item to the cart. It is also important to verify the store’s website security by confirming the presence of the green padlock icon in the browser’s address bar. An increasing number of users follow these guidelines, completing their purchases only after ensuring that the connection is encrypted. The habit of checking the SSL certificate is becoming extremely important, and stores protected in this way can count on significantly higher sales.
Symantec company research
Symantec, known for combating major online threats, surveyed several thousand users about their online shopping experiences. The aim of this study was to assess customers’ awareness of basic security measures in online stores, as well as to determine the level of concern regarding the interception of personal data and the potential loss of transferred funds. According to Symantec, users mostly worry about technical security issues with websites. Only a small percentage pointed to the possibility of personal data being intercepted, and merely one-fifth expressed distrust of online payment transactions.
The impact of SSL certificates on users
Despite everything, SSL certificates are increasingly influencing customer behavior. According to Symantec’s study, 43% of surveyed users only feel encouraged to continue browsing a site’s offerings when they see the green padlock icon. It is still not a sufficiently large number. However, the percentage of respondents who abandon a website after seeing a warning about an untrusted connection is a bit higher, at 54%. It is worth noting that such a warning can be shown to users in various ways and for different reasons – for instance, due to the inclusion of an https:// link in the code of an unencrypted domain. Another problem arises when the warning is triggered simply because the certificate has expired – hence it is always important to remember to renew it.
Encryption during purchases
A proper, encrypted connection significantly increases an online store’s chances of achieving high sales. The majority of internet users are visually oriented, yet they exhibit slightly different habits compared to traditional shopping. According to the survey, 65% of respondents admit to checking for the https:// prefix before the domain name and paying attention to the site’s address. This is particularly important to them when entering personal data or viewing the order summary. As many as 78% of users state that SSL certificates and other security measures make them feel safer and encourage them to finalize the transaction at every stage of the process.
A secured environment
When making purchases, users always expect the highest level of security. This is also evident in traditional supermarkets – nobody wants an unauthorized person to somehow intercept their PIN code or even their card number. This issue is addressed, among other ways, by single-line queue systems or by using covered payment terminals. An SSL certificate works in a similar manner, providing users with a safe and comfortable environment for completing their transactions. Its implementation also offers additional benefits. For instance, an SSL certificate contributes to optimizing Google search results, since Google’s algorithms take into account whether a website’s address is secured and encrypted.