What Is an SSL Certificate and Do You Really Need One?
If your website address shows “Not secure” in the browser bar, you are losing visitors before they read a word. The fix is an SSL certificate. This guide explains what an SSL certificate actually does, which type you need, what it costs in India, and how to get one installed without touching a line of code.
What is an SSL certificate?
An SSL certificate is a small data file installed on your web server that does two jobs. First, it encrypts the connection between a visitor’s browser and your site, so passwords, card details and form entries cannot be read if they are intercepted. Second, it verifies that your site really is who it claims to be, because a trusted Certificate Authority checked your ownership of the domain before issuing it.
When a certificate is active, your address changes from http:// to https:// and the browser shows a padlock instead of a “Not secure” warning. Strictly speaking, modern certificates use TLS rather than the older SSL protocol, but “SSL certificate” remains the name everyone uses.
Why every website needs one — even a brochure site
- Browsers flag sites without it. Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari all label plain HTTP pages as “Not secure”. That warning alone drives people away.
- Google uses HTTPS as a ranking signal. It is a light signal, but it is a confirmed one — and secure sites earn more trust and more links.
- It protects any form you have. A contact form, a login, a newsletter signup — all of it travels in plain text without encryption.
- Payment processing requires it. No payment gateway will work on an unencrypted checkout.
- Modern web features require it. HTTP/2, HTTP/3 and browser APIs like geolocation only work over HTTPS.
The three validation levels
Domain Validation (DV)
The Certificate Authority only checks that you control the domain, usually by email or a DNS record. Issued within minutes. This is the right choice for blogs, portfolios, brochure sites and most small business websites.
Organisation Validation (OV)
The CA also verifies that your company is a real, registered business. Takes one to three working days and shows your company details in the certificate. A sensible step up for company websites and B2B portals where buyers check who they are dealing with.
Extended Validation (EV)
The most thorough check of your legal, physical and operational existence. Takes several days and costs the most. Typically used by banks, large e-commerce sites and financial services. Browsers no longer show the old green bar, but the company name is still visible in the certificate details.
Single domain, wildcard or multi-domain?
- Single domain — covers one address, for example yourcompany.com (with www). The cheapest option and enough for most sites.
- Wildcard — covers a domain and all its subdomains: blog., shop., mail. and any you add later. Far cheaper than buying separate certificates once you have three or more subdomains.
- Multi-domain (SAN/UCC) — covers several completely different domains under one certificate. Useful if you run multiple brands from one server.
Salasar Hosting supplies all three types alongside installation on your server — see the current SSL certificate options.
Free SSL vs paid SSL — what actually differs
Free certificates (Let’s Encrypt, and the AutoSSL built into most cPanel hosting) provide exactly the same encryption strength as paid ones. A visitor cannot tell them apart in day-to-day browsing. What you get by paying is:
- Longer validity — free certificates expire every 90 days and rely on auto-renewal working perfectly; paid ones run for a year.
- Business validation — free certificates are DV only. If you want your registered company name inside the certificate, you need OV or EV.
- A warranty — paid certificates carry a financial guarantee if the CA mis-issues.
- Wildcard and multi-domain coverage with straightforward management.
- Support — someone to call when the installation or renewal goes wrong.
Practical rule: a personal blog or a simple brochure site is well served by free AutoSSL. A site that takes payments, stores customer data, or represents a registered company is worth a paid certificate.
How to install an SSL certificate
- Pick the type — DV/OV/EV and single/wildcard/multi-domain, based on the sections above.
- Generate a CSR — in cPanel, open SSL/TLS → Generate a Certificate Signing Request. Fill in your domain and organisation details exactly as registered.
- Complete validation — respond to the CA’s email, or add the DNS/file token they give you.
- Install the certificate — paste the issued certificate and the CA bundle into SSL/TLS → Install an SSL Website. On Salasar Hosting plans we do this step for you.
- Force HTTPS everywhere — redirect all HTTP traffic to HTTPS, update internal links and image paths, and update your site address in WordPress under Settings → General.
- Check for mixed content — one image or script still loading over HTTP will break the padlock. Browser developer tools will list them.
After installation: don’t lose the padlock
Two things break HTTPS more than anything else. The first is expiry — diarise the renewal date, or use a certificate with auto-renewal you have actually tested. The second is mixed content creeping back in when someone pastes an HTTP image URL into a page. Run a quick check after any major content update.
It is also worth updating Google Search Console: add the HTTPS property (or use a domain property, which covers both) so you keep seeing your data after the switch.
Frequently asked questions
Will moving to HTTPS hurt my rankings?
Not if you do it properly. Set up 301 redirects from every HTTP URL to its HTTPS equivalent, update your sitemap, and tell Search Console. You may see a brief wobble for a few days while Google re-crawls, then things settle — and HTTPS is a positive signal.
How much does an SSL certificate cost in India?
Free DV certificates are included with most cPanel hosting. Paid DV certificates generally start in the low hundreds of rupees per year, OV certificates run into a few thousand, and EV certificates cost more again. Wildcards cost more than single-domain certificates but less than buying many separately.
Do I need a separate certificate for my subdomains?
Only if you use single-domain certificates. One wildcard certificate covers every subdomain of a domain, which is usually cheaper and much less to manage once you pass two or three subdomains.
Does an SSL certificate make my website secure?
It secures data in transit — nobody can read the traffic between browser and server. It does not patch outdated software, block brute-force logins or stop malware. Treat it as one layer alongside updates, strong passwords, backups and a firewall.
Can I move my certificate to a new host?
Usually yes, if you kept the private key and the certificate files. In practice it is often faster to reissue the certificate on the new server. Plan this into any hosting migration so the site is never served over plain HTTP.
Salasar Hosting supplies and installs DV, OV, EV, wildcard and multi-domain SSL certificates for Indian businesses, with renewal reminders and local support. See SSL certificate plans → or pair one with cPanel web hosting, VPS hosting or a new domain.