Introduction
Nowadays, online security is more important than ever. All website owners must take responsibility to ensure that their website is secure for their users. One important aspect of this is installing an SSL certificate on your website. In this article, we will guide you through the quick and easy steps to install an SSL certificate on your website.
Step 1 - Choose an SSL Certificate
Before you start installing an SSL certificate, you need to choose the right one for your website. There are three types of SSL certificates:
Domain Validated (DV) SSL certificate
Organization Validated (OV) SSL certificate
Extended Validation (EV) SSL certificate
Choose the certificate based on your needs. DV SSL certificate is suitable for personal blogs and small business websites. OV SSL certificate is suitable for ecommerce websites whereas EV SSL certificate is suitable for banking and financial websites. Once you choose the certificate, you need to buy it from any trusted SSL provider.
Step 2 - Generate Certificate Signing Request (CSR)
After you purchase the SSL certificate, you need to generate a Certificate Signing Request (CSR) from your web hosting service. The CSR contains information about where the SSL certificate will be installed. To generate a CSR, follow these steps:
Login to your web hosting service account.
Go to the SSL certificate option.
Select Generate CSR option.
Fill the necessary information such as domain name, company information, etc.
After you complete filling the information, click on generate and your CSR is ready.
Step 3 - Install the Certificate
Once you have your SSL certificate and CSR, you can install the certificate by following these steps:
Login to your web hosting service account.
Go to the SSL certificate option.
Select Install SSL certificate option.
Paste your CSR code in the provided field.
Upload or paste your SSL certificate code in the provided field.
Click on Install SSL certificate and your SSL certificate is installed.
Step 4 - Test SSL Certificate
After you have installed your SSL certificate, you need to test it. If it's not installed correctly, you may get insecure warnings in your browser. To test the SSL certificate, follow these steps:
Open your website.
Check if the website URL starts with https://
Click the lock icon on the left of the address bar.
Check if the SSL certificate is installed correctly. You should see the details of your SSL certificate.
Conclusion
Installing an SSL certificate on your website is an important step to ensure the security of your website visitors. It's easy to install and you can do it yourself by following these simple steps. So, take some time, buy an SSL certificate, and make your website secure for your users.