Key facts
- Free SSL included with the £1 a day + VAT plan
- Certificates issued through Plesk and renewed automatically
- Cloudflare set to Full (strict) for encryption all the way to the server
- HTTP to HTTPS redirects configured
- Mixed content warnings found and fixed during migration
- Organisation Validated (OV) certificates available on quote
Why every site needs SSL
SSL (strictly, TLS) encrypts the connection between a visitor's browser and your website. Without it, browsers show a 'Not secure' warning, forms can be read in transit, and visitors leave. Payment providers and many plugins also require HTTPS. There's no good reason for any website to run without it in 2026.
How SSL works on dijitul hosting
- Server certificate. We issue a free, domain-validated certificate on your Plesk server, covering your domain and the www version.
- Automatic renewal. Free certificates are short-lived. Plesk renews them automatically before they expire, so there's nothing for you to remember.
- Cloudflare edge. Cloudflare presents its own certificate to visitors and connects to our server over HTTPS.
- Full (strict) mode. Cloudflare checks our server's certificate is valid, so traffic is encrypted and verified end to end.
- Redirects. All HTTP requests are sent to HTTPS, and we can enable HSTS once the site is clean.
Fixing mixed content
The most common SSL complaint is a padlock that won't appear, even with a valid certificate. That's mixed content: a page loaded over HTTPS pulling in an image, script or font over plain HTTP. Older sites are full of hard-coded http:// links in the database and templates. When we migrate a site we search for these and fix them, using a safe search-and-replace that respects serialised data in WordPress and similar systems. See website migration.
Do you need a paid certificate?
For almost every small business, no. Free domain-validated certificates use the same encryption as paid ones. Browsers show the same padlock.
Paid Organisation Validated (OV) certificates include your verified company name in the certificate details. Some procurement teams, banks or public sector contracts ask for one. If you need that, we can quote. Extended Validation certificates no longer change how the address bar looks in major browsers, so they're rarely worth the cost.
Included, not upsold
Free SSL is part of dijitul Complete Hosting, along with Cloudflare DNS management, daily backups and a domain. Order at clients.dijitul.uk/order.
Frequently asked questions
Is a free SSL certificate as good as a paid one?
For encryption, yes. Free domain-validated certificates use the same encryption strength and show the same padlock. Paid OV certificates add verified company details, which some contracts require. dijitul includes free SSL with its £1 a day + VAT hosting and quotes for OV.
Why does my site say Not secure even though I have SSL?
Usually mixed content: the page is HTTPS but loads some images, scripts or fonts over HTTP. It can also be an expired certificate or a missing redirect. dijitul fixes mixed content and sets HTTPS redirects when it hosts your site.
How often do SSL certificates need renewing?
Free certificates are short-lived and must be renewed every few months, with lifetimes set to get shorter. That's why automatic renewal matters. On dijitul hosting, Plesk renews certificates automatically, so they don't lapse.
Does SSL affect SEO?
Google has used HTTPS as a lightweight ranking signal since 2014, and Chrome warns users about non-HTTPS pages. The bigger effect is trust: visitors leave sites marked Not secure. Every site should run on HTTPS.
What does Cloudflare Full (strict) mean?
It means Cloudflare encrypts traffic to your server and checks the server's certificate is valid and matches the domain. It's the secure option. dijitul uses Full (strict) on all sites it hosts, with a valid certificate on the server.
Does dijitul charge for SSL?
No. Free SSL certificates, installation and automatic renewal are included in dijitul Complete Hosting at £1 a day + VAT. Paid Organisation Validated certificates are available on quote if a contract requires one.
Related
Set it up and forget about it
Managed hosting, Plesk, Cloudflare DNS, daily backups and your domain for £1 a day + VAT. We move your site for you.