There are no excuses for running a website without the addition of an SSL Certificate.
Not when the AutoSSL module included with the cPanel Hosting Control Panel (offered by most web hosting providers) enables you to quickly and easily add a free Let's Encrypt SSL certificate to your hosting account and its domains.
Here are five reasons to use an SSL certificate with your website.
Visitor Reassurance
When someone visits your website via HTTPS they will see a reassuring padlock icon in the address bar of their browser window.
They will be able to interact with your website knowing that their data is encrypted whilst being transferred from their web browser to your website's server.
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Security
When you sign into your website's Joomla! CMS Dashboard, your user credentials will also protected by the encrypted connection.
The HTTPS connection prevents so-called packet sniffers from harvesting usernames and passwords.
Improved Performance in Search Engines
Google has indicated that using an HTTPS address for a web page will have a positive impact on search engine performance.
Affordability
Commercial SSL certificates can be costly.
AutoSSL and Let's Encrypt do not require an additional subscription.
Critics point out that Let's Encrypt SSL certificates are domain-validated.
There is no external verification and so domain validated SSL certificates do not guarantee the trustworthiness of a website.
A domain-validated SSL certificate can be added to a website by anyone, even the developer of a spoof website.
Domain-validated SSL certificates do however protect the data of users interacting with websites that use them.
Usability
Let's Encrypt SSL certificates issued via AutoSSL automatically renew.
You should still periodically check the status of your SSL certificate.
If for some reason your domain's SSL status has not renewed then you can easily reissue the certificate via your hosting control panel.
If this problem persists then contact your hosting provider's Technical Support.
How to obtain a Let's Encrypt SSL Certificate
It's easy to add an SSL Certificate to your hosting account, its website, email and domains.
We show you how to do so using the AutoSSL module, included with a cPanel Hosting Account by most hosting service providers, at the following link.
Read more: How to issue an SSL Certificate.
Issues to consider before you do
When an SSL Certificate is issued then your website's URL will change from HTTP to HTTPS.
You will also notice a padlock icon in the browser address bar.
The change of URL means you will need to make some changes to your website's Joomla! CMS after issuing an SSL Certificate.
And maybe some changes to the settings of 3rd party extensions used by your website.
If you are using Search Engine and Social Media Accounts in conjunction with your website, then these accounts' settings will most likely also need adjusting.
Your website's performance in search engines will otherwise be adversely impacted by changing your website's URL from HTTP to HTTPS.
Website visitors who use an old devices and/or operating system may not be able to visit your website after issuing an SSL Certificate.
