What is SSL and does my website need it?

Short answer: SSL is the technology that encrypts the connection between a visitor and your website, shown by the padlock and the 'https' in the address bar. It stops anyone from snooping on data passed between them. Every website needs it now — browsers flag sites without it as 'Not secure', which scares people off.

What SSL actually does

When someone visits a website, information travels back and forth — the pages they load, the details they type into a form, their card number at checkout. Without SSL, that information travels in plain text, which means anyone able to intercept it could read it. SSL scrambles it so only the visitor's browser and your server can make sense of it.

You've seen SSL in action a thousand times without knowing. The little padlock next to the web address, and the 's' in 'https' rather than 'http', both mean SSL is working. It's now the baseline expectation, not a premium extra. A site without it looks broken and untrustworthy the moment someone lands on it.

Why your site needs it, even a simple one

People assume SSL only matters for shops taking payments. It matters for everyone, for three reasons:

• Browsers actively warn against sites without it. Chrome and others show a "Not secure" label in the address bar. That single phrase is enough to send a cautious customer straight back to Google.
• Google uses it as a ranking signal. All else being equal, secure sites are favoured. It's not the biggest factor in how SEO works, but it's a free one you shouldn't skip.
• Any form needs protecting. Even a basic contact form collects names, emails and phone numbers. SSL keeps that data private and shows you take it seriously.

If you take payments, it's non-negotiable — no reputable payment system will even work without it. Our guide on what you need to start selling online treats it as a given for exactly this reason.

Do you have to pay for it?

Years ago, SSL certificates cost real money and were fiddly to install. Not any more. A free service called Let's Encrypt provides certificates that most hosting now installs and renews automatically. For a normal business website, you should not need to pay a penny for SSL.

Where you'll still see paid certificates is at the very top end — large organisations that want extended validation showing their registered company name. For a plumber, a café, a shop, or a consultancy, the free certificate does exactly the same encryption job and looks identical to visitors. Anyone trying to sell you an expensive certificate for a small business site is selling you something you don't need. It's one of the hidden costs worth questioning.

How we handle it

Every site we build comes with SSL set up as standard — it's part of getting a site properly online, not an add-on. With our free hosting, the certificate is installed and renews itself, so you never have to think about the padlock. If you host elsewhere, we make sure SSL is in place before launch.

There's nothing for you to configure or maintain. You just get a site that shows the padlock, keeps your visitors' data safe, and doesn't get flagged as unsafe. It's a small technical detail that quietly affects trust, ranking and whether people feel safe filling in your form.

If your current site says "Not secure", that's a quick, clear signal it's time for something better built. Get a clear price and we'll launch you with SSL sorted from day one.