A shared SSL is one certificate used by several sites. A dedicated SSL belongs to your domain alone. Both encrypt your pages, but a dedicated one is tied to your own name.
What an SSL certificate does
An SSL certificate encrypts the data that moves between your visitor and your website. It is what puts the padlock in the browser.
Without it, browsers warn visitors that your site is not secure. That scares people away, so every site should have one.
What a shared SSL is
A shared SSL is one certificate that several websites or domains use together. Shared SSLs often share the same IP address as well.
A wildcard certificate covers one domain and all of its subdomains. A multi-domain certificate lists each domain it covers. The free SSLs from Cloudflare use a shared SSL.
What a dedicated SSL is
A dedicated SSL belongs to your domain alone. It shows no warnings on your domain. You can use it anywhere on your site that needs SSL.
It also shows your site information when a visitor clicks the padlock. That gives your visitors a clearer sign of who runs the site.
Which one do you need?
If you only need to encrypt your pages, the free SSL does that. Most small business sites do well with it.
We give a free SSL certificate to every customer. We install it on your web hosting account, and we set it up on your WordPress website at no charge.
How to see which certificate a site uses
You can check any site in a minute. These steps work in most browsers.
Open your site
Type your full address, starting with https://, into the browser bar.
Click the padlock
Click the padlock icon at the left of the address bar.
Open the certificate details
Choose the option that says the connection is secure, then view the certificate.
Read the names
Look at who the certificate was issued to. A shared one may list several domains. A dedicated one lists only yours.
A common mistake with SSL
The most common mistake is letting a certificate expire. When that happens, browsers show a big warning, and visitors leave. A managed host renews it for you, so this does not happen.
Another mistake is mixing http and https. If one image or script loads over plain http, the padlock may break. Check that all your links use https.
Finally, make sure your site works with and without the www. Both addresses should be covered by your certificate.
If you see a warning
A warning often means the certificate expired or does not match your domain name. It can also mean a page loads an image over plain http.
Call Websnoogie in Omaha at 402-813-4034 any day from 7 am to 10 pm, and we will set up your free SSL and answer your questions.
Common questions
What is a shared SSL certificate?
It is one certificate used by several websites or domains together. They often share the same IP address too.
What is a dedicated SSL certificate?
It is a certificate that belongs to your domain alone. It shows your site information when a visitor clicks the padlock.
Does Websnoogie include SSL?
Yes. We give a free SSL certificate to every hosting customer and install it for you.
AboutRod and Tami Atwood
Rod and Tami Atwood and other Websnoogie contributors write the Websnoogie blog. Rod has built websites since 2004 and founded Websnoogie, LLC in Omaha in 2012. Tami is co-owner, content editor and billing expert. Call us at 402-813-4034 or write to staff@websnoogie.com.
