How to set up HTTPS for BigCommerce stores?

HTTPS is regarded to be a crucial factor in Google’s search ranking algorithms. With the introduction of Chrome 68, Google labels any website that does not use HTTPS as “not secure”.

For BigCommerce users, you have an edge of having sitewide HTTPS already enabled in every store, which helps secure both the data and information of your business and your customer.

In today’s article, we would like to provide you with comprehensive instruction on how to set up HTTPS for your BigCommerce stores.

Let’s get started!

What is HTTPS?

HTTPS (Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol Secure) is the secure version of HTTP, which is a system used to send data from a web browser to a website.

TSL (Transport Layer Security), formerly known as SSL (secure sockets layer), supports the ‘Secure’ component. As a result, it helps to protect sensitive user data such as credit card numbers, passwords, and addresses.

What is an SSL certificate?

BigCommerce stores have sitewide HTTPS available by default. However, to enable sitewide HTTPS on BigCommerce, you must have an SSL certificate beforehand.

An SSL certificate is provided by a trustworthy third party for a particular domain or subdomain. It ensures that a protected web page (such as the checkout page) is correctly encrypted, guaranteeing that all information exchanged between a customer and the server is secure.

The importance of HTTPS

With a huge number of transactions, visitors, and data being entered every day on an online store, using HTTPS has become more critical than ever. Here are four major reasons that explain the considerable importance of HTTPS.

• Vital for Google visibility.
• Reduce visitors’ anxiety and increase their trust.
• Customers, products, and profits all safe on your site.
• Improve your analytics data.

How to set up HTTPS?

All BigCommerce stores with a custom domain installed are automatically provided with a free andand dedicated SSL certificate, called Encryption Everywhere.

To set up HTTPS, you need to use either Encryption Everywhere or other paid SSL certificates for your site, and then toggle on the Sitewide HTTPS option in your store settings.

Step 1: Install a SSL certificate

1. Login and register a custom domain name

Before installing an SSL certificate, you need to make sure that you are logged in as the Store Owner and already have a custom domain name registered with your store beforehand because they are fundamental requirements to help you proceed with the installation.

2. Go to Server Settings and SSL Certificates

You need to go to Server Settings, which is on the BigCommerce control panel’s left-hand side, then click on the path SSL Certificates as the two images show.

3. Select the domain for your SSL certificate

If you have more than one custom domain, you will be asked to select only one domain that you want to install the SSL certificate from the drop-down menu.

If you only have one domain, you will be directed automatically to a new page that looks like this:

Then, click on the button Choose a certificate.

4. Choose one out of four SSL certificate options

You will have four SSL Certificate Options to choose from: Encryption Everywhere, GeoTrust QuickSSL Premium, GeoTrust True BusinessID, GeoTrust True BusinessID with Extended Validation (EV).

Click on Buy at the bottom of each SSL certificate type that you want to purchase.

You can either stay with the free version Encryption Everywhere already installed in your BigCommerce that offers basic encryption or choose other paid versions of this license.

If you choose Encryption Everywhere, you can move on to Step 2 now.

However, if you choose to buy the paid version of the SSL certificate, please continue with the confirmation of payment details.

5. Confirm your payment details

A payment bill will appear on your computer screen. You will have to read through all the details and check if they are all correct or not. If not, click Edit to make changes.

You must also choose an Approver Email address from the drop-down list of email addresses pre-selected by your domain registrar. Then, click on Confirm Purchase.

After a few minutes, you will receive an email at the preselected email address you chose, asking you to verify your contact information and domain ownership. If you haven’t received this email after a while, or if you need to update the approver email address, please contact the support.

Step 2: Toggle on the Sitewide HTTPS option

In this last step, you need to go back to your BigCommerce control panel and look for the menu Store Setup (on the left-hand side, as the image shows).

Then choose Store Settings and enable Sitewide HTTPS.

And that’s all you need to do to set up HTTPS for BigCommerce stores. It’s quite easy, right?

Conclusion

Thanks to sitewide HTTPS available by default on BigCommerce, your process of setting up HTTPS for your online store becomes way easier.

We hope that our setup guide today brings you valuable information and also assists you in building a secure and reliable online store for your customers.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to comment in the comments section below. Thank you so much for reading, and good luck with your setup!