When you add an SSL certificate to your website you ring fence it from the prying eyes of the internet. An SSL certificate protects any sensitive data that passes through your site, from passwords to credit card details.
SSLs harness one of the most secure encryption methods going – 256 bit encryption – to stonewall from those with sinister intentions from snooping on your website’s private data. Sites with SSL certificates feature a padlock icon and/or a green address bar in users’ browsers, showing users you’re safe to do business with.
Search engines smile on SSL certificates. Adding one to your site can give you a little boost up the search engine rankings.
On 24th July 2018, Google started showing the shocking warning ‘Website Not Secure’ in the web address bar of websites without SSLs, making unsecured sites seems less trustworthy.
SSL certificates cost as little as £41.66 / yr plus VAT for a standard SSL certificate to protect a single domain rising to £191.66 / yr + VAT for a EV Premium SSL certificate including the Green Address Bar.
SSL certificates are pretty straightforward to install with minimal development time, so the question is, why wouldn't you have one?