Does authentication really matter?
SSL Certificate authentication
Authentication means that a trusted third party has verified the identification information contained in your SSL certificate, assuring customers that your site is actually your site. Concerns about fraud and identity theft have made users more hesitant to share personal information with unfamiliar web sites. However, 86% of online shoppers feel more confident about entering personal information on sites using security indicators, such as a trust mark.
DigiCert, Thawte and GeoTrust are established Certificate Authorities and their SSL certificates include a globally recognized trust seal, the Site Seal.