What are SSL certificates and WTF do I need one?

Yep, it’s not the most exciting subject in the world, so this blog post will be short and to-the-point.

SSL certificates are code that provide security for online comms.

Whilst your website may not be trading online, or collect any information, the fact that you have an SSL certificate means that you tick a box with Google, which increases the SEO score of your website (yay!)

How much, I hear you ask? Try approximately 10%!

To check if your website has an SSL certificate, go to the URL. If it has https:// then you’re GOLD! You’re all set up. If you just have http:// then you do NOT have an SSL certificate.

Our good friend Google has begun penalising websites without SSL certificates. Yep. True story. What this means is that:

1. You’ll lose ranking in Google (boo!)
2. Potential customers are alerted to the fact that your website is not secure (watch your bounce-rate soar!)
3. You’ll be sad because no one is visiting your website anymore….

Here’s a shot of what happened when we went to an unsecure website…

So, what can you do about it? Get an SSL certificate! Talk to your current web host who will be able to get your website set up so that your customers can browse knowing their information is secure.