How to Get SSL for InMotion Hosting

Why Do You Need SSL For Your Website?

The short answer is that you need SSL if you’re selling products or services online that are inherently more secure (think financial services, e-commerce, or online trading).

Longer answer: SSL protects your customers and keeps their information secure while they’re on your site. It also builds trust in your site’s readers (and potential customers). You can’t have one without the other.

How Do I Get SSL For My Website?

There are four easy steps to getting started with SSL on your website.

First, you need to ask your web host for support, preferably via live chat or phone. Most web hosts have an SSL certificate available for purchase. You’ll likely be directed to a third-party company’s website where you can purchase the certificate.

Second, you need to install the certificate on your server. Again, this is something you’ll likely be guided through by your web host. Your web host will have specific instructions on what to do (usually involves just clicking a couple of buttons).

Third, you need to ensure that your site’s address (i.e., website URL) starts with https:// instead of http://. This ensures that any packets sent to your site are secure and prevents hackers from eavesdropping (and potentially stealing) sensitive information.

Fourth, you need to tell your browser (i.e., Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari) to always connect to websites using https:// whenever possible. You can do this by adding the following line into the browser’s configuration file (i.e., chrome.config, mozilla.config, or safari.config):

  <match type="https">

That’s it! You now have SSL installed on your site. You can test out the configuration file change by reloading the browser and trying out your site again.

Why do some websites use one SSL certificate for multiple subdomains and why isn’t this enough? Let’s say you have a website named ‘example.com’ that uses one certificate for all subdomains. If you decide to register another domain name, say ‘blog.example.com’, you’ll need to purchase a separate certificate for that site as well. Buying and maintaining multiple certificates can be quite the headache. Instead, use a single certificate for all subdomains and ensure that your web host provides support for it (i.e., via phone, chat, or email).

What Next?

Now that you have SSL installed, what do you do? First up, you need to configure your site to use it. To do this, log in to your hosting account and click the tools button. You’ll then be able to click on the SSL page to get started. On that page, you’ll need to enter your domain name (i.e., example.com); the email address you used to register your domain name; and a brief description of your site. After you do this, click the ‘generate keys’ button. It will take a few moments for the keys to be generated and then you’ll be taken back to the SSL page where you can download your private key.

The private key is what you’ll use to decrypt any SSL-encrypted data. You should keep this private key securely stored somewhere on your computer. You’ll also need to keep your public key somewhere on your site. The public key is what is displayed in the ‘Certificate URL’ field on the SSL page when you generate the keys. This is the key that will be used to verify the identity of any website that gets SSL-encrypted from your server.

Now that your site has SSL configured, it’s ready to use. Your customers will be able to access your site using https:// instead of http:// whenever possible. This makes your site more secure and stops hackers from eavesdropping on user information.