SSL certificates — what are they, and why use them?
When you visit a website and see a padlock next to the address in the browser, it means the connection is encrypted with SSL (Secure Sockets Layer). Without SSL, outsiders could potentially read the data sent between your visitors and your website — including contact forms, login details and payment data.
What does an SSL certificate do?
SSL encrypts all communication between the visitor's browser and your server. That means even if someone intercepts the traffic, they cannot read the content. Your website changes from http:// to https:// — and the browser shows a padlock.
Why does it matter?
Three reasons: Security — protects your visitors' data. Trust — visitors expect the padlock, and browsers actively warn against sites without SSL. SEO — Google ranks pages with HTTPS higher than pages without. In short: without SSL you lose both visitors and positions in the search results.
What types of SSL are there?
There are three levels: DV (Domain Validation) verifies that you own the domain — it is the standard and covers the vast majority of needs. OV (Organisation Validation) also verifies your company. EV (Extended Validation) is the highest level with full company verification. For most business websites, a DV certificate is fully sufficient.
What does it cost?
All our web hosting packages include a free SSL certificate via Let's Encrypt, which renews automatically. You don't need to do anything — we make sure it is always active and up to date. If you need OV or EV, we can help with that too.
Check your website now: Is there "https://" and a padlock in front of your address? If not, contact us — it takes less than 30 minutes to set up.
We review our guides at least every six months to make sure the content is up to date. If you spot anything outdated or missing, please write to us — we would love to hear from you.
Frequently asked questions
What is an SSL certificate?
Is Let's Encrypt good enough?
What does it mean that the certificate has expired?
Does SSL affect our ranking in Google?
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