SSL Certificates (and why they are now essential)

Updated 30 June 2023

What is SSL? 
SSL is an acronym for “Secure Sockets Layer”, an encryption technology developed for one purpose - securing the communication between your website and a customer's web browser.

You can identify a website with SSL in two ways:

1. There is a padlock icon and/or the website says "Secure" on the browser
2. The website has a prefix of “https” in the site’s URL (if it is not secure, it will say "HTTP"). ​

Most importantly, Google will display an SSL website as "SECURE" in the search results. Without SSL, your website will say "NOT SECURE" and will deter visitors coming to your site.  You may receive an error message to prevent traffic proceeding to your site such as the following:

GOOGLE'S AIM IS to prevent traffic from entering non-secure sites and therefore lowering their rank and presence in online searches

Protect your website and boost performance for just $45 per year
(Discounted from our standard price of $99)

​Small Business Web Designs is committed to delivering the most robust and high performing SSL Certificates at market-beating prices. At $45 per year, we offer value and industry-leading security well above other brands such as NetRegistry ($149.25/year), GoDaddy ($109.99/year) and Crucial ($99/year) while boosting your reach to potential customers.

A survey in May 2018 of all major Australian providers found that Small Business Web Designs offered 60% cheaper SSL certificates than the average price across Australia despite providing higher-level SSL certificates and more benefits than many other SSL certificate providers!

​Beginning in July 2018 with the release of Chrome 68, Google and Chrome will mark all non SSL websites as “not secure”.  See the original Google Update.

Get a discounted price of $45 per year for the life of your website!

If you choose to purchase SSL after our promotion ends, the price will revert back to our standard price of $99 per year.  Our special discounted price of just $45 is designed to encourage you to take up this important update.  Most importantly, this discount will apply for the life of your site! 

We encourage you to sign up now to access this discount forever.  As with our domain and hosting pricing, we promise to NEVER increase our fees in the future, meaning the $45 annual SSL Certificate fee will remain the same in all future renewals, forever.

We believe this is a mandatory update for your site, in line with industry requirements and highly recommend that you purchase this service as soon as possible.  

Did You Know?
​If Google detects SSL encryption on your website, it will rank better.  SSL is a HUGE factor to help your website in Google results!

The Benefits of an SSL Certificate for Your Website

1. Increase your traffic and search ranking on Google - Google has confirmed websites with SSL will be preferred in Google results
2. Creates user trust - Your website is shown as "secure" meaning browsers have no reason to avoid spending time reading about your business, and it also shows you care about your customers. 
3. Strong encryption, every time -  our SSL Certificate converts your website and customer data into impenetrable code, eliminating any data risks

Frequently asked questions

Can I use an SSL Certificate I purchased from another provider?
No, our SSL Certificates are specifically compatible for your website platform and must be purchased directly through us so we can configure it.

What happens if I don't buy an SSL Certificate?  
Your website performance will be significantly affected.  Although not technically mandatory, we would not be a responsible web design provider if we did not strongly recommend that you enable SSL protection on your website as soon as possible.

How much is an SSL Certificate?
The cost is $45 per year which will be issued annually for renewal.  This is a service which requires us to make the appropriate configurations to keep your website protected and encrypted year after year for optimal performance.   There are no contracts or minimum signup beyond 12 months. You can cancel at any time. ​

I am a new client to Small Business Web Designs, how do I purchase an SSL Certificate?
Simply note in your email to us when you choose your package that you would like an SSL Certificate on your site and we will add it to your features.  You can also note it in your question list that you will receive from us.  You do NOT need to complete the form below.
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​Any questions?  Please ask our support team today!