SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer and is a certificate that encrypts communications between a website and an internet browser, making the communication secure from hackers. In the past, SSL certificate was mandatory for those websites that accepted credit card payment.
In October 2017, Google decided that the browser Chrome will show a “NOT SECURE” warning when users enter text in a contact form or enter text in a sign up form on an HTTP page site (ie. NOT SECURE www.websitesample.com). To know if a website has an SSL certificate, check if the url starts with HTTPS:// instead of the unsecure HTTP:// where “S” stands for secure. The reason why google came up with this is is because consumers demand protection of personal information. This change will be shortly implemented in other browsers like Firefox, Safari and so on.
Having a SSL certificate for your website also affects Google search ranking algorithm, which means that if your website has SSL it will be positioned higher compared to a website that doesn’t have it.
To add an SSL certificate to your website you have to contact your hosting company. The average cost of an SSL certificate is around $100 per year.
Let us know if you have any questions by commenting on our Facebook Page or sending a direct email to luigi@mrsmatweb.com.