Hostgator supports both Shared SSL and dedicated SSL certificates. To access shared SSL use the following form:
https://server.hostgator.com/~cpaneluser/
where server is the name of the web server you are on. This is usually in this form gatorxxx where xxx are numbers, and can be found in your hostgator welcome email.
When you access the site this way a warning message may appear. Better option for you would be to buy dedicated SSL certificate from Hostgator. Hostgator sells Comodo certificates which are one of the most recognizable in the SSL industry offering up to 256 bit encryption and free installation. Please note that if you already have the business shared hosting plan you are entitled for free dedicated SSL certifacte as well as free dedicated IP address which is required for dedicated SSL. You may also buy SSL from third party but there is $10 installation fee.
SSL certificates
SSL certificates secure and encrypt the data that is traveling between your computer and the webserver. The standard way leaves the data in plain text and someone might read it while it travels. So if you have an online store or any other site where users enters important information (like credit cards, social number etc) you should have secure connection. SSL creates secure connection.