// Domain & email
What is an SSL certificate, and does your site need one?
An SSL certificate is a layer of protection that encrypts data exchanged between a visitor's browser and your site, and makes the browser show a padlock icon and "secure connection" instead of a warning. Any site that collects any data from a visitor — even a simple contact form — needs one.
What SSL actually does
Without SSL, any data sent between a visitor's browser and your site's server is unencrypted, meaning someone else on the same network (like a public Wi-Fi network) could theoretically see it. With SSL, that data is encrypted so that even if someone intercepts it, they can't read it. This shows up to the visitor as a small padlock icon next to the site's address in the browser.
What happens without it
Modern browsers (Chrome, Safari, Firefox) show a clear "not secure" warning for any site without SSL, especially one with a data-entry form. That warning scares off an ordinary visitor and sends them away immediately, even if the site itself is perfectly fine. On top of that, Google uses the presence of SSL as a ranking factor in search results — a site without it ranks worse than an otherwise equal site that has it.
Does every site need it
In practice, yes. Even a simple brochure site with just a contact form collecting a name, email, and phone number needs SSL, because the visitor is sending personal data. Sites with online payment or login need it as an absolute essential, not an option, since going without it exposes sensitive data to real risk.
Does SSL need manual renewal
Yes, SSL certificates have an expiry date and need periodic renewal, typically around once a year depending on the certificate type. The difference is that renewal is a purely technical process handled through hosting, not something the client needs to track manually — as long as the site is under a company that actively manages the technical side, renewal happens automatically as part of routine maintenance. The problem only shows up when a site is left unmanaged for a long stretch and its certificate expires with no one there to renew it.
How to check your site actually has SSL running
The fastest way: look at the address bar in your browser while on your site. If you see a small padlock icon before the site name, and the address starts with https:// (not just http://), SSL is active. If you see a "not secure" label or a red warning, there's an issue that needs fixing immediately with whoever handles your hosting.
SSL within Dekwin's package
An SSL certificate is a core part of every package, not a separate add-on, and is included in the published annual renewal cost shown on the pricing page.