If you have a business website that you use for digital marketing, you should consider investing in an Extended Validation (EV) certificate. It's one of several types of Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) / Transport Layer Security (TLS) cryptographic certificates. According to DigiCert, over half of the internet's top 400 e-commerce stores use an EV certificate. Whether you own an e-commerce store or any other digital marketing-related business, an EV certificate can benefit your business website in several ways.
What Is an EV Certificate?
An EV certificate is a type of SSL/TLS cryptographic certificate that allows websites to load over a secure connection. It offers the highest level of authenticity of all SSL/TLS certificates.
All websites support an unsecured connection using Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). HTTP is the default networking protocol that facilitates client-server communications. You don't have to install a cryptographic certificate. After launching your website, visitors can enter your site's domain in a web browser to load it over HTTP.
Installing an SSL/TLS cryptographic certificate on your server will introduce an alternative networking protocol with which visitors can access your website: Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS). HTTPS is a secure, encrypted extension of HTTP. SSL/TLS cryptographic certificates are designed to provide this extension.
The 3 Types of SSL/TLS Cryptographic Certificates
There are Domain Validation (DV), Organization Validation (OV), and EV certificates. You can purchase them from organizations known as certificate authorities (CAs). CAs sell SSL/TLS cryptographic certificates, and they provide the validation services needed for the SSL/TLS cryptographic certificates to work.
DV, OV, and EV certificates will all extend the HTTPS networking protocol. You can install any of these SSL/TLS cryptographic certificates to provide visitors with HTTPS access. DV, OV, and EV certificates simply have different requirements and levels of authentication. EV certificates have the most stringent requirements and the highest levels of authentication. They cost more than DV and OV certificates, but you may discover that EV certificates are worth the investment.
Increased Visitor Trust
More visitors will trust your website if it uses an EV certificate. Like all SSL/TLS cryptographic certificates, it will place a padlock logo in their web browsers. Visitors will see a padlock logo next to your website's domain. And they can click this padlock logo to learn more about your website's identity and the specific type of SSL/TLS cryptographic certificate it uses, such as EV.
Visitors who are familiar with SSL/TLS cryptographic certificates recognize EV as being the most trustworthy type. EV certificates have a more stringent identity verification process than DV and OV certificates. To obtain an EV, you'll have to prove your business's credentials, such as its name, phone number, address, and legal status. You'll also have to prove that you have exclusive rights to the domain of your business website.
Encourages More Conversions
There's a reason why so many of the top e-commerce stores use an EV certificate. It encourages more conversions. E-commerce stores with an EV certificate often generate more transactions than those with an alternative SSL/TLS cryptographic certificate or no SSL/TLS cryptographic certificate.
With phishing scams continuing to increase, many visitors are hesitant to enter their payment information when shopping online. They fear a third party could intercept their payment information and use it for their own purchases. An EV certificate will ease these concerns. Upon seeing that your website is secured with an EV certificate, visitors will feel more comfortable entering their payment information.
Stronger Privacy Compliance
An EV certificate can help you comply with privacy laws and regulations. If your business website is for a health insurance company, for instance, you may be required to comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). HIPAA is a privacy law that, among other things, requires healthcare providers, health insurance companies, and other covered entities to protect their users' personal data.
An EV certificate will encrypt all data in transit while protecting your website and its visitors from man-in-the-middle (MITM) data breaches. It's the most secure type of SSL/TSL cryptographic certificate. Whether it's HIPAA, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), or any other privacy law or regulation, an EV certificate can help you achieve compliance.
Protection From Spoofing
An EV certificate will protect your website from spoofing. Spoofing involves copying and using another business's website for malicious purposes. Other individuals won't be able to create a website under your business's name and credentials with an EV certificate.
EV certificates require manual identity verification. If you use a DA certificate, the CA will automatically verify your business's identity. If you use an OV certificate, the CA will manually verify your business's identity. EV certificates require manual identity verification as well, but it's a more stringent process than that of OV certificates.
Preserves Brand Identity
You can use an EV certificate to preserve the brand identity of your website. If visitors believe your website is trying to steal their personal data or use their personal data for malicious purposes, they'll probably perceive it negatively. Your website's brand identity can take a serious hit.
To maintain a positive brand identity, you should secure your website with an EV certificate. It will protect your website from spoofing. And when visitors see that your website uses an EV certificate, they will perceive your site's brand as being highly credible.
First-Class Support
Because they cost more than other types of SSL/TSL cryptographic certificates, EV certificates come with better support. Support is offered by the CA from which you purchase the EV certificate. There are dozens of CAs, some of the most popular being Comodo, DigiCert, GoDaddy, and GlobalSign.
You can save money by opting for a DV or OV certificate. Some of them are available for about $50 to $100 per year. There are even free DV and OV certificates. EV certificates typically cost more, but they come with better support.
Not all SSL/TLS cryptographic certificates are made equal. There are three main types of SSL/TLS cryptographic certificates, with EV offering the highest level of authentication. You can use it to extend HTTPS to your business website while taking advantage of increased trust, more conversions, brand identity preservation, privacy compliance, spoofing protection, and first-class support.