Wildcard SSL And SSL – Know How To Differentiate

Among consumers and e-commerce website owners, there is always a prevalent conversation with regards to the prominent differences between these two types of certificates. Even though basically they are the same, there are some notable features that are exclusive to the particular cert.

Besides, Wildcard SSL is designed for a large number of sub-domains whereas the normal cert is for a single domain. No extensions will usually be allowed in the former product. Being a consumer or a seller, you need to know everything about using certifications and the importance of encrypting prominent data so that credit cards, as well as personal information, stay safe while being transferred through the internet. All major browsers support this functionality and to provide an increased level of security, they allow only the major certificate providers as authorized by the CA or the certificate authority.

Standard SSL Versus Wildcard SSL

Standard SSL

Wildcard SSL

Validity

starts at 1 year

starts at 1 year

Number of domains

1

unlimited

Trust Factor

Yes

Yes

Encryption

128-256 bit encryption

128-256 bit encryption

Browser Warnings

No

No

Browser Compatibility

All Major Browsers

All Major Browsers

Cost

Varies as per provider

Varies as per provider

Site Seal

Yes

Yes

Validation

Domain Validation

Domain Validation

Issuance Time

Quick

Average

Renewal/Extension

Yes

Yes

Green address bar

No

No

Ideal for single domain websites

Suitable for multiple sub-domains

How To Choose?

When you are literally confused about how and what SSL certificate to choose for your website, you should start considering the factors related to your requirement. While an e-commerce website is all the same, some might require multiple domains for better search engine optimization or simply to categorize their huge range of products.

For example, when your store consists of clothing, accessories, home appliances, gift products, and gadgets it will be difficult for visitors to navigate. The same issue will prevail with search engine bots because specifying such a varied list of products with a single keyword is practically a difficult task. Wildcard SSL helps in securing all sub-domains easily. Instead, you can always split them into various domains, secure it with Wildcard SSL which will enhance the website’s reach as well as allow you to secure the pages in an encrypted format.

In such a situation, opting for Wildcard SSL is the best way to go about it. You can specify the target area by using various domains, make it better visible on search engines, and continue garnering potential new visitors for your store. All major certificate providers allow using an unlimited number of sub-domains as per your requirement.

What Makes Them Important?

Buying an SSL cert is considered the first priority thing to do when you open an e-commerce website or any other site which demands personal information from the visitor. While the concept of logging in with a personal e-mail id is prevalent in most websites, it will not be considered as a need to have encryption embedded in the website. But, when your website houses a shopping cart and payment details are collected during checkout, customers will share credit card information.

The transaction will be encrypted by the secure sockets layer certification, as in wildcard SSL. Besides, you will also get prominent support from the CA community which is keen to make sure that the private key issued to browsers stays safe at all times. There are situations when spammers and malware creators make use of this digital cert which is why even meticulous measures are being undertaken.