Hey everyone,
I’m working on a website for a local gift shop. They want to sell their stuff online and ship it to customers. We’re thinking of using a payment gateway to handle the money side of things.
Here’s what I’m wondering: since we’re not dealing with the payments directly on our site, do we still need to get an SSL certificate for our domain?
I’m not sure if it’s necessary or if we can skip it. Any advice would be super helpful! Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts.
Update:
Thanks for all the responses so far. Just to clarify, we’re only selling physical products, no digital goods. Does that change anything?
SSL’s essential, mate! Even if u dont handle payments directly, it builds trust. Customers wanna see that padlock icon. Plus, search engines favor secure sites. It’s not just about transactions - it protects all data exchanged. Better safe than sory, right?
Hey there DashingDog!
Ooh, an online gift shop sounds exciting! 
I’m curious, what kind of unique gifts are you planning to sell?
About the SSL thing - even if you’re not handling payments directly, I’d say go for it! It’s like putting a nice bow on your website gift box. 
Customers feel all warm and fuzzy when they see that little padlock, you know?
But here’s a thought - have you considered how SSL might affect your site’s loading speed? I’ve heard mixed things. Any tech gurus here have experience with that?
Oh, and since you’re only selling physical products, do you have plans for showcasing them? Like, maybe 360-degree views or something cool like that? Just brainstorming here!
Keep us posted on how it goes, yeah? I’m super interested to see how your shop turns out!
Absolutely, SSL is crucial for your online gift shop. While you’re not processing payments directly, you’re still collecting customer data like names and addresses. This information needs protection. SSL also boosts your site’s credibility and search engine ranking. Many browsers now flag non-HTTPS sites as ‘Not Secure’, which could deter potential customers. The cost of an SSL certificate is minimal compared to the benefits it provides. In my experience, implementing SSL led to a noticeable increase in customer trust and sales. It’s a small investment that pays off in the long run.