In the world of website services, GoDaddy stands as a colossal entity. Renowned for its extensive advertising campaigns and widespread recognition, GoDaddy offers a range of services including domain registration, web hosting, productivity tools, and website builders. This review delves into the specifics of GoDaddy’s website builder, officially branded as “Websites + Marketing,” to determine its efficacy and suitability for various users.
GoDaddy Website Builder Pricing and Plans
GoDaddy’s website builder comes in five pricing tiers, including a free plan, each offering different features and capabilities.
Plan Overview
| Plan | Price | Storage | Visitors/month | Email Accounts | Dedicated Domain | Free SSL | Display Ads | Analytics |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Limited | Limited | – | GoDaddy subdomain | – | Yes | Yes |
| Basic | $6.99/month | Unlimited | Unmetered | Unlimited | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Standard | $10.49/month | Unlimited | Unmetered | Unlimited | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Premium | $13.99/month | Unlimited | Unmetered | Unlimited | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Commerce | $17.49/month | Unlimited | Unmetered | Unlimited | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
Free Plan
GoDaddy’s free plan offers full access to the website builder tool, including a GoDaddy template, SSL certificate, and basic marketing tools. The limitations include restricted storage and ecommerce capabilities, and the site must be hosted on a GoDaddy subdomain (e.g., username.godaddysites.com).
Basic Plan
The Basic Plan is the most affordable premium option. It includes domain registration, hosting service, and the ability to connect a custom domain. However, it lacks ecommerce tools and extensive marketing features.
Standard Plan
The Standard Plan expands on the Basic Plan by adding digital marketing features such as an SEO wizard.
Premium Plan
The Premium Plan further enhances marketing capabilities and introduces appointment functionality, making it suitable for businesses requiring scheduling features.
Commerce Plan
The Commerce Plan is designed for online stores, offering a comprehensive suite of ecommerce tools to manage and grow an online retail business.
Pros of GoDaddy Website Builder
Onboarding and Ease of Use
GoDaddy excels in user onboarding, ensuring a seamless and intuitive experience from the moment you sign up. The process is straightforward, with guided steps that cater to both novices and experienced users. The platform categorizes users by niche, offering tailored templates with relevant stock photography and design elements. This ease of use extends to maintaining a consistent design across devices, ensuring a mobile-friendly layout.
Design and Editing
While GoDaddy provides a range of templates with pre-filled elements, it also allows for basic customization. Users can edit color schemes, fonts, and general design themes, though the options are limited compared to more advanced website builders. The editor, though not drag-and-drop, is user-friendly and sufficient for creating aesthetically pleasing websites quickly.
Product Integration
As a leading domain registrar and web host, GoDaddy integrates its website builder seamlessly with its other products. This integration simplifies the process of domain management, SSL certification, and email setup, enhancing the overall user experience. Businesses already utilizing GoDaddy services will find this integration particularly beneficial.
Customer Support
GoDaddy’s customer support for its website builder is notably effective due to the proprietary nature of the software. Since the entire system is managed by GoDaddy, their support team can address and resolve issues more efficiently than with self-hosted platforms where user intervention is often required.
Cons of GoDaddy Website Builder
Costs and Pricing
GoDaddy’s pricing, while competitive, can be misleading. The basic features offered are comparable to those of other website builders, but the value diminishes when considering the lack of advanced functionalities. The higher-tier plans, while more expensive, do not provide significant advantages over competitors.
Limited Feature Set – Design
The trade-off for GoDaddy’s convenience is the restricted design flexibility. Users can perform only basic customizations, and more advanced options like HTML/CSS editing or drag-and-drop functionality are absent. This limitation can hinder growth and scalability, making it unsuitable for businesses needing complex, customized websites.
Limited Feature Set – Technical
Technical limitations extend beyond design, affecting integrations with third-party tools and advanced functionalities. While GoDaddy offers basic integrations with social media and analytics platforms, the options are limited compared to other builders. The proprietary nature of the platform also means users cannot access their website’s underlying code, restricting customizations and enhancements.
Oversimplification
GoDaddy’s approach to simplifying website building can sometimes be counterproductive. The platform’s oversimplification of SEO and other critical aspects can mislead users into believing they have optimized their sites when they may not have. This lack of depth in essential features like SEO can hinder a website’s performance in search engine rankings.
Future and Growth
The proprietary nature of GoDaddy’s website builder means all data is tied to the platform. This lack of portability can be a significant drawback for users looking to scale or migrate their websites in the future. The inability to export data easily can create long-term issues as businesses grow and their website needs evolve.
Conclusion
GoDaddy’s website builder is an excellent choice for users seeking a quick, straightforward solution for creating a basic website. Its ease of use, integration with GoDaddy’s other products, and effective customer support make it a convenient option for small businesses and individuals with simple website requirements. However, for those needing advanced design, technical capabilities, and scalability, other website builders or self-hosted solutions may be more suitable.
This diagram effectively visualizes the key advantages and disadvantages, helping readers quickly grasp the critical points discussed in the article.
Next Steps
For those interested in exploring other website solutions, we recommend taking our website builder quiz or online store builder quiz to find a platform that best meets your specific needs. If you are ready to try GoDaddy’s website builder, you can sign up with the discount provided here.
FAQs
Is GoDaddy a good website builder? GoDaddy is a suitable website builder for users seeking a straightforward, simple platform that integrates well with GoDaddy’s other products. It is not ideal for those requiring advanced functionality, design customization, or extensive third-party integrations.
Is GoDaddy Website Builder free? GoDaddy’s website builder offers a 1-month free trial. After the trial, plan pricing starts at $6.99 per month and increases based on the features included.
What technology does GoDaddy’s website builder use? GoDaddy uses a proprietary website builder software called GoCentral. It is designed to be simple and integrate seamlessly with GoDaddy’s suite of products. Alternatively, users can install third-party website builders like WordPress through GoDaddy’s web hosting services.