GoDaddy Review
In terms of recognition, GoDaddy is the largest hosting provider in the world. In fact, no other web hosting provider even comes close to GoDaddy’s gargantuan size. They currently host over 55 million domains worldwide. If you ever thought about purchasing a domain, chances are GoDaddy crossed your mind at least once. We would like to focus on that point. GoDaddy is no doubt the premier destination for purchasing a domain name. This is because over the last decade, they spent millions of dollars in marketing (specifically TV advertising) which helped propel them to the top of the hosting industry. However, just because they have great publicity and make purchasing a domain name easy and enjoyable does not necessarily mean they are a great overall hosting service. They are also certainly more expensive, but in their defense, at least you know what you are getting. In this review, we have explored all of the key elements to see how GoDaddy stood up to the rest of the competition.
Features
GoDaddy’s sheer size means they cater to everyone – individual webmasters, small businesses, large businesses and even Fortune 500 companies all across the globe. Consequently, they need to supply the entire package to their enormous customer base. If you are looking for a specific feature, GoDaddy has it. They leave no stone feature unturned. That said, if you are determined to use GoDaddy at all costs, be prepared to pay. Many features are not included in the basic package, such as shopping cart software and SEO tools, and you will need to upgrade for a few extra dollars per month in order to have access to these features. Here are a list of main features that GoDaddy offers:
- Unlimited disk space (upgraded account)
- Unlimited transfers/bandwidth
- Up to 1,000 domains
- 10+ MySQL databases
- 50 FTP accounts
- Unlimited e-mail accounts (upgraded account)
- Unlimited e-mail forwards (upgraded account)
- Free website builder
- Website statistics
- Shared SSL
In regard to features, there are many more that GoDaddy offers. It does not matter if you are looking to build a blog, an e-commerce site, a forum, etc. GoDaddy has all of the features a webmaster could possibly need. Just be prepared to pay a bit extra for them, though not by much.
Customer Support
We were beyond frustrated when we saw that a company as big as GoDaddy does not offer live chat to their customers. We have had some rough experiences with phone support so when we saw this as the initial contact method, we already had preconceived notions about what we were going to experience. However, these feelings were a bit alleviated by the fact that on the support page, you can see the actual wait time for phone support. It did not matter what time it was or how many times we came back – we never saw a wait time longer than 10 minutes. It is not the best we have seen but you cannot really complain about their efficiency when they service half the globe (not literally but you know what we mean). Furthermore, you can contact them via their e-mail ‘ticket’ system in which you can expect a reply within two hours or so on average. We e-mailed them about changing the name on a registered domain and we received a reply within two hours. We also contacted them a few more times about pointing the DNS and that also took under two hours. This is above average support for e-mail communication. Their support reps are also one of the most knowledgeable in the industry which is comforting. GoDaddy also runs a highly active forum. Lastly, GoDaddy does not seem to promote their money back guarantee. This is unfortunate because it is a good one. You are eligible to receive your money back on time unused with the exception of domains and SSL.
Ease of Use
With a household name like GoDaddy, you know that they are not going to use the standard control panels (cPanel or vDeck). GoDaddy built a proprietary control panel for their user base. While it can take time to get used to and can even be considered “clunky” for starters, it performs astonishingly well once you understand the full functionality of it. All icons are laid out individually which makes it easy on the eyes and even easier to navigate. From domain management to database options, you will find everything right away. If you need to perform more advanced tasks, it will take some time to get used to as we just pointed out. However, professional webmasters may actually prefer the custom GoDaddy control panel over the cPanel or vDeck. Additionally, installing a CMS is a breeze and there is no prior technical knowledge required.
GoDaddy’s Proprietary Control Panel
Website Building
If there is one area that GoDaddy splurges on, it is their website building. We would like to first point out that like their control panel, GoDaddy’s website builder is unique as well. As usual, there is a learning curve but this is arguably the most powerful website builder we have used. The tools offered within this website builder are truly incredible. We cannot give GoDaddy enough credit here. Also, every other web hosting provider we have come across offers generic templates with a few unique designs to ‘stand out’ over the competition. With GoDaddy though, they offer a wide range of exclusive templates that are suitable for any type of website, even the most professional one. Moreover, GoDaddy allows you to build a mobile website with their customized mobile website builder.
GoDaddy’s Website Builder
Reliability
Another area where GoDaddy shines is their reliability. As you would expect, GoDaddy guarantees 99.9% uptime. You will rarely hear any complaints from their customers. This is likely because GoDaddy actually owns the data centers whereas almost all other hosting providers (if not all) lease the data centers that they use. Not only does this allow for faster speeds but it also means enhanced security.
Summary
Overall, GoDaddy is a top domain and web hosting service. If you are looking to purchase a domain specifically, GoDaddy is most likely your best choice. They are not our first choice if you are looking to build a website, especially for beginners, however they are no doubt a top 10 service. They offer tons of features, proprietary technology that separates them from the competition and superior reliability. If you are willing to pay a few extra dollars per month, GoDaddy is an excellent choice.
