As a small business owner, ensuring your website is secure is important. It sounds simple, but far too many websites and online store owners need to recognize the dangers of neglecting their online security.
Fortunately, if you’re using the WooCommerce on WordPress, there are plenty of easy fixes, tricks, and tips you can follow to keep your website safe, secure, and reputable. Let’s dive into everything you need to know.
The Dangers of Not Protecting Your WooCommerce Store
In 2021 alone, the US experienced over $20 billion in payment fraud worldwide connected with eCommerce stores, and with 32% of all online security breaches happening to eCommerce businesses, you have to keep your wits about you.
Malware, ransomware, data breaches, and other problems can happen to a WooCommerce store that is not secure. Not only will all of this cost you money and time, but your business’s reputation could suffer greatly.
If your business is compromised, you could lose money in your store account, your financial information and passwords, your access to your backend, and even risk having your customers’ data stolen.
That’s the big one.
We live in a world where data privacy has never been more important, and it’s becoming an increasingly discussed subject. You are responsible for your customers and their data, regardless of where your store is located.
Failure to do so could leave you facing a hefty fine.
Any business that has customer data stolen will look bad in the eyes of the public and their customers, which can seriously affect business. This isn’t just restricted to small eCommerce businesses, however.
Back in 2014, Home Depot experienced a massive data breach where 50 million customer credit card numbers were stolen, costing the company over $179 million. Fines are far stricter these days.
This is a big company. In terms of reputation and public opinion, the effect on a smaller store could be much bigger.
But this isn’t anything to be concerned about if you’re taking care of your customers and doing everything you can to keep your store secure.
Let’s look at the five best ways to improve your WooCommerce store security and ensure you’re not.
5 Ways to Improve Your WooCommerce Security
While there are technically endless ways to enhance your store’s security, let’s look at some of the most straightforward fixes you can make for instant results.
#1 – Start Using A Security Plugin
The first step you should take is to start using a security plugin. They can help reduce the chances of any malicious attacks and give you an extra layer of protection from various threats. There are lots on the market, but we’d recommend going for one of the more popular ones.
Check the reviews and download numbers for social proof of which plugins are the best. Sucuri Security, WordFence, and Defender are all great plugins to start with.
#2 – Always Keep Your Software Up-To-Date
Keeping your software up-to-date is absolutely essential. You need to make sure that your store is running on the most recent version of WooCommerce, as this will include the latest security patches and updates.
#3 – Get a Valid SSL Certificate
SSL certificates are an absolute must for any online store. Not only do they encrypt the data that is sent from your website, but they also assure your customers that their data is secure.
To get an SSL certificate, simply contact your website hosting provider, and they can walk you through the process. Many reputable providers, like SiteGround, will provide an SSL certificate with their hosting packages.
#4 – Use a Reputable Website Host & Payment Provider
Using a reputable payment provider is also essential. This will ensure that all transactions are secure, as you can be sure that your customers’ data is safe. Additionally, it’s also a good idea to use a reputable website host, as this will help you protect your store from any malicious attacks.
#5 – Use a Professional Security Service
As your website grows, it can become more vulnerable to attacks, and you have more to lose if something goes wrong. That’s why it’s a good idea to use a professional security service that can take care of everything security-related on your behalf.
WooBuffs can help.
As a small business owner, you’ve already got a lot on your plate. You’re focusing on products, growth, advertising, and marketing, and providing the best customer experience possible. That’s a lot already, and there’s little time to focus on things like store security.
WooBuffs makes things easy by offering a complete security service that keeps your store tight. Our services include;
- Real-time security monitoring of your website at all times, tracking traffic activity to block harmful hackers using intelligent blocking technology.
- Automatic protection against brute force attacks. We hide your backend URLs, manage your firewall, and automate harmful IP blocking.
- Urgent support whenever you need it. If you have a question, find your business compromised, or need help with anything, our team is always available to help at a moment’s notice.
- Complete optimization of your entire store and WooCommerce infrastructure. We manage all your scheduled updates and ensure everything works seamlessly.
- We optimize your page speed, store images, and CSS, fully minify your JavaScript and CSS, and fix all render-blocking resources.
- Full backup management so your store is always safe. We make sure your backups are always up to date and stored securely in the cloud.
Everything you need to improve your customer experience and enhance your SEO ranking.
At WooBuffs, we take security seriously. We ensure your store is always secure and running at its best, so you can focus on growing your business.
As a small business owner, it’s essential that you take security seriously and make sure your WooCommerce store is always as secure as possible.
Find your security plan today to help ensure your store is safe and secure at all times, maximizing your chances of having a successful eCommerce business.