EverWeb 2.4 introduced a great new feature: end to end data encryption of your website. The new feature, EverWeb Site Shield Addon, is available exclusively to anyone with an EverWeb+Hosting account. Here’s a Q&A on all that you need to know…
What Are The Benefits of Site Shield Addon?
EverWeb’s Site Shield Addon benefits your website in a number of important ways:
- Data transmitted between the EverWeb Hosting Servers and the visitor’s browser window is encrypted and so will be secure on any device: desktop, tablet or mobile.
- Encryption means that data such as personal information, financial transaction data (e.g. E-Commerce) etc. will be transmitted securely reducing the risk of data theft.
- A secure website is professional and shows your customers that you care about data protection. Secure sites display a ‘Padlock’ symbol next to their URL in the browser search box indicating to the visitor that the site is secure.
- Site Shield Addon is great for your website’s SEO giving you an immediate rankings boost. Search giant Google actively promotes secure websites over non-secure websites in Search Engine Ranking Results. Microsoft and Yahoo have also followed suit.
How Does Site Shield Addon Work?
Site Shield Addon effectively upgrades your website from using Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) to HTTPS which is the Secure version of the protocol. TLS, or Transport Security Layer, provides the security when transmitting data using HTTPS. Security Certificates are also used as part of process in enabling HTTPS for your website. You can find more information on HTTPS in the Google article Secure your site with HTTPS
How Much Does EverWeb Site Shield Addon Cost?
If you have a 10Gb or higher EverWeb+Hosting plan, Site Shield Addon is absolutely free. If you have a 2Gb plan, Site Shield Addon costs $29.95 per year.
What Version of EverWeb Do I Need to Use Site Shield Addon
You need EverWeb version 2.4, or higher, to be able to use Site Shield Addon in addition to your EverWeb+Hosting plan.
How Do I Purchase, or Add, Site Shield Addon?
To purchase, or add, Site Shield Addon you will need to go to your EverWeb Account profile. If you have EverWeb+Hosting 10GB, or higher, users you still need to add the Site Shield Addon to your EverWeb customer account even though it is free for you.
How Do I Make My Website Secure?
EverWeb always makes this kind of stuff really, really easy! If you’ve just added Site Shield Addon to your EverWeb account and have EverWeb open, quit and relaunch. Then, all you need to do is…
- Open your project file
- Go to File -> Edit Publishing Settings
- Tick the checkbox ‘Use HTTPS Secure URLs’
- Publish your website using File -> Publish Entire Site
The first time you publish your site using the ‘HTTPS Secure URLs’ option, it’s recommended that you publish the whole site. If you make changes afterwards to your Project file and republish, it’s OK to use the Publish button instead which publishes only the changes you have made to your website.
How Do I know That My Site Is Secure?
There are two ways you’ll know that your site is secure once you’ve published it:
- Instead of the site URL being prefixed with HTTP, it will be prefixed with HTTPS instead. If you don’t see the HTTP/HTTPS prefix at all, check your browser settings. Some browsers default to displaying only a shortened version of the URL.
- You’ll see a Padlock symbol beside your site’s URL name giving your visitors a visual cue that the site is secure.
Can I Use Site Shield Addon With More Than One Website?
Yes. Site Shield Addon is linked to your EverWeb Account so if you have more than one domain in your account they can all made secure.
What if I don’t have an EverWeb+Hosting Account?
If you have your own hosting provider and want end to end data encryption for your website, you’ll meed to contact your provider and work with them to implement this feature for you.
EverWeb Site Shield Addon is a real boon and is simple and easy to use, giving you added security for your website, better customer satisfaction, privacy protection and an SEO rankings boost as well!
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us below in the Comments Section!
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