A visible padlock builds trust with Ghanaian customers and is a small but real ranking signal with Google. Plesk makes getting one free, and Vikalink includes Let's Encrypt on every hosting plan.
1. Log in to Plesk
Access your Plesk panel through the link in your Vikalink welcome email, or from your client area under My Services.
2. Open Websites & Domains
From the left sidebar, click Websites & Domains, then select the domain you want to secure.
3. Find the SSL/TLS Certificates icon
Click the SSL/TLS Certificates icon for that domain. You'll see any existing certificates listed here, including expiry dates.
4. Choose "Get a free certificate"
Select the Let's Encrypt option, tick the box to secure the www version of your domain too, and click Get it free.
Key takeaway: Always secure both the root domain and the www subdomain in the same step — missing one means visitors on the other version still see a warning.
5. Turn on auto-renewal
Let's Encrypt certificates expire every 90 days. Plesk renews them automatically by default, but it's worth double-checking the renewal toggle is switched on.
6. Force HTTPS redirection
Enable the "Permanent SEO-safe 301 redirect from HTTP to HTTPS" option in the same panel so visitors and search engines are always sent to the secure version.
7. Clear your cache and test
Open your site in a private browser window and confirm the padlock appears. If you use a caching plugin, clear it so old HTTP links don't linger.
8. Common issues
If the certificate fails to issue, check that your domain's DNS is already pointed to Vikalink's nameservers — Let's Encrypt needs to verify domain ownership before it can issue a certificate.