We recommend free Lets Encrypt SSL certificates

Two of the web hosting providers with whom we work on behalf of customers recently enabled their hosting control panels (cPanel & Plesk) to install Lets Encrypt SSL Certificates.

We in turn took up the offer to encrypt communication to our company websites, and we have been very pleased with the results.

Here are FIVE reasons why we use Lets Encrypt SSL.

VISITOR REASSURANCE

When someone visits our web pages via HTTPS they now see a reassuring padlock in the address bar of their browser window.

Now, when customers sign in at our website they know that their confidential login details are encrypted and therefore protected from eavesdroppers.

SECURITY

IMPROVED SEO

Google has indicated that using an HTTPS address for a web page will have a positive impact on SEO performance.

You may have read or heard of instances when moving from HTTP to HTTPS has resulted in a short term detrimental effect on a website's performance in search engines, including Google.

We believe however that the potential adverse impact is likely to be temporary if you follow some basic steps to reduce the risk.

These are outlined on various websites.

We summarise them in our SEO User Guide and recommend additional steps that JOOMLERS should take.

AFFORDABILITY

Lets Encrypt SSL certificates are FREE and you can use a different one with each of your websites.

Commercial SSL certificates are available at low prices but you need one SSL for each domain.

Even running a small number of websites could cost you £00s per year if you choose to add a commercial SSL to each one.

We acknowledge the critics who point out that Lets Encrypt SSL certificates are domain validated i.e. can be added to a website by anyone, even the developer of a spoof website, without any external verification.

And agree that domain validated SSL certificates do not guarantee the trustworthiness of a website.

But they are affordable and do provide encrypted connectivity.

We recommend using a domain validated lets Encrypt SSL whilst you save up for a top drawer commercial one!

USABILITY

The recent support from the developers of the cPanel and Plesk Hosting Control Panels for Lets Encrypt SSL certificates has been an added bonus.

In the past it was usually necessary to ask for help from a hosting company's technical support staff when adding an SSL to your website.

Now you can do so at the touch of a button in your Hosting Control Panel.

We show you how in our WYNCHCO Hosting Guide.

This, for us, is a MUST HAVE feature when choosing a hosting company.

Things to consider when adding SSL to your website

Once you have found the Lets Encrypt button in your Hosting Control Panel it is very easy to install a Lets Encrypt SSL certificate.

But you will need to invest some time making some changes to your website's:

Joomla! CMS Settings, and
Search Engine Configuration

if your website and business marketing strategy is to fully benefit from the move from HTTP to HTTPS.

We outline these changes in one of our JOOMLERS.UK Tips for Joomlers articles.

WYNCHCO Joomla! CMS Support

We coach, help and support managers with responsibility for Joomla! websites in organisations across Cheshire, Manchester, Merseyside, North West England & the UK.

Details: Last Updated: 28 July 2017