Building trust with your customers is one of the main elements of a successful online presence strategy. If your WordPress website isn’t completely safe and seems even remotely suspicious to your visitors, you’ll lose them in an instant. This is why you need an SSL certificate to signal your website visitors, there’s nothing to worry about.
However, not everyone can afford the additional cost of a paid SSL certificate. Luckily, there are free options that you could use. If you think you need an SSL certificate but aren’t sure if you should get it or how to do it for free-just keep reading.
Here’s everything you need to know about getting free SSL for your WordPress website.
What is an SSL certificate?
SSL stands for Secure Socket Layer. It enables safe and encrypted communication between a web browser and a web server.
If a website isn’t using SSL, there’s a bigger chance that hackers can hijack sensitive information from the users. Credit card numbers, passwords, email addresses- it’s all jeopardized.
This means that SSL enables:
- Safe online communication.
- Private communication between just the two intended parties.
It’s no wonder that Google shows websites without SSL as “not secure.” And you don’t want your website visitors to feel like they’re facing a potential danger by being on your website.
How Does SSL Work?
To make it easier for you to understand why you need an SSL certificate, we’ll explain exactly how it works.
Here’s the process that takes place every time someone visits your website:
- SSL has the job to encrypt information between the browser and the website someone wants to visit.
- when a person visits an HTTPS website with an SSL certificate, their browser checks if the certificate is valid.
- browser encrypts the data using the website’s public key.
- the data is decrypted by the website using that public key and a secret key.
This is why, when you see an HTTPS/SSL website with a secure padlock to the left of the URL, you know you’re staying on the safe side.
Why Do I Need an SSL Certificate?
After reading all this, you still may be wondering why you need an SSL certificate for your website. The truth is. There are numerous reasons.
Let’s break down the most important ones:
- you want your visitors to feel safe.
- you have to protect their sensitive information.
- if you collect user information like login details, payment information, credit cards, you are obligated to have it.
It’s obvious that you need an SSL certificate to show you’re trustworthy and professional.
Type of SSL Certificates
There are several type of SSL certificate.
Here is a list of the different types of SSL certificate types.
• Extended Validation Certificates (EV SSL)
• Organization Validated Certificates (OV SSL)
• Domain Validated Certificates (DV SSL)
• Wildcard SSL Certificate
• Multi-Domain SSL Certificate (MDC)
• Unified Communications Certificate (UCC)
How Can I Get a Free SSL Certificate?
If you want to get an SSL certificate for your website but aren’t quite ready to reach into your budget for it, you can still get a free one. There are several options & websites for getting a free SSL certificate for your website, and we’ll show you the best ones.
Free SSL Certificate Sites
Cloudflare
Cloudflare is an internet performance and security company that offers all kinds of services, solutions, and products. And, they offer a free SSL certificate to everyone using their basic, free plan.
This means that all you have to do to get an SSL certificate is to:
- route the traffic to your website via Cloudflare
- activate the free SSL certificate within Cloudflare with a single click of a button
This is an ideal option for personal blogs, small websites, and people who are just getting started. Easy to implement.
Let’s Encrypt
The first CA (Certificate Authority) you should consider using for getting a free SSL is Let’s Encrypt. They’re a nonprofit project built to keep the internet safer.
And the best part is that most good web hosting providers offer native integration for Let’s Encrypt.
To get your SSL certificate with Let’s Encrypt, you’ll need to:
- open your website’s admin panel
- go to security and find Let’s Encrypt
- select the domains you want to change from HTTP to HTTPS
Let’s Encrypt has issued over one billion SSL certificates over the years and is one of the best and easiest ways to get your SSL certificate for free.
SSL For Free
Another way to get free SSL is via the website SSL For Free. The process of obtaining the certificate through this website goes like this:
- you enter the domain and verify your ownership
- the website will create a zip file for you to download
- it will contain all the files needed to enable HTTPs on your site
It’s another easy and free of charge option for you.
Comodo SSL
Another way to get free SSL is via the website Comodo SSL. The process of obtaining the certificate is same as above.
ZERO SSL
Other good website to get free SSL is via the website ZERO SSl. The process of obtaining the certificate is same as above.
Free SSL – SSL.com
Similar process as above.
freessl.org
Similar process as above, A website that provides free HTTPS certificate applications
WordPress Plugins
There is lot of WordPress plugins available who provides Free SSL Installation to your blog or website by just a click.
Should I Add a Free SSL Certificate to my WordPress Website?
After seeing how easy it is to set up a free SSL certificate for your WordPress website, the answer is definitely yes.
You’ll gain your customers’ trust and will be able to promise them a safe environment on your website.
You can even update your page security section, adding information about the safe encryption that takes place on your website. Check out this top websites page in case you need help with writing your security policy.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, it’s easy to add a free SSL certificate to your WordPress website. And, while it’s not obligatory for a personal blog or a website that doesn’t collect personal information, it’s still highly recommended.
Think about the options we’ve listed above and choose the one you feel most comfortable with. Add a free SSL to your website to make sure your visitors and safe and protected.
Read:
Tips to Secure your WordPress Website from Hackers
Top 20 WordPress Plugins Every Blogger Needs
