# What is SSL Certificate?

What is SSL Certificate? A security certificate that encrypts communication between the browser and the site.

## How it works in practice

SSL is the 'floor' of digital trust. A customer who sees 'Not Secure' in the browser leaves. Google crawling a site without HTTPS ranks it lower. A payment gateway without SSL doesn't work. In 2024, SSL is a basic requirement, not an advantage.

## Related metrics

- Trust Signals — SSL is a basic trust signal
- PCI DSS — SSL is part of PCI compliance
- SEO — HTTPS is a ranking factor
- Checkout — checkout without SSL means customers abandon

## Common misconception

'SSL is expensive.' Let's Encrypt offers SSL completely free. Cloudflare offers free SSL. Shopify and WordPress with quality hosting include SSL. Modern SSL in 2024 costs $0-30/year for most stores.

## How to fix it

SSL not working? (1) Mixed content — an HTTPS site with HTTP resources triggers a browser warning; check with WhyNoPadlock.com, (2) Certificate expired — check the expiration date with an SSL checker, (3) Redirect not configured — is HTTP redirecting to HTTPS?

## Real-world example

Baby products store: an HTTP site with no SSL. Chrome showed 'Not Secure' on every page. CR: 0.4%. Added a free Let's Encrypt SSL certificate (1 hour). Chrome showed the green lock. CR rose to 1.8% within a week — a single change.

## Where to start

SSL is a day-1 priority. Without SSL, don't launch. In Shopify: automatic. In WooCommerce: hosting + Let's Encrypt (cPanel → AutoSSL). Takes 10 minutes. There's no excuse to go live without it.

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Category: Technology · From the [Jimmy OS KPI Glossary](https://jimmy-os.com/glossary/kpi.md) · Source page: https://jimmy-os.com/glossary/kpi/ssl-certificate