What the padlock actually means
An SSL certificate encrypts the connection between a visitor's browser and your website, so anything sent between them cannot be read in transit. The padlock and the https at the start of the address are the browser's way of saying that connection is secure. Without it, data such as a contact form or a login could in theory be intercepted on the way.
Why every site needs it, not just shops
It is a common myth that only sites taking payments need a certificate. Modern browsers now flag any site without one as Not Secure, which is enough to put visitors off whatever the site sells. Any site with a contact form is also handling personal details. For trust alone, every business website should be served over https today.
The effect on trust and search
A Not Secure warning quietly undermines everything else on the page, however professional it looks. Search engines also take https into account and prefer secure sites. So a certificate is not only about security; it affects whether visitors stay and whether you rank as well as you could. Its absence works against you on both fronts.
What happens when a certificate expires
Certificates are issued for a fixed period and must be renewed. When one lapses, visitors are met with a full-page security warning instead of your site, which sends most of them away. This is an avoidable and surprisingly common cause of a site appearing broken, and it is entirely down to a renewal that did not happen.
Getting and keeping one
Many hosts now provide certificates free and can renew them automatically, so the cost is rarely the issue. The thing worth confirming is that the renewal genuinely is automatic and working, rather than assumed. A quick check that the padlock is present and the certificate is in date saves the embarrassment of discovering otherwise from a customer.
Part of a healthy setup
An SSL certificate sits alongside the domain, the hosting and the DNS as one of the pieces that keep a site online and trusted. Like the others, it is easiest to manage when someone has oversight of the whole picture rather than each part being a separate mystery. Set up properly, it simply works in the background.
What to do next
Visit your own website and check for the padlock and https in the address bar. If you see a Not Secure warning, or you are unsure when the certificate renews, that is worth sorting before a visitor notices it for you.
Symnetrix can make sure your site has a valid SSL certificate that renews itself, as part of hosting that is looked after rather than left to chance. Learn more about website hosting in Hastings and East Sussex, or contact Symnetrix to discuss your setup.