Hi everyone, I have plans of introducing a website so that I can start my online business. The site will be dealing in computer accessories and all the hardware stuff that is related to the computer field with an online purchase facility. But, before that I would like to know the pre-requisites that are needed to run a website of your own that has an online payment option, as I was informed about the SSL certificate issues by my developer and would like to know more on this from you people.

SSL certificate is a necessity if you are planning to introduce an online store and accept payments online. SSL is Secure Sockets Layer which is a communications protocol that has been approved by Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) as a security standard. The SSL certificate assures the visitors to your site of the security of their personal information for the purchase and enforces a trust among the visitors. I would suggest you to get yourself a SSL Certificate as without this, you would not be eligible to prove your professionalism and trust to your customers. My friend had been sought the services of Verisign that was purchased from SSL Star that was offering competitive prices. I believe that this may be a good option for you.