SSL is the abbreviation for Secure Sockets Layer. This is now a requirement by Google to have installed on a server to prove that it is a trusted site and can be safely viewed and navigated.
There are two types of SSL, Paid and Free. We have found the most secure and reliable Certificate to be a Paid Version. More importantly, the certificate must be digitally signed by a trusted CA. We use the worlds most Trusted CA.
You don’t necessarily have to have an SSL Certificate, but your site will be penalised and when users go to your website, they will get a warning notice via the browser that the site is not deemed secure and continue at their own risk, which often will turn users away from going any further into your website.