If you have a website that requires individuals to enter items, such as email addresses, passwords and especially financial information, then you should ensure that you are operating a secure website. By making your website secure, you are protecting your customer's confidential information. A secure website can give your customers the comfort of knowing that purchasing items on your website is safe for them and their banking accounts.

Contact your web hosting company to generate a CSR (Certificate Signing Request) form. Ask for a copy of the CSR to be emailed to you as you will need it later on.

Decide on the company you would like to purchase an SSL (Secure Socket Layer) certificate from. Many web hosting companies sell SSL certificates. You can also purchase SSL certificates from companies such as VeriSign, Register.com and GoDaddy. For the maximum security results, you should purchase a 128-bit encryption certificate.

Fill out the online application for the SSL certificate. You will need to enter the name and contact information for the individuals who handle the technical and administrative aspects of your website. You will also have to enter information from your CSR that was received in Step 1.

Proceed to the payment link to purchase the SSL certificate.

Wait until your request for an SSL certificate has been approved. This can take a few days. An email will be sent to the technical contact person you listed in Step 3 once you have been approved. The email will contact the SSL certificate along with installation instructions.

Install the SSL certificate on your website to make it secure.