Yes, you need SSL for your website because HTTPS is now the baseline for visitor trust, data protection, and normal browser behavior.
SSL is the common name people use, but the technology running modern secure sites is TLS. Either way, an SSL certificate encrypts the connection between your visitor’s browser and your server, which blocks snooping on things like contact form details, login credentials, and appointment requests. For Orlando and Central Florida businesses, that matters even if you only “collect leads,” because a quote form for a roofer, a new patient form for a dentist, or a case evaluation form for a law firm can contain sensitive details.
| What your site does | What can happen without HTTPS | Do you need SSL? |
|---|---|---|
| Accepts payments, takes deposits, or embeds checkout | Card data and customer details can be exposed in transit, and many processors will not allow checkout on HTTP | Yes, required |
| Has any form (contact, request a quote, scheduling, patient intake) | Browsers can warn users, and form submissions can be intercepted on public Wi-Fi | Yes, required |
| Has logins (client portal, membership, WordPress admin) | Passwords can be captured, accounts can be taken over | Yes, required |
| Is “brochure only” with no forms | Visitors still see weaker trust signals and some modern features may not work | Yes, strongly recommended |
| Runs on subdomains (portal.yourdomain.com, shop.yourdomain.com) | One insecure subdomain can confuse users and break sessions | Yes, cover all subdomains |
From a practical standpoint, SSL is not just about security. Chrome and other browsers already label HTTP as “not secure,” and Chrome is rolling out even louder warnings for non-HTTPS public sites starting in April 2026 for many users, with broader default behavior planned for October 2026. That kind of warning can wreck conversions, especially on high intent pages like “Book now” or “Get a consultation.”
What to do next is usually straightforward: install a certificate (many hosts include free certificates), force a sitewide redirect from HTTP to HTTPS, update internal links and your sitemap to the HTTPS version, and fix “mixed content” (images or scripts still loading over HTTP). If your site is already ranking, also add the HTTPS version in Google Search Console so your reporting stays clean and your pages get recrawled under the secure URL.
If you want us to handle the hosting side end to end, our WordPress hosting support covers SSL setup, renewals, and the little issues that pop up after a switch, like redirect loops or mixed content.
If you are rebuilding or moving platforms at the same time, our web design team can roll SSL into the launch checklist so you do not lose leads during the transition.
SSL is also tied to search visibility, so if you want the SEO angle in plain English, we break it down in does HTTPS affect SEO.
When SSL is installed correctly, you should see a padlock icon, your site should load only on https://, and every important page should pass a quick test: open it on your phone while on public Wi-Fi and submit a form without seeing any security warning. If you want a second set of eyes, we can check your setup as part of a technical tune-up, which falls under technical SEO.
