Why Do I Need SSL on My Website?

Note: This topic is for Homestead Websitebuilder sites only. If you have a Homestead Sitebuilder Plus site, please reference our topic on securing your Sitebuilder Plus site.

What is SSL?

Secure Socket Layer(SSL) is a standard protocol for the encryption of data between a web server(your site) and a browser(your visitor). When using SSL, all communication between the server and the visitor is encrypted. This will give you visitor peace of mind that any information they are sending to you is secured between you and your customer.

Why do I need SSL?

The Internet is a great tool, for everyone. Unfortunately, everyone includes cybercriminals. Without SSL an average hacker can intercept and read your communication. With SSL, this is a very difficult thing to do, and the protocols are constantly reviewed and improved for the best possible security.

SSL also has a positive impact on your search engine ranking.

Make sure your WebsiteBuilder site is secure. Open your browser and navigate to your site. If you see the locked padlock and https, your site is secure.


How do I get SSL on my WebsiteBuilder site?

If you register the domain through Homestead or point to your Homestead WebsiteBuilder site by using our nameservers, then SSL should happen automatically for you. This is included with all hosting packages. No extra fees.

If you are pointing your domain using DNS(A record pointing) please refer to our topic on activating your free SSL.

Besides security, are there any other benefits to securing my site?

There are! and they are also included at no additional charge.

1. Advanced protection from Distributed Denial of Service(DDoS) attacks. Simply put, DDoS is an Internet traffic jam. People intent on disruption of a site or service purposefully use a multitude of compromised devices to create so much junk traffic there is no way for legitimate traffic to find its way through, causing the site to be unreachable. There are several types of DDoS attack and therefore several ways to mitigate the attack. 
2. You also get a Content Delivery Network(CDN). A CDN improves the speed your pages load. This can help reduce your bounce rate and help to increase your search rank. It also increases content availability. Your data is located throughout a large network of servers. If one location has excessive traffic or hardware issues, the content can still be served from the CDN.

Summary:
SSL is free to you
SSL protects the information your customers share with you.
SSL helps you rank higher in search engine results
SSL activation provides advanced DDoS protections
SSL includes a CDN to improve speed and availability. Helps improve search ranking again.