• GoDaddy has brought its small business AI tool (Airo) to WordPress
• The new tool aims to solve complexity issues
• Unlike some AI website builders, Airo supports beyond website creation into website management and growth

GoDaddy, one of the best-known domain registrar companies, has brought its already popular small business AI tool (Airo) to WordPress with the goal of simplifying website-building, management, and growth.

In a press release shared with TechRadar Pro earlier this week, GoDaddy shared details of the new tool, highlighting its ability to help customers create and launch a fully functional WordPress website in a matter of minutes.

What is Airo?

GoDaddy Airo is an AI-powered platform targeted at helping small businesses and entrepreneurs to create everything they need to launch a business, from logos and marketing materials to full websites.

Airo was originally launched in 2024, but tied users into GoDaddy’s hosting and CMS. This latest update brings Airo to the world’s largest website platform, WordPress, unlocking its flexibility and vast range of plug-ins.

Airo for WordPress

“Small businesses and agencies have long faced a tradeoff where website builders are easy but limiting, while WordPress is powerful but complex,” said Bhala Dalvi, Vice President of Engineering at GoDaddy. “Airo for WordPress eliminates that by bringing the speed and simplicity of AI together with the flexibility and ownership of WordPress.”

According to the press release, Airo will offer key capabilities, including:

• AI-powered site creation in minutes
• No platform lock-in
• Super quick page load times
• A single-prompt AI companion for creating blogs, updating products, and refreshing webpages
• Seamless editing within the WordPress dashboard
• Automic plugin installation and configuration
• Continuous AI-driven improvements
• Dual editing paths, allowing users to switch between Airo and the native WordPress editor.

Bluehost, one of the best hosting platforms on the market, has announced a new ‘AI All-Access Pack’ that lets businesses access the most popular AI platforms for just $20 a month.

According to a press release shared with TechRadar Pro earlier this week, Bluehost aims to minimize the costs associated with multiple AI subscriptions, whilst removing the often complex question of which AI platform is right for your small business.

The new AI All-Access Pack grants access to ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Grok in one place, letting you seamlessly switch between models depending on the task you are working on.

The all-in approach

Along with access to some of the most popular AI platforms, you will be able to view multiple responses from each AI, previewing comparisons before choosing an answer. You also get a pre-built research agent for cited reports and deep analysis, along with a pre-built presentation builder and AI article writer. Plus, the Account Management Dashboard promises to help you manage teams and clients.

You can also opt for the Privacy+ tier. This adds a security layer, including prompt sanitization and private LLM access, making it ideal for businesses handling sensitive data, such as accounting firms, law firms, and medical practices.

“SMBs don’t need more AI tools; they need a simpler way to use them,” said Sachin Puri, CEO of Bluehost Group. “Right now, most users are juggling multiple AI models and guessing which one to use. The AI All-Access Pack removes that complexity, bringing the best models into one place, making AI easier to use, practical, and safe for real-world work, including work that involves sensitive data.”

How much does it cost?

Plans start at $20/mo, although you’ll need to pay a little more for Privacy+. According to Bluehost, you don’t need a Bluehost hosting plan to take advantage of this offer.

• Cybercriminals are abusing Google Ads to lure ManageWP users to fake login pages
• The phishing flow captures credentials and 2FA codes, relaying them to attacker‑controlled Telegram accounts
• Researchers found a custom Russian‑language phishing framework, with at least 200 confirmed victims so far

Cybercriminals are targeting ManageWP users through a series of malicious Google Ads sponsored search results, security researchers have claimed.

ManageWP is GoDaddy’s cloud-based service that lets users manage multiple WordPress sites from a single dashboard. Its users include web developers, agencies running multiple websites for their clients, and enterprises needing more than one site for their business. According to data on WordPress.org, ManageWP’s plugin is installed on more than a million active websites.

Security researchers from Guardio Labs said they found a fake landing page designed to trick users into sharing not just their login credentials, but 2FA codes, as well. The miscreants managed to advertise the page on Google, so whenever someone searches for ManageWP (or, presumably, similar services too), they are shown a dangerous result at the very top.

Russian threat actors?

Those who don’t spot the scam (by analyzing the URL they’re being redirected to) are shown a site that looks almost identical to the legitimate one, and if they log in - their credentials are relayed into a controller-owned Telegram account.

Guardio Labs also said they were able to access the threat actors’ command-and-control (C2) infrastructure, seeing a dropdown menu that allows for an interactive, modular phishing flow. However, the platform doesn’t seem to be a part of a commodity kit - the researchers believe this is a private phishing framework.

The researchers did not attribute the attack, or the platform, to any specific threat actor, but they did find something curious. The platform contains a user agreement, written in Russian, in which the creator rejects any responsibility for illegal conduct and states that the platform is built for educational and research use only.

The terms of service also prohibit the platform to be used against Russians, and the generated data to be publicly leaked.

At the time of writing, at least 200 victims have been confirmed. All of them have been warned about the attack.

Via BleepingComputer

GoDaddy has launched its rebranded ‘GoDaddy App’, promising to make it quicker and easier to manage your business on the go.

In a press release shared with TechRadar Pro earlier this week, GoDaddy announced the launch of its branded mobile companion that promises to bring together all GoDaddy tools under one unified identity.

GoDaddy reports that this latest release reflects an ongoing shift towards a mobile-first, unified identity that has been specifically designed to support entrepreneurs wanting to run their businesses on the move.

What’s on the app?

The app promises to deliver everything across the GoDaddy ecosystem, including features across GoDaddy’s domain, website builder, email, marketing, and ecommerce products.

“Entrepreneurs today need tools that work as hard and as flexibly as they do,” said Tristan Krause, Senior Director of Product Management at GoDaddy. “The GoDaddy app gives our customers one trusted place to create content, manage their online presence, engage with customers, and keep their businesses moving — all from their phone.”

GoDaddy suggests that the app will make the path from idea to launch entirely frictionless under one trusted brand, acting as a complete business companion, allowing entrepreneurs to create, grow, and manage their business from a mobile device.

How much does it cost?

According to GoDaddy’s website, you can use the GoDaddy App on a free plan. This gives you access to the majority of its features.

However, those who opt for a paid plan get access to Website + Content Creator Pro. This includes everything from the free plan plus premium templates, fonts, and graphics, unlimited usage of background removal, unlimited social caption generation, and access to add shapes in editing.

The shift to mobile

GoDaddy isn’t the first to party, with other platforms such as Wix already boasting an extensive app that can be used to seamlessly manage your website and business from one centralized location, including a full booking system and marketing tools.

These releases mark a shift in how entrepreneurs like to do business. Although some may see this as the age of the ‘mobile-only’ business, in reality, it highlights the desire to take a more hybrid approach to working, where users can seamlessly switch from working on their computer to working on their mobile device – helping achieve a more balanced professional life.

• GoDaddy launches ANS and ANS Registry to help enterprises verify AI agent authenticity
• New launch is designed to stamp out rogue agents and imposted bots in the world of agentic AI
• AI agents can be verified on "the open web" without plug-ins

Web hosting giant GoDaddy has unveiled its new Agent Name Service (ANS) in the hope of taming the unwieldy world of AI agents, claiming it has made the "internet's first trust layer for AI agents" and a new "universal standard."

GoDaddy says ANS serves as a way to standardize verification and discovery in a world of increasing AI agent volume – it estimates the creation of a billion AI agents in the next three years, among growing concerns of rogue agents and imposter bots.

The platform works by assigning each AI agent a unique, human-readable name and an identity that can be verified cryptographically.

AI agent verification

GoDaddy added ANS is built on existing internet infrastructure, including domain names, DNS and PKI certificates. It follows W3C/DID standards, and promises to be the only naming service that can be resolved inside a browser, without needing plug-ins.

"This lets agents be discovered, verified, and governed across the open web," the company wrote.

Coinciding with the launch of the ANS open standard, GoDaddy is also introducing the ANS Registry to let users very AI agent domain ownership. "All AI agents registered through the GoDaddy ANS Registry earn an ANS-verified badge to help users quickly distinguish vetted agents from potentially malicious ones," the announcement reads.

Work on ANS started in October 2025, with GoDaddy later opening up the ANS API for developers to build and test integrations.

In November 2025, the company also published the ANS Standards to GitHub.

GoDaddy Product and AI CTO Travis Muhlestein explained that ANS "provid[es] responsible builders a clear badge of trust and giv[es] every user a quick way to see who – and what – is behind an AI agent."

The web hosting industry is highly competitive, making it difficult to be one of the best web hosting providers. GoDaddy, established in 1997, started as a domain registrar and branched out into other web hosting services.

It now has a rather comprehensive product line-up. For each of its product lines, GoDaddy offers more choices than most competitors. One example of this is shared hosting, which GoDaddy offers in 8 plans across two categories: standard and high performance.

To understand what GoDaddy has to offer after domains, I spent 60 minutes with the host.

Start the clock 0:00

Signing up

Problems started cropping up even as I started browsing GoDaddy's hosting plans. GoDaddy is big on localization and tries to customize language and currency based on your location. However, it seems to go smoothly only if you let it do its thing. Attempting to change language or location resulted in various connectivity errors.

Brushing that aside, the next problem that emerged was a claim that the card details I entered were incorrect. GoDaddy insisted the card's expiry date was incorrect, even though I checked it several times.

This problem seemed to stem from an option I had not selected: saving the card as a backup payment method. Once I ticked that box, the "incorrect expiry date" issue disappeared, and the payment went through.

I'm not sure about you, but any payment issues involving my credit card make me wary of an online service provider, and this case was no different.

05:23

With registration out of the way, things went pretty smoothly. Once I logged into my GoDaddy account, I went through an onboarding process that led me to select WordPress as my hosting platform. After filling in a few details, I reached a notification screen that said the installation was proceeding.

This is where things left me a little conflicted. The installation process was relatively fast, but once it was complete, I was dumped on the customer dashboard without any further explanation. What were my WordPress login credentials? Where could I manage my hosting plan? How about a domain name? What next? So many questions were going through my mind.

Part of the confusion stems from the fact that you have several dashboards to consider. The first is your GoDaddy customer account dashboard. Aside from that, you also have to handle dashboards for hosting management, domain name, and cPanel - they're all separate.

Admittedly, several other hosts use the same system of disorganization, especially if you opt for shared hosting rather than a dedicated WordPress hosting plan. I just didn't expect an established brand like GoDaddy to have the same issues.

11:13

After making the rounds through the various dashboards, I figured I should attach a domain name to allow some time for DNS propagation. For the most part, many hosts make this process clear. However, the option to manage a domain name appears in several locations so it's a little confusing.

For me, the logic was simple since I was used to the process. All you have to do is get the correct nameservers, then point your domain to those nameservers using your domain name management account (in my case, Namecheap).

But for someone who isn't used to the process, you may need some help from GoDaddy's support staff, or at the very least, spend some time sifting through their documentation.

17:01

By this time, I had figured out that I could simply access my WordPress admin panel via the 1-click installer located in cPanel. There's a quick link to it, so rather than wait for propagation to complete, I hopped in and added the Updraft plugin.

This allowed me to upload a pre-created WordPress website, database, and all. If you don't want to upload a website, you can simply start using WordPress as intended to quickly build a site using templates and then add your own custom content.

Remember that one of the best things about using WordPress is how easy it is to use, even for relatively new website owners. You can work with thousands of templates and gradually customize them to your preferences.

Even better, the massive support for this CMS means you can add almost any functionality to your site, often for free. Take, for example, the free WooCommerce plugin, which lets you convert a WordPress website into a full-blown ecommerce site. And if you run into problems, you can easily find help online since it's so widely used.

29:32

It was at this point that I made a rather fatal choice. Since I was using a pre-built site, I skipped much of the WordPress tinkering and was left with not much to do. So I decided to see how well the site performed on GoDaddy's hosting.

The tool I used was meant to test how well GoDaddy performed in core WordPress metrics. That generally means the strength of its CPU and memory, database operations, and the like. Let's start by saying that the results were less than ideal.

Out of a total possible score of 10, GoDaddy's shared hosting plan, which I was on, barely reached 4.2. That's ridiculously low for a web host that's been around for so long and has such a firm hold on its market share.

• Read our full GoDaddy review for performance metrics and more.

Puzzled by this low score, I poked around a bit and realized that, among the available shared hosting plans, the one I selected was the lowest of the low. Still, it costs $5.99/mo on a 3-year term plan, which is already more expensive than many other options in the market. Plus, it didn't include email, nor basic security features like malware and uptime monitoring - those are all optional paid extras.

45:01

By this point, I was feeling disappointed and running short of time. I was 45 minutes into a hosting provider and already deeply questioning my decision to sign up here to take it for a spin. The biggest questions in my mind were whether this host was worth the money spent, and if new users could really get started with a website easily at GoDaddy.

To help me answer these questions, I decided to take a step back and see what else GoDaddy had to offer potential customers.

Digital marketing

GoDaddy offers digital marketing packages to help customers promote their websites. These services include social media posts, business listings, email marketing, and SEO. However, these services are likely only relevant to businesses and cost more than most of their shared hosting packages.

Free tools

Like many service providers today, GoDaddy offers some free tools to help website owners get their feet on the ground. Here, these include an AI-powered logo creator, a video editor, and a studio that also includes the aforementioned tools.

Website security

Earlier, I mentioned that some security features, like malware scanning, are paid extras. These are found in GoDaddy's web security packages. For a price likely higher than your hosting plan, GoDaddy offers site cleanup and repair, plus additional free trials, such as Norton Small Business Cybersecurity.

Email

Also mentioned earlier, you don't get an email with your GoDaddy hosting. This optional add-on is likely the cheapest you can add to your hosting plan, starting at $1.99/mo for 10GB of email storage. This can be used with your custom domain and aliases.

60:00

Overall impressions

By now, I'd run out of time. My experience with GoDaddy had left a pretty bitter taste in my mouth. While it was possible for new users to build a website with GoDaddy, I had no doubt it would take them some time to figure things out.

I also wondered how they would react once their website was up and running, when they discovered how poor its performance was. Another thing that came to mind was how new customers would react when they found out that almost everything here is an optional paid extra.

Important notes

I simply had to share a few more experiences I had outside the 60-minute window spent with this host. The day after I signed up for the GoDaddy plan, I discovered I was locked out of my account. GoDaddy somehow felt it necessary to enable 2FA on my account without notifying me. It took 12 hours for support to disable that 2FA, so I could sign back in. The process was mystifying.

At that point, I had enough of GoDaddy and wanted to cancel the account. This can't be done automatically. You have to disable renewal, then cancel the hosting plan. Only when that is done can you contact support via live chat (this is mandatory; you cannot do it via a support ticket) to request a refund. The live chat alone took me about 40 minutes, from waiting to approval, plus another 3 days to get the actual refund.

• I've also rounded up the best shared hosting providers

What do a Puerto Rican superstar, an Academy Award-winning actress, and "vibe coding" all have in common?

They are all headline acts at Super Bowl LX this Sunday.

With 'artist-of-the-moment' Bad Bunny taking on the Apple Music Halftime Show during the New England Patriots vs Seattle Seahawks game, a battle of a different type will be going down during the ad breaks.

Website building giants Wix and Squarespace will be going head-to-head, battling it out for millions of viewers' attention. With 30-seconds of ad space reportedly costing between $8 and $10 million, the stakes have never been higher.

Squarespace's 12th Super Bowl ad spot is a cinematic piece, featuring Emma Stone, and offers a hidden message for those who can find it. For Wix, it's a massive return to the Big Game to debut its new "vibe coding" AI tool, Wix Harmony.

With Super Bowl ad breaks becoming a show all on their own, Wix and Squarespace will be joined by other brand giants, including Bosch, Bud Light, Expedia, Pringles, Pepsi, and Ritz.

Squarespace gets creative

Squarespace is the number one website builder choice for creatives. So, it is little surprise that its ad takes an artsy approach to capturing the audience's attention.

Recent Super Bowl ads from the website-building platform have been directed by the likes of Martin Scorsese and starred the likes of Barry Keoghan. This time, Squarespace has teamed up with Academy Award-winner Emma Stone and director Yorgos Lanthimos to push its domain purchasing service.

This isn’t the first time Stone and Lanthimos have met, having worked together on several high-profile projects, including the Oscar-winning Poor Things.

The ad is unmistakably cinematic and makes light of Stone’s inability to purchase emmastone.com, warning viewers to secure their domain of choice before it's too late.

After watching the ad, I was curious as to whether Emma had been able to secure emmastone.com. Turns out she has.

If you visit the site, you unlock a secret message from Emma, warning you to "avoid years and years of anguish” by securing your domain name today.

According to Squarespace, the ad will air between the first and second quarters of Super Bowl LX on February 8, 2026.

Wix goes heavy on vibe

Wix has taken a more direct approach with its ad, focusing on the recent release of its vibe coding and website-building platform Wix Harmony. By purchasing some of the most expensive ad space for a brand new offering, Wix shows its hand, investing heavily into vibe coding.

I can’t see Wix winning any creative awards for this ad, but I do love it for its motivational vibe, clear messaging, and targeted approach towards small business owners and entrepreneurs.

It’s clearly a popular approach, with the video already receiving 3 million views since it was posted on YouTube just two days ago.

Is GoDaddy advertising at Super Bowl 2026?

Last year, GoDaddy purchased a Super Bowl ad spot to push its then recently released Airo tool. I reached out to GoDaddy to see if they would be running another hilarious ad this year, but they aren’t.

However, they did inform me that the “award-winning campaign featuring Emmy-nominated actor Walton Goggins continues to run on TV, the web, and other channels”.

Shopify is one of the biggest and best ecommerce platforms. Its easy-to-use tools let you sell online, on social media, and in physical locations from one dashboard. A new AI store builder helps businesses launch quickly. Meanwhile, different payment methods and app market integrations help design advanced checkout workflows.

Yet, our testing shows why many merchants look for alternatives. The most common issue is Shopify's transaction fees. You face extra charges if you don’t use Shopify Payments, which can hurt businesses that rely on other payment processors.

We’ve also found that even basic features often require costly third-party apps. Some apps charge monthly fees or take an additional percentage of each sale. When businesses need custom functionality, they are forced to engage custom developers, or upgrade to Shopify Plus. Moreover, Shopify's customer support has been known for slow responses and unresolved issues.

If you’re tired of rising app costs, need design flexibility, or want better value, we’ve tested all of the best website builder platforms and have listed the best alternatives to Shopify below. Let's take a look at them now.

The best alternatives to Shopify in full:

Best alternative to Shopify overall

Wix is our top Shopify alternative for small to medium businesses seeking an affordable and user-friendly platform. During our testing, we found the onboarding process remarkably smooth — even complete beginners can build professional-looking stores within hours using the intuitive drag-and-drop editor. What impressed us most was the support for over 80 payment gateways, significantly more than many dedicated ecommerce platforms, giving merchants exceptional flexibility in how they accept payments. You can see exactly how the two website builders stack up in our full Wix vs Shopify guide.

Wix shines brightest for creative businesses and entrepreneurs who prioritize visual appeal over complex functionality. Pricing remains genuinely competitive, too — Wix's ecommerce plans undercut Shopify's entry-level pricing while still delivering essential features like inventory management, loyalty programs, and discount capabilities.

Wix's biggest weakness is its hosting speed. We've experienced noticeable slowdowns both on storefronts and in the dashboard, which can impact user experience and conversion rates. Also, once you've built your site, switching templates requires essentially rebuilding from scratch — a limitation that becomes frustrating as businesses evolve. Still, Wix remains a solid choice for businesses prioritizing ease of use and affordability over advanced functionality.

Although Wix offers one of the best free website builder plans and a 'Light' plan at $17/mo, you'll need to opt for the Core Plan to access ecommerce features. This makes ecommerce access on Wix the same price Shopify, where plans start at $29/mo.

Read more in our full Wix review.

Best alternative to Shopify for flexibility

WooCommerce appeals to businesses craving complete control over their online presence. As an open-source WordPress plugin, it offers unmatched flexibility — we've built everything from simple product catalogs to complex multi-vendor marketplaces using the same foundation. Its cost advantage is immediately apparent, since the core plugin costs nothing. But our experience shows most stores need several premium extensions to match the features of Shopify, BigCommerce, or Wix.

This platform's strength lies in its customization potential, so you can achieve pretty much anything with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Unlike Shopify's proprietary Liquid templating language, developers can use familiar code to create truly unique experiences. You also benefit from WordPress' strong content management capabilities, making it easier to build websites that go beyond product selling.

However, WooCommerce demands a lot of technical commitment. Maintaining security updates, optimizing performance, and troubleshooting issues requires either in-house expertise or ongoing developer relationships. Your site can struggle with large product catalogs without proper optimization, increasing hosting requirements. While the initial cost seems attractive, premium plugins, specialized hosting, and maintenance expenses can accumulate quickly.

You may choose to pair WooCommerce with one of the best WordPress website builders. These platforms, such as Elementor and Bluehost, offer AI or drag-and-drop website creators, making it quick and easy to build your website on top of the Wordpress CMS an WooCommerce.

Learn more in our WooCommerce review.

Best alternative to Shopify for large operations

BigCommerce is a great Shopify alternative for businesses that need enterprise-level features without the complexity. We loved the platform's built-in capabilities —features like multi-currency support, real-time shipping calculations, and advanced inventory management come as standard. Plus, there are no transaction fees, which can lead to significant savings for high-volume merchants. You can find a more detailed guide on how they stack up in our BigCommerce vs Shopify.

This is a very scalable platform. We've tested stores handling thousands of products and complex pricing structures without performance degradation. Also, BigCommerce lets you use the Catalyst toolkit to create custom front-end experiences. You can still use BigCommerce for backend operations, essentially like a headless CMS.

We've found limitations in customization compared to open-source alternatives like WooCommerce. But for mid-market businesses looking for room to grow, BigCommerce delivers exceptional value overall. Shopify also offers a little more in terms of AI-powered tools, with BigCommerce noticeably missing a full AI website builder.

When it comes to pricing and plans, there is a almost an exact match between Shopify and BigCommerce, each offering 3 general plans at $29/mo, $79/mo, and $229/mo, plus a separate plan for enterprise level users.

Read our full BigCommerce review to learn more.

Best alternative to Shopify for small businesses

GoDaddy targets small businesses, offering simple and affordable path to online selling. Its streamlined AI-powered builder can generate a complete website in minutes. Just provide your business name and industry. For time-conscious entrepreneurs who need a basic online presence set up quickly, GoDaddy's simplicity is genuinely valuable.

It works best for businesses with straightforward selling needs and limited technical requirements. We found the appointment scheduling feature particularly useful for service-based businesses, while the integrated domain registration simplifies the initial setup process. GoDaddy's strength lies in removing barriers. So you don't need design skills, technical knowledge, or significant budget to get started selling online.

That said, the section-based page builder locks you into predetermined layouts with minimal customization choices. Ecommerce features feel basic compared to dedicated platforms, with poor tax management tools and limited payment processor options. Most concerning is the lack of an app marketplace, meaning you can't use add-ons to extend features. While it's good for testing phases and side hustles, most online businesses will quickly outgrow this platform.

That being said, GoDaddy is a great platform for small businesses that want to get online quickly and easily. To sell online you will need to opt for the Ecommerce plan at $20.99/mo (intro rate, jumping to $34.99/mo after that).

Learn more in our full GoDaddy website builder review.

Best alternative to Shopify for hybrid retail

Square Online is perfect for businesses operating both physical and digital storefronts. Thanks to the integration with Square's POS, inventory, orders, and customer data sync automatically across all channels. This eliminates a lot of headaches, making it very attractive for restaurants, retail, and service businesses expanding online.

Square's free plan lets you sell unlimited products with basic ecommerce functionality, this is a rare feature, with most website builders forcing you to buy a premium plan to sell online. However, the free plan comes with some limitations and we recommend upgrading so to remove the onsite branding.

Email and SMS marketing tools are surprisingly good for the price point. But, Square's ultimate strength lies in its simplicity. If you're already using it for in-person transactions, you can add online selling without learning any new systems.

That said, Square's editor has some very frustrating performance issues. You'll have to suffer through slow page loads and occasional 404 errors during editing. Theme selection feels restrictive, with vertical-only page layouts and low template variety. Square also lacks integrations with Amazon and Etsy, limiting multichannel growth opportunities. While it's perfect for small businesses with a physical presence, scaling online operations will probably need more sophisticated platforms.

Read the full Square Online review for more details.

Best alternative to Shopify for AI tools

Hostinger's AI-powered website builder offers a very unique way to create online stores. You can generate entire ecommerce websites from simple descriptions. We saw it generate professional designs with product suggestions, layouts, and initial content based on little input. If your aim is to get online as quickly as you can, there's no better option.

Hostinger stands out from other budget options because of the quality of features delivered at a low price. It includes AI-generated product descriptions, automated SEO, and integrated email marketing tools with no add-ons required. Plus, the platform has no transaction fees, so businesses keep all their profits. The company's 24/7 multilingual support has response times of under 3 minutes, which is better than what we’ve seen on pricier platforms.

That said, Hostinger's 600-product limit restricts you from having larger catalogs. Since you can only have one currency per website, it makes international sales trickier. We noticed fewer templates than specialized ecommerce platforms, though you can generate any design with AI. This platform is best suited for small businesses, digital sellers, and service providers who want the quickest time to market at very low costs.

You'll need to opt for the Business Plan to unlock ecommerce features. This plan starts as low as $3.99/mo for a 4-year term, but bumps up to $13.99/mo, which is still far lower than Shopify's $29/mo entry level plan.

Read our full Hostinger website builder review to learn more.

Best Shopify alternatives: FAQs

How we test

To evaluate Shopify, we started by creating a new account. Then, we navigated the initial setup process. We explored the platform's interface. We examined the theme marketplace and drag-and-drop store editor. Also, we studied the product management system and built test pages to understand the customer experience.

We analyzed Shopify's pricing structure, along with features, transaction fees, and add-on costs. Then we looked at payment gateways, inventory management, and shipping options across different plans.

Check out our full guide to how we test website builders to learn more.

• The FTC finalized its orders for GoDaddy following security breaches
• The orders are part of an agreed settlement
• GoDaddy has different headlines for different operations

The US Federal and Trade Commission (FTC) has outlined almost a dozen requirements which hosting provider GoDaddy must fulfill in order to settle the charges of data security failings that resulted in multiple data breaches in recent years.

In a 14-page document, the FTC first stated that GoDaddy must no longer misrepresent its security and data protection practices, use of security technologies, or its participation in security and privacy programs (suggesting that the company actually misled users about its security practices).

GoDaddy then has 90 days to implement a comprehensive program that is documented and updated at least once a year (or after an incident), assigns a qualified person responsible, and assesses and manages internal and external security risks, among other things.

Additional requirements

The hosting giant also has 180 days to disconnect or secure unsupported software and hardware, monitor for unauthorized changes to the OS and app files, and to set up “phishing-resistant multi-factor authentication (MFA) for employees, contractors, and customers. APIs need to be secured with HTTPS, authentication, rate-limiting, and monitoring.

Other requirements include third-party security assessments, full cooperation with assessors, annual executive certification, incident reporting, and more.

GoDaddy is one of the best website hosting companies around, serving more than five million customers across the world.

Roughly two years ago, it was discovered that an unknown threat actor had been sitting in GoDaddy’s systems for several years, installing malware, stealing source code, and attacking the company’s customers.

The company's SEC filing at the time showed the attackers breached GoDaddy’s cPanel shared hosting environment and used that as a launch pad for further attacks. The company described the hackers as a “sophisticated threat actor group”.

The group was eventually spotted in late 2022 when customers started reporting that traffic coming to their websites was being redirected elsewhere.

Via BleepingComputer

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• Zoom went down for users for several hours
• The outage was caused by a GoDaddy domain “communication error”
• Spotify and X also had hiccups, but this was thought to be unrelated

The recent Zoom outage has been blamed on a GoDaddy domain issue, with the GoDaddy Registry mistakenly blocking the zoom.us domain due to a communication error between Zoom’s own domain registrar, Markmonitor, and GoDaddy Registry.

The result was reduced service between 2:55 PM ET and 4:12 PM ET, with Zoom Meetings, Zoom Phone, Zoom Contact Center and the Zoom Website all affected.

The video conferencing company was quick to add, “There was no product, security, network failure or Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack.”

Zoom outage caused by GoDaddy error

Although Zoom confirmed a “communication error” between Markmonitor and GoDaddy Registry caused the outage, we don’t know any details about the events leading up to the miscommunication.

The two domain companies and Zoom worked together to identify and remove the block “quickly,” Zoom added.

Separate Downdetector monitoring noted that most complaints related to server connections, with one in five also experiencing login issues and a handful conference calls.

The outage came just a few hours after a widespread outage affecting Spotify’s app, website and music streaming services, and a couple of hours before a minor X outage affecting the website and app, however these issues are likely unrelated.

Even though services had been restored within less than two hours, some users were being advised to flush their DNS caches and to reconnect if they were still experiencing problems:

• For Windows open a command prompt and type "ipconfig /flushdns"
• For Mac open a terminal window and type "sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder"

Cisco’s ThousandEyes has also carried out a details analysis of the outage, noting the functionality of DNS and the incident’s impact.

“Identifying a specific fault domain when a service encounters issues requires visibility into performance across the entire service delivery chain,” Cisco said.

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Wix and GoDaddy are both well known as two of the best website builder platforms on the market. Recently, both companies took it a step further, launching dedicated platforms that leverage AI to help users go from business idea to business launch. But which one is best?

Wix has just introduced its AI Business Launcher, a one-stop solution to transform the entrepreneurial process. Introduced in early 2025, the solution takes the user from idea to launch, using artificial intelligence to turn skills and knowledge into successful businesses. The Business Launcher provides customized business ideas, in-depth market research, and a complete launch package, including handcrafted business names, logos, and websites, all fully integrated with its website building system.

GoDaddy has rolled out its own AI-powered offering, GoDaddy Airo, to empower entrepreneurs and small business owners around the world. Rolled out in February 2024, Airo is set to create a complete online presence in minutes through instant brand creation, digital marketing tools, and SEO. GoDaddy asserts that businesses that utilize Airo can save an average of $4,000 and 300 hours every year while creating 28% more sales.

As the race intensifies, both GoDaddy and Wix are placing bets on becoming the best AI website builder and business launching tools for small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs alike. Though Wix Business Launcher would seem to provide higher-level business planning and implementation features for SMEs, Airo targets speed and affordability for first-time entrepreneurs.

Wix Business Launcher vs GoDaddy Airo: Features

Wix Business Launcher includes a complete set of AI tools to allow users to go from inputting their experience or CV to launching a business. The platform starts by analyzing the user's experience, skills, and goals to create personalized business ideas, complete with market research and revenue projections. After an idea is chosen, users are presented with a full launch package that consists of a unique business name, a personalized website, a logo, and domain suggestions.

Then, it offers detailed SEO strategies, including keyword suggestions. This can be extremely useful for companies new to building an online presence. The business dashboard is also feature-rich with useful apps for daily utilization and business growth. The basic services are free, but there are optional upgrades for paid services like domain names and logo design.

GoDaddy Airo, meanwhile, focuses more on ease of use and affordability. It promises to help you establish a full online presence in minutes - with instant brand creation, digital marketing, and SEO. Airo includes features like AI-powered domain name searching, logo creation, website building, social media marketing, and even LLC setup. Plus, the platform offers business emails, payment acceptance methods, and AI-created content for your marketing campaigns.

A great thing about Airo is that it comes with each new domain you buy when you sign up with GoDaddy, so it's a great option for new customers. The tool also features AI-generated email campaigns and social media posts, along with performance reporting and insights.

Comparing the two, Wix Business Launcher seems to have stronger business planning and execution features. It excels at generating novel business ideas and includes in-depth market research. GoDaddy Airo might not include as much planning functionality, but it is great at quick launching and offers many key features when you buy a domain.

Wix Business Launcher vs GoDaddy Airo: Ease of use

Wix Business Launcher acts as a personal business assistant, guiding users through every facet of building a business. The site uses a conversational approach, asking users questions about their background and goals, which makes the process natural and intuitive. Users can even upload their resume to have their profile automatically completed, making the setup process simple at the beginning. This simplicity is extended to the process of building the website, where the user is guided through using Wix's AI Website Builder.

GoDaddy Airo also claims to assist users in transforming their ideas into an online presence, but in a different way. The platform leverages AI to simplify the challenging task of making logos and websites so that non-technical users can accomplish them. Airo's user interface is simple, which supports the users in using advanced features without difficulty.

Both platforms have simple design, realizing that ease of use is necessary for small business owners new to a digital presence. That said, Wix Business Launcher's step-by-step instructions and personal touch could provide a more helpful experience during the planning stage. On the other hand, GoDaddy Airo's emphasis on speed and ease of use could appeal to users who need to get online fast and easily.

Wix Business Launcher vs GoDaddy Airo: Customer support

Wix provides various levels of assistance like a vast help center, live chat, and phone callback. There is no direct email support, but one can submit tickets through a contact form. Live chat and phone support is available for restricted time (2 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET for English support), which may prove problematic for users out of the provided time zone. It makes up for these shortcomings with an extensive knowledge base and properly organized tutorials to allow users to troubleshoot typical issues by themselves.

GoDaddy is renowned for providing 24/7 customer support through phone, live chat, and text messaging. You can reach support by dialing 1-480-366-3550 for phone support or 1-480-908-8665 for texting support at any moment. Customers appreciate the responsiveness and usefulness of the support team, though there have been some complaints of upselling during calls.

When looking at the two providers, GoDaddy clearly stands out because it has support available all the time. Wix provides good support during its working hours and has great self-help tools, but its limited hours might be an issue for businesses that need help quickly outside these times. GoDaddy's support is always available through different channels, making it a better choice for businesses that need regular access to customer service.

Wix Business Launcher vs GoDaddy Airo: Security

Wix boasts strong security measures, with a solid security program made up of SSDLC practices that implement rigorous security audits at all stages of development. They also implement strong data encryption methods, using HTTPS and TLS 1.2+ for data in transit and AES-256 for data at rest. The platform is also compliant with major international security standards such as SOC 2 Type 2, PCI DSS Level 1, and several ISO certifications.

Plus, Wix offers user account security features that include extra protection, including two-factor authentication, single sign-on support, and role-based permissions that are more advanced. SSL encryption is offered to all sites, including those using a custom domain, and hosting is from top providers like AWS and Google Cloud Platform. Third-party security plugins cannot be installed, which may limit advanced security capabilities.

GoDaddyy's present security arrangement includes a cloud-based Web Application Firewall (WAF) that scans traffic in real-time to prevent malicious bots, malware, and DDoS attacks.

GoDaddy's security architecture includes constant monitoring, pre-emptive blocking of threats, and secure server environments. They implement physical security measures at their data centers and use strict digital security measures. The platform offers features like daily malware scanning, constant monitoring with alerting on blocklist status and SSL expiration, and website backup tools with single-click restore.

In 2025, both websites provide strong security. But, Wix has a superior and more extensive security system because of its global certifications and built-in security features. GoDaddy is also working to strengthen its security system. Its investment in better security measures and alignments with top security firms show promising signs of future security.

Wix Business Launcher vs GoDaddy Airo: Tools, add-ons, and extras

Wix Business Launcher has a comprehensive set of tools that go beyond helping to create a website. Among the most exciting features is the AI-powered tool that helps to generate business ideas by analyzing users' skills, experience, and goals in order to offer personalized business suggestions. The tool gives a detailed description of each idea, such as market size, search engine keywords, as well as possible revenue streams. Moreover, Wix gives a full launch package with services that include making a personal business name, designing a logo, and choosing domain name options.

The small business suite integrates seamlessly with Wix's AI Website Builder, assisting customers in effortlessly creating a site from their business concept. Wix provides an individualized site dashboard with productive apps to effectively manage the business. The essential capabilities are offered at no charge, but, Wix offers premium add-ons for additional capabilities such as domain names and more sophisticated logo design.

Similarly, GoDaddy Airo focuses on quick setup with AI help for a range of business needs. The website offers AI tools that can search for a domain name, create an attractive logo, and build a coming-soon page that can be transformed into a complete website. Airo also offers social marketing tools, such as creating engaging posts and help in building a social marketing calendar.

A unique thing about Airo is that it can help you set up an LLC in the US, guiding users through the actions they should take and providing filing instructions. The platform also enables domain-based email configuration, improving business credibility. Plus, Airo includes payment processing capabilities via GoDaddy Payments, which allows businesses to accept payments online or offline.

Both sites have many tools and add-ons that expand on core products helping with different areas of the process of establishing and operating a business. Wix Business Launcher seems to be more extensive in its planning and idea software, whereas GoDaddy Airo seems to put more emphasis on setup speed and digital marketing through AI.

Wix Business Launcher vs GoDaddy Airo: Hardware

Wix uses a multi-cloud three-data-center setup within North America and Europe, while also parterning with AWS and Google Cloud Platform. The company features a distributed network that works together with Fastly to improve the performance and reliability of sites. The multi-cloud strategy provides high-quality hosting services without the need for users to maintain any servers.

GoDaddy has also consolidated its infrastructure lately. It operates one big data center in Phoenix, Arizona, that comprises 320,000 square feet of IT. It also operates data centers in France, Germany, and the UK. GoDaddy is migrating some of its work to AWS but still maintains key colocation facilities in Virginia, the Netherlands, and Singapore. Its data centers in Europe operate on 100% renewable energy. In fact, GoDaddy's data center in France uses groundwater cooling to minimize energy use.

Both providers have invested heavily in reliable infrastructure. Wix has focused on a distributed multi-cloud approach. Yet, GoDaddy has been all about consolidating its infrastructure while migrating to the cloud. Both products provide enterprise-grade hosting capabilities, although Wix's multi-cloud approach might provide more redundancy and global presence for SMEs.

Wix Business Launcher vs GoDaddy Airo: Pricing

Wix has various pricing options, with a free tier and four premium tiers to pick from. There is the Light plan starting from $17 per month (when paid annually) for portfolios and personal websites. The Core plan at $29 per month suits small ecommerce stores and burgeoning businesses. For businesses already in existence, the Business plan is available at $36 per month, while bigger businesses having more advanced needs can utilize the Business Elite plan at $159 per month. Wix also provides an Enterprise plan with customized pricing for international brands and industry leaders.

GoDaddy Airo, on the other hand, operates differently with regards to cost. The service is included with all new domain registrations done via GoDaddy, so it's a great option if you're starting from scratch. With that said, this is not with all of the features. If you're looking for access to the complete set of small business tools, Airo All Access is $1/week for new customers, then $6 per week after the initial 12-week period.

Each service has value to offer, in different ways. Wix offers a broader selection of features on its levels, with higher levels equating to more functionality. GoDaddy Airo, since it involves domain purchases, presents a more affordable starting point for new businesses. Shoppers seeking the highest-end features will still have to spend more on the All Access subscription, however. It's also worth mentioning that you can often save on your Wix subscription by using a discoutn code. You can check out our list of the best Wix promo codes to help you find the best one for you

Wix Business Launcher vs GoDaddy Airo: Final verdict

Wix boasts a stronger business planning and website customization toolset, so it's perfect for users seeking in-depth control and expansion possibilities. GoDaddy Airo, with its focus on rapid launch with AI-driven functionality, appeals to users who need speedy setup and immediate online presence. Pricing schemes are very different, too, reflecting the depth and capability of each platform.

If you want to learn more about what these platforms have to offer you can check out our Wix review and GoDaddy website builder review.

GoDaddy Airo is an AI-powered platform designed to help small businesses establish and grow their online presence with minimal effort, offering AI tools for website creation, logo design, branding, and marketing automation.

By integrating artificial intelligence, GoDaddy Airo makes it easier for entrepreneurs to quickly build a professional-looking digital presence without needing technical expertise.

The platform also includes features such as domain registration (expected given the name), social media post scheduling, and even free LLC formation, making it an all-in-one business startup solution and one of the best web hosting providers.

This article was correct as of February 2025. AI tools are updated regularly and it is possible that some features have changed since this article was written. Some features may also only be available in certain countries. you can check out our full GoDaddy website builder review for more details.

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What is GoDaddy Airo?

GoDaddy Airo is an AI-driven toolset from GoDaddy, one of the largest domain registrars, web hosting providers, and best website builder platforms around right now.

Launched to help small businesses and entrepreneurs streamline their online setup, Airo offers a range of AI-powered features, including automated logo design, website creation, and marketing assistance.

When users register a domain with GoDaddy, they gain access to Airo’s features, which include an AI-powered “Coming Soon” page to establish an early web presence, automated suggestions for business names, and pre-made branding elements.

Additionally, Airo provides support for email marketing, social media post planning, and even payment processing. The platform also partners with ZenBusiness to offer free LLC setup, making it an attractive choice for new business owners.

What can you use GoDaddy Airo for?

GoDaddy Airo is primarily designed to help small business owners build and maintain a digital presence.

Airo can generate unique, AI-crafted logos tailored to a brand’s identity and create personalised websites with relevant text and imagery. The platform also supports email marketing by suggesting campaign content and providing a marketing calendar with recommended social media posts.

Another key feature is its payment processing service, which allows businesses to accept online transactions with competitive rates.

What can’t you use GoDaddy Airo for?

While GoDaddy Airo offers automation for website creation, branding, marketing, and one of the best ecommerce platforms for beginners, it lacks advanced customisation features. Users who need highly specific website functionalities, custom coding, or sophisticated ecommerce capabilities may find it limiting.

Additionally, Airo does not provide deep analytics or professional social media management features like those found in dedicated platforms such as Hootsuite.

Essentially, if you require complex design tools or a fully tailored website experience, you may need additional software beyond what Airo offers.

How much does GoDaddy Airo cost?

GoDaddy Airo is free for users who purchase a domain through GoDaddy. The cost of a domain varies depending on what kind of domain and how popular the search term might be.

Where can you use GoDaddy Airo?

GoDaddy Airo is accessible via GoDaddy's website and is integrated into the GoDaddy account dashboard. Users can access all AI tools, including website building, logo creation, and marketing automation, from a web browser.

Currently, there is no dedicated mobile app, so all features must be used online.

Is GoDaddy Airo any good?

GoDaddy Airo has received generally positive feedback for its convenience and ease of use. TechRadar Pro tried Airo in 2024 and praised it for helping small businesses quickly establish a professional online presence.

The platform’s automated branding and marketing features save users time, and its inclusion with domain purchases makes it a budget-friendly option.

However, some users find Airo’s customization options somewhat limited, especially if they require more control over website design and branding.

While it works well for beginners and small businesses, advanced users might prefer more flexible alternatives with greater design and marketing capabilities.

Use GoDaddy Airo if

- You're a small business owner or entrepreneur looking to quickly establish an online presence without extensive technical skills. Airo is ideal if you need a professional-looking website and branding materials generated efficiently.

- Airo is also suitable for those seeking an all-in-one solution that includes domain registration, website building, logo creation, and marketing tools.

Don’t use GoDaddy Airo if

- You require highly customised website features or advanced design elements that go beyond the platform's capabilities. If you're a developer or business needing intricate coding functionalities or specialized applications, GoDaddy Airo may not meet your needs.

- Additionally, if you prefer complete control over every aspect of your website’s design and functionality, you might find the platform’s AI automation limiting. Users who need advanced e-commerce tools or in-depth analytics may be better served by a more robust website builder or marketing platform.

Also consider

If GoDaddy Airo doesn’t fully align with your needs, alternatives like Wix AI website builder and Squarespace’s AI tools might be worth considering.

Wix AI website builder offers AI website creation with more design flexibility, making it a good choice for users who want additional customization, while Squarespace provides robust design templates and deeper e-commerce integration for those looking to create a more polished and feature-rich website.

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• FTC formally complains about GoDaddy’s security claims
• “Major compromises” between 2019 and 2022 are the cause for concern
• GoDaddy has reached a settlement with the FTC for better security

A new Federal Trade Commission complaint has accused GoDaddy of misleading customers and failing to protect its web hosting services sufficiently.

The notice serves as a final warning to the company, which has been told to address security concerns that date as far back as 2018, however GoDaddy isn’t set to face any immediate consequences.

The list of mistakes reportedly made by the company has now been highlighted by the FTC in an official complaint, including violations of the FTC Act.

GoDaddy gets a telling off from the FTC

The long list accuses GoDaddy of failing to: “(a) inventory and manage assets; (b) manage software updates; (c) assess risks to its website hosting services; (d) use multi-factor authentication; (e) log security-related events; (f) monitor for security threats, including by failing to use software that could actively detect threats from its many logs, and failing to use file integrity monitoring; (g) segment its network; and (h) secure connections to services that provide access to consumer data.”

In the complaint, the FTC highlights some “major compromises” between 2019 and December 2022 which involved threat actors obtaining sensitive customer information. They include attacks in October 2019, March 2020, April 2020 and November 2021.

Redirections to malicious sites, data collection, mailer script infections, database attacks, user authentication vulnerabilities, outdated plugins and code, and DDoS attacks were all highlighted as potential implications of poor security in the FTC complaint.

Consequentially, GoDaddy has agreed to a settlement in which it is prohibited from making false or misleading security claims. It must also implement an information security program, conduct regular third-party compliance assessments and report security incidents to the FTC promptly.

GoDaddy sent us the following statement:

"GoDaddy has a long history of offering innovative products to our web hosting customers. We are focused on protecting our customers’ data and websites, and we invest significant resources in technologies, tools and talent to help safeguard systems and information. We are constantly improving our security capabilities and have already implemented a number of the requirements in the settlement agreement with the FTC.

"Notably, the resolution of this matter includes no admission of fault and no monetary penalties. We expect minimal financial impact associated with complying with the terms of the agreement with the FTC. We plan to continue to invest in our defenses to address evolving threats and help keep our customers, their websites and their data safe."

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• One in five Millennials and Gen Z shoppers are buying on social media every week
• Around nine in 10 don’t even plan their impulse purchases
• There’s still some hesitation around spending big

Millennials and Gen Z are making more impulse buys than older buyers, and lower-cost items are emerging as their preferences, new research has claimed.

Social media-based shopping and weekly purchases also emerged as common traits, highlighting the scale of ecommerce among younger citizens, however their choice of platforms distinguishes Millennials from Gen Z shoppers, a report from GoDaddy has suggested.

To put it into perspective, one in five (21%) Millennial and Gen Z shoppers make several purchases each week on social media, with more than half of each age group shopping at least monthly.

Younger shoppers are impulse buyers

Alarmingly, only one in 10 (9% of Gen Z and 12% of Millennials) plan their purchases in advance, which shows us how powerful advertising can be and how reactive younger buyers are. Categories like clothing (37%), food (22%) and electronics (10%) were among the most popular.

There is still some hesitation, though. For example, 44% of Gen Z and 38% of Millennials won’t spend more than $50 when buying on social media.

In terms of preferred platform, there’s a clear divide between older and younger buyers, with more than half (52%) of Millennials buying from Facebook in the past three months, compared with 31% of Gen Z. On the flip size, 52% of Gen Z have bought from TikTok, with only 37% of Millennials trusting the platform for their purchases. Instagram was the second-most popular platform for both age groups.

The reason many buyers still choose not to spend their money on social media platforms is a lack of trust about a business’s legitimacy. Shipping concerns, high costs or long delivery times also put buyers off.

“Small businesses that have convenient, shoppable posts directly within a social platform will be a step ahead of the competition," noted GoDaddy Trends Expert Amy Jennette. "Entrepreneurs need more than a social profile, otherwise they're leaving money on the table.”

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• Black Friday 2024 weekend saw another record ecommerce sales

Black Friday is the biggest shopping event of the year, with practically every behemoth retail business running huge campaigns and offering sizable discounts over the Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend.

For small businesses, often already operating on smaller profit margins, it can be hard to compete. Yet, according to a new study by GoDaddy, one of the best website builders, small businesses are likely to see an increase in sales this holiday shopping reason.

The study found that 71% of respondents said that they were willing to pay more when buying from small businesses during the Black Friday sales and throughout the holiday season. In fact, an impressive 53% of respondents said that they would be willing to spend 10% more to support small businesses over larger retailers.

Supporting small businesses during Black Friday

Although I will certainly be making some purchases from large retailers this Black Friday, I will also be looking for ways to support small and local businesses wherever possible. The GoDaddy study found that, like me, the largest proportion of respondents (30%) noted that wanting to support the local economy was the biggest reason for shopping with local businesses.

But this isn’t the only reason to go small. 18% of respondents claimed that by buying from small businesses they expected to receive better customer service and a further 13% highlighted that they bought from small businesses because they liked handmade or unique products. Around two-thirds of respondents also mentioned that they intend on treating themselves over the holiday season.

Of course, recent economic trends may impact small business success during Black Friday. 65% of respondents agreed that inflation will have an impact on their shopping habits this season.

For me, this means being smarter with my spending this year. I’ve already done my research on what I want to buy as gifts, with a mix of products from large retailers and small businesses. I’ll be checking what deals I can get on those products as we run up to the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales.

About the study

The study by GoDaddy compared two surveys in which consumers from the US were asked about their holiday shopping habits. One survey was conducted in October 2024 going to a total of 1,247 respondents and the other in September 2024 going to 1,520 respondents.

This latest study marks GoDaddy’s commitment to supporting small businesses and helps position them further as one of the best small business website builders on the market.

• GoDaddy has launched a new way to support small businesses
• Users of third-party tools will now be able to access GoDaddy's AI tools
• Tailor Brands is the first partner to use the new API

GoDaddy is looking to enhance its position as one of the best website builders by using a new tactic to broaden its user base. The company has started a reseller program in the form of a Website Builder API integration aimed at third-party platforms, starting with business services provider Tailor Brands. This new API, which will officially launch in the months ahead, lets GoDaddy’s Website Builder connect directly to partner platforms, making it more accessible to those in the early stages of a new business.

This API integration widens the partnership possibilities for GoDaddy by streamlining the experience of building a website on third-party platforms. For instance, Tailor Brands' customers can access GoDaddy’s website creation tools directly from the Tailor Brands platform without switching away from the LLC formation and brand-building services platform.

The GoDaddy Website Builder API includes many features that leverage AI, including the GoDaddy Airo Website Builder. The AI integration lets users generate site content based on information shared with the AI, along with product descriptions deciphered from uploaded images. It also includes an AI-powered marketing assistant to help customers decide what content to add.

"Many users of our Website Builder have shared how it has helped them save time and money while growing their businesses. With this new API integration, we're making these tools accessible to even more people and invite potential partners to see all that GoDaddy has to offer," said Oliver Hoare, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at GoDaddy. "Companies who want the ability to sell websites but don't have the funds or means to build can now partner with GoDaddy."

AI in website building 

The Website Builder API also provides access to analytics and related data tools that let users track how the site is performing. The AI comes into play here too, with social media tools that can write content and schedule the publication of that content based on dates in the marketing year.

The API can also help run other business tasks. For example, users could use it to handle online appointment scheduling, run e-commerce transactions, and even complete online payments. This scalability is intended to support small businesses at various stages of growth.

This new reseller program hints at how GoDaddy wants to set an industry standard for small business owners seeking AI-fueled website builders. API integration could lead to wider adoption of GoDaddy's Website Builder in general, helping the company set a benchmark that would, at least for a while, be ahead of some of its rivals.

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Entri, a software provider, accuses GoDaddy, a major domain registrar, of anti-competitive practices, interference with business contracts, and limiting market choices. The court’s recent denial of GoDaddy's motion to dismiss the case signals that Entri has presented plausible claims, setting the stage for further legal proceedings. After the recent ruling by the court, Abe Storey, founder and CEO of Entri spoke to TechRadar Pro, stating:

“We're glad the court recognizes that GoDaddy's attempt to deprive their customers of the freedom to use their preferred software is precisely the harmful, anticompetitive actions the Sherman Act forbids. GoDaddy's continued efforts to regulate a web domain's use through conduct outside its role as a registrar endangers the open internet as we know it today.”

The case Entri, LLC v. GoDaddy.com, LLC reflects a complex legal battle in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, revolving around competition in the domain registration and configuration market.

Judge approves Entri’s major points for trial

GoDaddy holds a dominant position in the U.S. domain registration market, controlling approximately 40% of all registered domains. Traditionally, users who lease domain names can configure them manually or via third-party services using Domain Connect, GoDaddy’s integration protocol. In 2021, Entri introduced Entri Connect, a software solution that automates DNS record configuration, offering smoother integration for SaaS providers and their users. Entri Connect quickly gained traction, with many third-party users preferring it over GoDaddy's Domain Connect.

Initially, GoDaddy allowed Entri Connect to operate within its ecosystem. However, tensions arose when GoDaddy introduced new policies in 2023 that prohibited the use of aggregator services like Entri Connect, restricting users to either Domain Connect or manual configuration. Entri claims that GoDaddy’s actions disrupted its business by terminating existing contracts and discouraging potential deals.

Entri argues that GoDaddy's policies violate Section 1 of the Sherman Antitrust Act by instituting a negative tying arrangement. This restriction forces users to abandon competing products like Entri Connect, reducing market competition. Entri also claims GoDaddy deliberately interfered with its business contracts by notifying SaaS companies about its restrictive new policies, leading some companies to cancel or modify existing agreements.

Anthony J. Trenga, Senior US District Judge, said, "GoDaddy’s negative tie cuts off all aggregator services, including Entri Connect, from competing in the DNS records configuration market. Instead, the only option is choosing between GoDaddy’s Domain Connect protocol or requiring users to manually update their DNS records. This deprivation of choice is precisely the kind of anticompetitive harm that the Sherman Act forbids"

GoDaddy’s market dominance allows it to set terms that impact smaller players like Entri, demonstrating the fine line between legitimate business practices and anti-competitive behavior. This case serves as a critical reminder that while companies can set policies to protect their platforms, they must not use those policies to stifle competition unlawfully.

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Squarespace could be about to go private as a looming Permira deal could see the acquisition of the website builder platform become better aligned to take on industry giants GoDaddy and Wix.

The British investment firm has agreed to increase its offer in a nod to its confidence in the company – the deal could be worth $7.2 billion.

Permira’s revised deal sees it offering $46.50 per share in cash to Squarespace stockholders, up from the $44 offered in May 2024, equating to a deal that would have been worth $6.9 billion.

Squarespace offered $0.3 billion in added valuation

Permira’s revised offer comes in response to advice taken by Squarespace investors not to accept the proposed deal. Proxy advisory firm Institutional Shareholder Services suggested the sale process would not offer the best value to shareholders in light of the company’s strong performance.

In its most recent quarter, Squarespace grew revenue by a staggering 20% to $296.8 million. Prior to that, quarterly growth stood at an equally strong 19%.

Michael Fleisher, Chairman of the Special Committee of the Squarespace Board of Directors, commented on the deal: "Our core focus has been maximizing value and certainty for the unaffiliated stockholders. This transaction is the result of a deliberate and thoughtful process and ultimately represents a great outcome that is in the best interest of Squarespace and all of its stockholders.”

Permira Partner David Erlong added: “This best and final offer allows Squarespace stockholders to capture immediate and certain value for their investment.”

By going private as part of the deal, Squarespace hopes to access more resources and flexibility to enhance its portfolio, which could help continue its positive growth trajectory.

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GoDaddy, one of the best website builder and web hosting platforms, recently introduced a new tool to help small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) improve their digital marketing efforts. The tool enables SMBs to better address all the different aspects of digital marketing, and leverage advanced solutions such as Generative AI (GenAI) and other GoDaddy offerings.

The tool is simply called Digital Marketing. GoDaddy describes it as an “all-in-one product designed to manage marketing efforts and increase the accessibility of tools like SEO, social media, and email marketing.” Furthermore, Digital Marketing comes with a unified inbox to streamline the management of all customer messages, regardless of the platform.

Digital Marketing is powered by GenAI, allowing users to quickly and seamlessly create customized, AI-powered branded content. Also, the tool leverages the features baked into GoDaddy Studio and GoDaddy Airo, allowing SMBs access to email marketing campaigns, as well as branded images and videos.

Three plans to choose from

There are three plans to choose from: Essentials, Deluxe, and Ultimate. While the Essentials plan covers, well, the essentials (posting on social media, creating and managing business listings, and accessing ideas for custom social media posts), the Deluxe plan offers a robust set of tools, including digital ads. Of all the different features, GoDaddy singles out the Marketing Calendar, a tool that details hundreds of upcoming events and holidays, and can even make tailored social post suggestions that users can schedule ahead of time.

Finally, the Ultimate plan builds on the two previous plans, and offers GenAI, Airo assistant, 750,000 monthly email sends, and more.

"We know that digital marketing translates to business success, especially when coupled with generative AI technology," said Vinod Suresh, Vice President of USI products for GoDaddy. "By making these cost-effective tools easily available, GoDaddy is supporting small businesses of any size, with any budget, succeed in their marketing efforts."

Using Digital Marketing will set you back $21.99 a month for the Essentials plan, $32.99 a month for the Deluxe plan, and $89.99 a month for the Ultimate one.

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With lawmakers from both major US political parties calling for a ban on TikTok, many small business owners are worried about how that may impact their future. 

A growing number of businesses rely heavily on social media platforms to help them reach and connect with their target audience. So, a ban may remove a significant marketing channel for many. More worrying still is the fact that some businesses make the majority, or even totality, of their sales via social media storefronts. For these businesses, a TikTok ban may be even more serious.   

TechRadar Pro spoke to Amy Jennette, Sr. Director, Integrated Marketing at GoDaddy about what the potential ban may mean for small businesses and how using one of the best website builders may be a smart way to protect yourself against it.

You can read our full GoDaddy website builder review here. 

TikTok is just a social media app - right? So why are small businesses so concerned about a potential ban in the US?

For many small businesses, TikTok is one of the main ways to connect and transact with their customers. TikTok's ban could have major repercussions for small businesses that rely on it as a platform to sell online, which is leaving many entrepreneurs uncertain where to turn.  

How big is this problem? How many businesses could be impacted by a TikTok ban? 

According to TikTok’s Economic Impact Report 2024, the platform generated $14.7B for US small businesses last year, so the potential ban could clearly have a significant effect, especially to the bottom line of those businesses that depend heavily on TikTok. 

Entrepreneurs should not rely too heavily on any one social media platform or marketplace since doing so limits the audience reach and also puts small businesses at the mercy of those platforms—its policy changes, payout terms, algorithm alterations, and even, in this case, a potential ban.

Congress has offered Bytedance an ultimatum - either sell to a non-Chinese company or face a US ban - if the company decides to sell, are all our concerns over? 

If TikTok does sell, there are a lot of short-term and long-term factors that could affect its future. 

What we do know is it highlights the dangers for small businesses that rely too heavily on one platform. TikTok’s future is uncertain, but whatever the outcome, GoDaddy will always advocate for small businesses, which is why we’re encouraging entrepreneurs to create their own piece of digital real estate - a website.

Check out our guide to the best small business website builders. 

Ok, so what can small businesses be doing right now to prepare for a potential ban? 

Small businesses should always be working to build relationships with potential customers that extend beyond a single social media or marketplace platform. A simple and reliable way to do this would be to create a website so they have a permanent “address” online to direct their current social media followers to find their business. 

Websites are a way to legitimize a small business and tell the full story of who they are in a way that social media cannot. They allow entrepreneurs to showcase their offering the way the business owner imagines and highlight why a potential customer should do business with them instead of their competition through dynamic content like imagery and video. Websites can also be fully customized to reflect the small businesses’ brand, values, and promotional calendars, providing a space to transact directly and even leverage SEO to reach more of their target audience.

For some small business owners, building a website can seem intimidating, but tools such as GoDaddy Airo™ allow entrepreneurs to quickly and easily create a professional website with the help of AI, by simply answering a few questions. A website can connect small businesses to all the various channels where they want to show up, including social media platforms, but as an entrepreneur wants to grow, a website can support them in doing that better than a social media account alone.

Interested in using AI to build your website? Check our guide to the best AI website builders. 

Social media has grown in popularity for businesses due to favorable algorithms that are typically easier to crack than the super-competitive search engine rankings game. Is this still the case? What can businesses be doing to help their customers find them on search engines? 

Social media platforms are constantly evolving and while certain platforms may currently have favorable algorithms for small businesses, these are always subject to change. 

For example, Instagram recently announced advantageous changes to its “Reels” short video algorithm that will provide smaller, original creators, such as small business owners, more distribution and decrease the weight previously put on having a large number of followers. While this positively impacts entrepreneurs, it demonstrates that those algorithms have not always been favorable, and other tweaks can potentially limit their visibility and bury their content. For these platforms, their priority is consumer engagement and attention on the platform rather than the goals of the small businesses. 

With a website, small business owners can develop an effective search engine optimization (SEO) strategy to help drive traffic to their website by targeting the right audience almost automatically without the need to create new content daily. 

What about other social platforms? Should businesses still be leaning on the likes of Instagram and Snapchat as part of their marketing strategies? Do you believe these platforms see a resurgence following a TikTok ban?

Social media absolutely has a role to play for small businesses looking to connect with and grow their customer base. Before investing time and resources into social media, it is important for businesses to first take a step back and understand their target audience – who they are aiming to sell to and where those potential customers interact. At the end of the day, it’s not about being on a specific platform, it’s about being where your customers are. For some small businesses, that may mean dialing up the number of Reels they produce on Instagram but for others, it may mean being where people are searching for services or recommendations like on Nextdoor. 

According to a recent GoDaddy survey, there are clear differences between which social media platforms each generation uses most. For instance, Gen Z favors TikTok more than the other generations. Millennials and Gen X prefer YouTube, while baby boomers use Facebook the most. A full breakdown looks like this:

It is important for small business owners to understand there is no one-size-fits-all approach to social media marketing and doing the work on finding where your audience engages most is the first step.

It is hard to predict what will happen on the various other social media platforms following a potential TikTok ban, which is exactly why we are encouraging small businesses to establish a digital home via a website. Diversifying their platforms helps many small business owners raise awareness of the business, but all roads should lead back to a place that fully reflects them and their brand. 

What are some of the challenges and pitfalls that businesses selling via social media platforms such as TikTok face? How could a shift towards an ecommerce website help overcome these?

Being beholden to one platform is risky because the policies, rates or algorithms could change, affecting a business. Building a lasting relationship with existing customers creates repeat business opportunities. 

Our survey found that the overwhelming majority of Gen Z (80%) and Millennials (75%) said it is important for small businesses to have storefronts linked to their social pages for easy shopping, but small businesses are primarily using their social accounts for brand awareness over sales—only 25% use social to sell physical products and 19% to sell digital products. Using social media can be an effective marketing strategy, but many entrepreneurs are not using it as a direct selling channel. 

Selling online? We've compiled the best ecommerce plaforms on the market. 

Having a website not only allows small businesses to tell their story the way they want, it allows them to keep more of the profits, avoiding fees that social media platforms may charge to sell on their channels. Owning a website gives better control of sales, providing more consistent and quicker payouts. Websites also offer small businesses the opportunity to build lasting relationships with existing customers, creating repeat business opportunities.

From market forecasting, data analysis, and customer service to integration into the best website builders, Artificial Intelligence (AI) appears to be touching all facets of the business world.

But are AI tools the reserve of business behemoths? Or can small businesses also leverage artificial intelligence to help them develop greater market share?

A recent study by GoDaddy sought to understand the overall awareness and perception of generative AI amongst small business owners. The study follows the launch of GoDaddy’s new Airo™ tool that groups several AI technologies to deliver a range of assets ranging from business logos to fully populated website websites. This is one of the most advanced free AI tools available to small businesses and helps position GoDaddy as one of the best AI website builders on the market. 

Eager to uncover deeper insights, we talked to Laka Sriram, V.P. of Product, U.S. Independents at GoDaddy about what the survey found, how small businesses are benefiting from generative AI, and what the future may hold.

If you are interested in using the GoDaddy website builder, you can read our full GoDaddy website builder review here. 

In the study you mention how apprehension amongst small business owners' is low when it comes to the possibility of AI taking small business owners jobs; why do you think this is? 

When we surveyed small businesses in spring 2023, we found that 38% had been using generative AI, in this most recent survey, that has jumped to 73%. This is a significant increase in the number of small businesses experimenting with the technology, implying that small business owners are curious and excited about how they can use it to their benefit. If they were apprehensive or nervous about the technology, we would expect the adoption curve to be less noteworthy. 

Entrepreneurs are using generative AI to support day-to-day operations and help perform tasks like drafting content for social media or their website, or even boosting sales (44%). This allows them more time to spend with customers or on other work tasks to support their business, indicating that generative AI is being used as an additive technology rather than a replacement technology. 

As consumers better understand generative AI, and its abilities and limitations, fear around job loss seems to be decreasing. In fact, our survey found that only 1 in 10 small business owners believe generative AI could do their job better than them. Companies like GoDaddy, guide small businesses on how to best use the technology by providing easy-to-use tools, such as GoDaddy Airo™, to empower them to experiment with generative AI. 

What about employees within these businesses? Should they be worried about AI replacing their roles?

While generative AI can certainly take on certain tasks regularly handled by employees within small businesses, there should not be fear of job loss. Our recent survey found that, on average, small business owners expect to save more than $4,000 and 300 hours of work this year using generative AI—which isn’t equivalent to an employee’s salary or workload. Rather than fear the technology, employees, whether at a small business or elsewhere, should embrace the various ways it can make their jobs easier and more efficient, learning to work with the technology instead of avoiding it. 

Which recent developments do you believe are responsible for growth in the uptake of AI within small businesses? 

As with any new and groundbreaking technology, we often see a mixture of excitement and intrigue along with caution and skepticism. With generative AI in particular, there has been a lot of speculation around the technology – what it can do, its limitations, and what it will be capable of in the future. 

Initially, small business owners did not have the time to properly research, test, and better understand the technology. However, as generative AI has become a more prevalent aspect of society overall, they’ve become more comfortable with the idea of adopting the technology for their use. 

We’ve also seen an uptick in companies creating tools that ease small businesses into generative AI. Rather than entrepreneurs getting overwhelmed by the endless possibilities of the new technology, these simple solutions are created to make adoption easier and further educate the small business, ensuring high-quality output without the entrepreneur needing to be a generative AI expert. 

What, in your opinion, is the single most interesting finding from the study?  

The competitive advantage that small businesses expect generative AI to provide stood out the most, as it really highlights how entrepreneurs view the technology. While the survey found a significant uptick in small businesses using the new tool, 75% of entrepreneurs believe generative AI gives them an edge, which shows that this is not just a nice-to-have, it is a need-to-have in order to survive.

Where can small businesses make the biggest gains when applying AI?

There are five primary areas that I encourage small businesses to explore:

• Administrative and Operational Tasks: Generative AI can help streamline data entry, generate documents, write emails catered to varying audiences, and assist with other time-consuming tasks.
• Content Creation and Marketing: We found that small business owners struggle with creating marketing content for digital use. Generative AI can alleviate that pain point and deliver quality results. GoDaddy survey data shows that, of the small business owners that used generative AI for marketing efforts, 64% noted that the results were very good and/or excellent. Whether it's tailored blog posts, social media content, or advertising campaigns personalized to their target audiences, businesses can leverage generative AI to get the ball rolling. 
• Customer Experience Enhancements: AI-powered chatbots can offer real-time customer engagement, answer queries, and provide product information that assists with purchases. Alternatively, AI prompt libraries offer curated generative AI prompts that can be readily used to respond to customers. 
• Data Analysis: Generative AI can be used to perform predictive analysis to forecast future trends and behaviors or analyze customer data and segment it into categories like preferences and demographics.
• Boosting Sales: Generative AI can provide personalized recommendations by analyzing data, browsing history, and purchase patterns, or examine market trends, competitor pricing, and current customer behaviors to optimize pricing strategies. 

Run a small business? Check out our guide to the best small business website builders. 

Do you believe applying AI to areas such as website building and content creation will lead to lower-quality outputs? If so, what can small businesses do to mitigate them? 

As with anything created with generative AI, it is important to maintain a human touch – editing, building, and refining the product to ensure it accurately reflects the small business’ brand and style. 

Certain tools, such as GoDaddy Airo™, will leverage AI to generate various options for the entrepreneur to choose between, allowing them to customize the final product throughout every step of the process. Overall, small businesses should avoid relying too heavily on AI, and instead lean on the technology as a support system rather than something that replaces human efforts.

What do you believe small business owners should be doing to prepare to leverage future developments in AI? 

First and foremost, educate themselves! 

Having a foundational knowledge of the technology will help small businesses stay ahead of the curve and realize the competitive edge that generative AI can offer. It’s no secret that national brands and enterprise-level companies have teams of AI experts working tirelessly to roll out the next best AI solution for customers, so staying up-to-date and understanding how these solutions can translate for small businesses is critical as they look to grow and retain customers. 

What is GoDaddy doing to make AI more accessible to small business owners? 

At GoDaddy, we’re working hard to make sure we’re creating easy-to-use tools that allow entrepreneurs wanting to create or grow a small business to harness the power of generative AI. 

Since the beginning of 2023, we’ve released free materials such as GoDaddy’s AI prompt library, conducted free webinars to help educate small businesses, and developed generative AI-powered solutions. 

Most recently, we released GoDaddy Airo™, a free tool that is the culmination of all the latest advancements in the field of generative AI combined with everything GoDaddy has learned over the past 20 years across our 21 million customers. We’ve always provided guidance and tools to help entrepreneurs and small business owners start and grow their businesses, but GoDaddy Airo™ allows us to do this like never before, using generative AI technology. 

Small business owners are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence to gain a competitive advantage in the market, new research has claimed.

A GoDaddy study of over 500 US entrepreneurs found a growing confidence in the power of generative AI tools to drive business success.

The findings indicate a positive shift in attitude towards AI among small and medium-sized businesses. Three in four believe that GenAI will give them an edge over similar-sized competitors. More than two-thirds (68%) also see AI as enabling them to compete better with larger enterprises.

GenAI is helping SMBs

Nearly three-quarters (73%) said that they’ve already experimented with the technology, and more than a quarter (26%) already use AI for business purposes – up from 11% in the year before.

Generative AI really took off back in November 2022 when ChatGPT hit public preview, but SMBs are now expanding their use cases beyond simple content generation. More than two in five (44%) now use AI to enhance sales performance – twice as many as in 2023.

Amy Jennette, Senior Director of Marketing at GoDaddy, commented on the trend, stating: “We’re at the beginning of the AI revolution and small businesses are already taking advantage of the technology, which is really unprecedented.”

Despite initial concerns about AI potentially replacing human jobs, the survey found very low levels of concern among SMBs – only one in 10 believed that GenAI could outperform them in their roles, and the majority (89%) expressed confidence that AI would have a positive impact on their business.

Jennette also highlighted the tangible benefits of deploying AI across the SMB landscape, revealing that small businesses could save over $4,000 and 300 hours of work annually, underscoring the potential cost-saving benefits of productivity tools that use artificial intelligence.

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GoDaddy has launched Airo, a new AI-powered tool built to support small businesses. 

Airo leverages AI technology to automatically deliver a host of marketing materials including domain suggestions, logos, email marketing campaigns, and more. 

The new AI tool is free to use, although you will need to purchase a domain to generate the bespoke marketing materials. There are also paid options that can be unlocked such as premium email and website builder features and tools. 

AI-powered small business tools 

GoDaddy claims that, on average, small businesses can expect to save more than $4,000 and 300 hours of work in 2024 by using generative AI - yet few know where to start with leveraging new AI-powered technologies. This is where Airo aims to help.

Users start by inputting a short description of the business they want to launch. Airo then offers up suggestions for potential domains. Once a domain is purchased, the AI works to produce logo suggestions, website options, email accounts, email marketing campaigns, a fully populated social media calendar, social media and search engine ads, and even an option to register an LLC.

Businesses can pick and choose from the materials that Airo produces. For example, businesses that need a website can opt for an AI generated ‘Coming Soon’ landing page. Alternatively, Airo will use the information provided to build a full website complete with images and text. You can then use GoDaddy’s website builder tools to tweak and edit until it meets your needs. 

Laka Sriram, VP of Product and lead on GoDaddy’s generative AI, told TechRadar that this is just the start of the company's AI offering for small businesses and other specialized tools such as one that will allow you to create an entire product or service catalog by simply taking a photo will be available to use soon.

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For nearly 40 years, the Domain Name System (DNS) has served as the definitive naming system for the internet. Functioning like a global phone book, DNS translates numeric-based addresses, called Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, that computers use to navigate the internet into a unique, human-readable text string called a domain name. From its humble beginnings in 1985 with the first domain registered – symbolics.com – DNS has grown into a global, multilingual and multinational phenomenon, with 359.3 million domains currently registered.

DNS has transformed our culture and the way we speak and think about websites, email addresses, and domain extensions like dot com. Domains have also become an essential part of establishing the digital identities of entrepreneurs, companies, and famous brands worldwide. 

Behind the scenes, DNS quietly keeps the internet functioning across a multitude of platforms, including computers, mobile phones, tablets, cars and the expanding universe of smart devices comprising the Internet of Things (IoT). No matter what the device or its purpose, it benefits from the universal accessibility and uniqueness of DNS to stay connected.

More recently, we’ve seen the emergence of blockchain technology - a secure and decentralized ledger system that consists of linked records, each containing a list of transactions. Blockchain records are distributed across a network of computers, providing transparency, transaction integrity and resistance to tampering. The most familiar application for blockchain technology is to support cryptocurrency transactions, with the coins or tokens residing in users’ crypto wallets. These wallets have unique addresses, and just like the device IP addresses mentioned previously, they are not human-readable or easily remembered. Startups like Ethereum Name Services (ENS) and Unstoppable Domains have launched their own naming systems to issue blockchain identifiers (sometimes inaccurately called “blockchain domains”) as a means to link user-friendly strings to a unique wallet address. 

The advantages of blockchain identifiers include decentralization, censorship resistance, no renewal fees, and they do not expire. However, every update requires paying gas fees, which are small charges for processing transactions, and applying blockchain identifiers to other services currently supported by DNS, like web and email resources, is proving to be more challenging.

Blockchain identifiers have many issues

Early adopters of blockchain identifiers are discovering important limitations. Both the registering party and the end user need to employ custom network settings, or download special browsers or plug-ins, all of which impedes wider adoption. Additionally, blockchain identifiers introduce challenges with “name collisions“. This occurs when the same domain name exists in two systems at the same time, which can create security risks and navigation conflicts when someone attempts to use a domain. Blockchain identifiers can “collide” with identical domains in DNS, or even with other blockchains. A study on the collision of .cba domains sheds light on the challenges associated with collisions.

Along with name collisions and being difficult to use, blockchain identifiers are hampered by reduced trust and user confidence. Because of its scale and ubiquity, DNS is trusted and recognized by billions of users every day. One reason for this trust is because it addresses challenges with domains such as DNS abuse. To combat abuse and maintain user trust, DNS regulators have adopted formal dispute procedures like the Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy (UDRP) and domain name registrars are subject to established laws such as the Anti-cybersquatting Consumer Protection Act (ACPA) to tackle infringement and counterfeit sites.

In contrast, blockchain identifiers lack centralized oversight or tools to effectively address abuse, infringement, or criminal activities associated with their name services. There are no reliable dispute mechanisms, and no one can “take down” an abusive blockchain identifier. If this sounds like the ‘Wild West,’ that’s because it is. The perceived advantage of not having policies and regulations could also be blockchain’s demise in situations where the need for protection against malicious activities becomes critical.

So, are these blockchain-based identifiers an improvement over DNS? To determine if they are suitable, it's essential to first understand what problems they seek to address. Implementation of technology shouldn’t merely be for the sake that it exists, but instead, should be implemented to solve a problem.

Many proponents of blockchain technology assert that it eliminates the need for entities like ICANN and registrars, offering a management-free environment. They also assert that blockchain addresses the issue of renewal fees, providing a system free from expirations or deletions. However, while these advantages may be compelling for some, they are often outweighed by their technical limitations, eroded user confidence or potential conflicts from name collisions.

As a result, instead of replacing DNS, blockchain technology and crypto wallets can be supported by DNS. For instance, internet users can register .eth domain names with ENS, while .art DNS domains provide a platform to integrate crypto technology. Domain registries and registrars can support blockchain technology to bridge a gap that allows for a secure, integrated internet.

At this time, blockchain identifiers fall short of domain names due to their limited functionality, complex user requirements and structural vulnerability. But, like any emerging technology, they are evolving, and these shortcomings may be effectively addressed in the future. Rather than replacing the DNS, it’s more likely that blockchain evolution will spur new use cases for DNS to bridge the two systems. With GoDaddy domains supporting ENS wallets, we are beginning to see that potential.

This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

GoDaddy has launched a new, affordable website builder service to help SMBs maximize their online presence effectively and help them be more competitive.

According to third-party research cited in the company’s announcement, more than one-quarter (27%) of small businesses still don’t have a website, which can have considerable effects in today’s digital-first era.

The new GoDaddy Essential Website Design Service gives SMBs the opportunity to create a handful of web pages optimized to work seamlessly across desktop and mobile platforms, all built with SEO in mind.

GoDaddy Essential Website Design

The service includes some of the basics, such as four pages, a Sign-Up form or a Contact Us form for capturing leads, and up to 500 copywritten words provided by a GoDaddy expert.

More importantly, it includes SEO optimization to help SMBs reach more customers online. With small business leaders often finding themselves spread thinly across multiple roles, and SEO being a rabbit hole that never ends, having a site already optimized can be a game-changer for many.

GoDaddy also promises a one-time revision cycle, so that business owners can share feedback to nail their site before it goes live.

GoDaddy Product Marketing Manager Michelle Slifcak Villa said: “We know first impressions matter, and by blending affordability, attractive design, and expertise, our customers can now seamlessly unlock their branding potential, making a strategic investment in their future success.”

Payment for the service works by a one-time fee for the design service, plus hosting. TechRadar Pro has asked GoDaddy to share more information about its pricing for the new site-building service that caters to entrepreneurs – any update will be posted here.

Clearly, the company is investing heavily in its website services as 2023 winds up. Earlier in October, GoDaddy announced revisions to its wider website-designing services, including the introduction of a new hub designed to simplify communication with GoDaddy experts and designers online.

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GoDaddy has announced a new tool designed to make creating and designing a powerful and effective website easier for small business owners.

With the launch of Website Design Hub, GoDaddy hopes to offer a more simplified, modern website builder and designing interface that revolves around a user-friendly, centralized dashboard.

Stating that a website could be one of a business’s best investments, the Website Design Hub adds to the existing GoDaddy Website Design Service to provide a more intuitive and less technical way of growing an online presence.

GoDaddy new hub for reaching its designers

The company said that entrepreneurs will be able to work through their website development “at their own pace” while keeping tabs on progress via a centralized dashboard.

GoDaddy Senior Product Manager of Websites, Utkarsh Narvekar, said: “By introducing the Website Design Hub, customers have a more simplified, modern way to be involved in their website build.”

The new feature is hoped to improve communication between entrepreneurs and design advisors, which in turn will speed up the revision process. Previously, users relied on emails and phone calls for updates on their site’s progress, which arguably share less context than a dedicated, built-in hub.

Although this improved online connection promises to boost efficiency, business customers can still schedule appointments for more detailed discussions.

As well as this, the Website Design Hub serves as a central repository for media and other project information in order to ensure continuity and accurate brand reflection during the design process.

Customers looking to take advantage of the new hub should request a callback from GoDaddy by selecting their chosen site: standard for up to four pages, premium for up to 10 pages, and a premium web store for a greater focus on ecommerce.

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GoDaddy has announced a new partnership with Google to help small business owners get their messages into the hands of more customers.

The news sees Google Business Messages added to GoDaddy Conversations, which is designed to centralize messages from a variety of compatible communications channels to make it easier for companies to manage their communication platforms.

It means that customers will be able to message from their preferred Google interface, but GoDaddy admins will be able to answer from one central system.

GoDaddy Conversations now supports Google Business Messages

Consumers will now be able to message directly from Google Search and Maps, with their messages landing straight in the GoDaddy Conversations window.

The addition of a new channel is a response to consumer trends: customers are communicating via a growing number of channels and, oftentimes, outside of typical business hours. 

Support for Google’s messaging system adds to existing support for business emails, customer contact forms, website chat, and Facebook and Instagram activity, including mentions and comments. 

The website builder hopes that, together with its extensive catalog of tools, it can lower barriers for entrepreneurs and make creating an online presence simpler.

Clearly, interoperability has been at the forefront of GoDaddy’s latest innovations, which has helped it remain one of the most popular website and ecommerce tools. New payment providers and technologies – like Tap to Pay – have been announced this year.

Also on-trend is its adoption of generative AI tools, which have been put in place to make setting up a site’s initial content less painful. 

Senior Director of Product Management for GoDaddy, Lu Wang, said: “As the first website builder and unified inbox provider in the U.S. to integrate Google's Business Messages, GoDaddy customers will be connected in the places that matter the most.”

In response to our question about the addition of more channels in the future, GoDaddy's Product Marketing Manager said:

"Our product team is constantly working on improving our Conversations unified inbox and scoping some additional communication channels to be integrated in the coming months."

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Web hosting giant GoDaddy has announced a new tool designed to make transferring from other WordPress hosting providers a breeze as it looks to occupy more of the web market.

The new migration tool is available to users with Web Hosting, Web Hosting Plus, and Managed WordPress Hosting products, and promises to make transferring from third-party hosting providers both quicker and cheaper.

It can also be used for transferring sites between different GoDaddy accounts which can be a useful feature for companies looking to amalgamate multiple accounts or for personal users looking to integrate with business products as their company grows.

GoDaddy announces new WordPress transferring tool

Speaking of the news in a press release, GoDaddy proudly claimed 99.9% guaranteed service uptime and 24/7 support.

GoDaddy’s WordPress site migration tool gives customers the power to move their WordPress site from another hosting platform to GoDaddy’s “in just a few clicks,” but for those lacking in the technical know-how, a paid migration service is also available which takes the pressure of users having to do all the hard work.

According to the company’s website, it offers 24/7 monitoring to spot suspicious activity in an effort to prevent DDoS attacks and will notify users when they’re close to reaching their resource limits so they can upgrade things like CPU, memory, entry processes, and I/O, to help them better manage costs.

Managed WordPress Basic plans currently start at $107.88 plus taxes for a one-year contract and come with 5GB of SSD storage for one website. The plan includes a free domain, daily backups, malware removal, and an AI creation tool.

With the launch of the new migration assistant, GoDaddy says it plans to “empower entrepreneurs and small business owners” by giving them access to the right tools, insights, and resources.

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ChatGPT is making its way into software development at a rapid rate, with even the best domain registrar services getting in on the action.

It’s becoming increasingly clear that the days when users would have to manually search for domain names are over.

Recently, ChatGPT collaborated with GoDaddy to generate relevant and available domain name options based on prompts. Laka Sriram, VP of Product, GoDaddy discusses its potential and the rationale behind the ChatGPT integration with TechRadar Pro.

• Most of the best web hosting services offer a free domain name for a year

Every business needs a website, and every website needs a domain name. The domain name is the address of your website, and it is crucial to choose a domain name that fits your brand and is easy for your customers to remember. 

However, buying a domain name may seem like a daunting task, especially for small business owners who are just starting up.

The good news is that you don't have to spend a fortune on your domain name.  Some of the best domain registrars offer cheap domain names that could get your site up and running in no time. Whether you're looking for a new domain name or renewing an existing one, we have got you covered on where to buy cheap domain names.

5 top domain registrars offering cheap domain names 

Namecheap

Namecheap is one of the most renowned domain registrars with the best prices on domain extensions. It boast of a wide range of TLDs (top-level domains) like .com, .net, .org, .edu, and many more. It also offers an addition of security features and a free SSL certificate. Namecheap charges as low as $0.99 for .xyz domains, which is the cheapest of all its TLDs. The registration fee for a .com is $9.58 for the first year, making it one of the best deals in the market.

GoDaddy

With over 20 million registered domains under its belt, Godaddy is the most popular domain registrar worldwide. The company offers some of the most competitive prices ranging from $2.14 to $80 for the first year of new domain registration which depends on the type of domain extension chosen and the popularity of the domain name. GoDaddy also offers numerous features like website builders and hosting services, on top of daily backups and automatic updating of WordPress. Its pricing is scalable and caters to businesses of all sizes.

Bluehost

Bluehost is an all-in-one platform for starting a website, including domain registration, web hosting, and website design. It offer affordable domain registration starting from $1.99 per year. Bluehost is a great package deal for small business owners who need an easy-to-use platform to get started.

Name.com

Name.com is known for its affordable prices and ease of use. It offers numerous domain extensions, including .com, .org, .net, and new TLDs like .xyz, .ai, .space, and many more. Once you register a domain with Name.com, you get a free SSL certificate, privacy protection, and email forwarding services. Name.com domains cost as low as $0.99 up to $2,000 for the first year

Hostinger

Hostinger offers on of the best web hosting packages that includes free domain registration, unlimited bandwidth, and storage. It offer domain extensions as low as $2.99 for the first year. Hostinger also offers a free website builder and migration services if you already have a site up and want to switch. Its customer support is available 24/7, ensuring that your site runs smoothly all day.

Where can I get a domain name at the lowest price? 

There are several domain name registrars that offer competitive pricing for domain name registration. Some of the popular domain registrars include Namecheap, GoDaddy, Domain.com, and Google Domains.

The pricing for domain names varies depending on the extension you choose (.com, .org, .net, etc.) and the length of time you register it for. Typically, the longer the registration period, the lower the price per year. It's also worth noting that some registrars may offer promotional deals or discounts, so it's a good idea to shop around and compare prices before making a decision.

However, the best option for you will depend on your specific needs and budget. Consider factors such as customer support, ease of use, and additional features offered by each registrar when making your decision.

Does it really matter where you buy a domain name? 

Yes, it does matter where you buy a domain name because the domain registrar you choose can have a significant impact on your website's performance, security, and overall online presence.

The quality of the domain registrar's infrastructure can affect the uptime and performance of your website. If the registrar has a slow or unreliable server, it can lead to slow loading times, downtime, and a poor user experience for your visitors.

Secondly, some domain registrars offer additional features such as domain privacy protection, SSL certificates, and website builders that can help enhance your website's security and functionality. 

That said, some domain registrars have better customer support and user interfaces, making it easier for you to manage your domain and website. Lastly, some registrars offer better pricing and promotional deals compared to others. It's essential to consider the long-term cost of domain ownership and renewal fees when choosing a domain registrar.

What is a reasonable price to pay for a domain name? 

The price of a domain name can vary depending on several factors such as the domain extension, the popularity of the name, and the domain registrar you choose.

Typically, domain names with popular extensions such as .com, .net, and .org tend to be more expensive than those with less popular extensions. Also, domain names that are short, easy to remember, and contain common keywords can also fetch a higher price.

As for the actual cost, domain names can range anywhere from $1 to over $100,000 per year depending on the quality of the domain name. However, most domain names typically cost between $0.99 to $50 per year. 

It's worth noting that some domain registrars may offer discounts or promotional deals, especially for new customers. Additionally, some registrars may charge additional fees for features such as domain privacy protection or SSL certificates.

Quality for your money?

Buying a domain name is an important investment for any business owner looking to establish an online presence. While it can be expensive, there are many options for buying cheap domain names in 2023. 

By choosing a reputable registrar like GoDaddy, Namecheap, Name.com, Hostinger, or Bluehost, you can save money while still getting a quality domain name. When choosing a domain name, be sure to choose one that is memorable, easy to spell, and reflects your brand. 

With these tips in mind, you can be sure that you're getting the best value for your money when purchasing a domain name in 2023. 

• Here's a list of the best domain name generators on the market

GoDaddy has joined the list of the best website builder services that now offer Tap to Pay on iPhone technology.

Available now to US-based users only to begin with, GoDaddy has collaborated with Apple’s Tap to Pay on iPhone to offer this free from its mobile app.

GoDaddy says the release of this additional service is to simplify seamless tap payments for small businesses without the need to purchase an additional POS system.

Tap to pay with GoDaddy 

Apple Tap to Pay was first revealed in February 2022 with the aim of eradicating the use of external POS hardware. GoDaddy joins the likes of Wix and Stripe that also recently announced Tap to Pay capabilities.

By downloading the GoDaddy mobile app on a compatible iPhone, businesses will have the ability to accept all types of contactless payments, from contactless debit and credit cards to Apple Pay and other digital wallets. 

“Based on our data, more than half of all in-store purchases are now contactless, making it a favorite way for consumers to make payments in-store,” said Osama Bedier, President of GoDaddy Commerce. 

“Many of our US customers already have an iPhone. By adding Tap to Pay on iPhone to the GoDaddy Mobile App, we will enable millions of small businesses to accept in-person payments without having to purchase additional hardware. That matters in this climate. It’s part of GoDaddy’s mission to put merchants first by making user-friendly, connected commerce tools accessible to all businesses, no matter their size.” 

In a company blog post, GoDaddy claims that Apple does not store card numbers on the device or on Apple servers, and GoDaddy implements advanced encryption designed to safeguard users' data.

Transactions through the GoDaddy Mobile App are powered by GoDaddy Payments, which comes with transaction fees of 2.3% + 0 cents per in-person transaction.

GoDaddy is yet to comment on expanding the offering to users outside of the US.

• We've also featured the best mobile card payment readers

GoDaddy is best known as a domain name registrar, but it provides many other digital services for businesses, including a point-of-sale (POS) system. Many businesses use GoDaddy to accept in-person payments.

The cloud-based POS system enables users to monitor transactions in real time, especially those with multiple stores. This system is known for its simple setup and intuitiveness, although it has some drawbacks.

I tested GoDaddy’s point-of-sale system to identify its strengths and drawbacks. My review focused mainly on its features, pricing, and user-friendliness. Read on to learn the pros and cons of GoDaddy POS and whether it’s ideal for your business.

GoDaddy POS: Plans and pricing

GoDaddy offers more affordable transaction fees than most POS systems I’ve tested. It charges a flat 2.5% for in-person card transactions (when customers insert, swipe, or tap their cards on your POS device). If card details are manually keyed in, the fee increases to 3.5% (POS vendors charge higher fees for manually keyed-in transactions because of increased risks).

Most POS systems charge 2.4% to 2.7% plus 10 to 15 cents for in-person transactions. In contrast, GoDaddy charges 2.5% and takes no extra fee, making it an affordable solution.

Similarly, most POS systems I’ve tested charge 3.5% plus 10 to 15 cents for manually keyed-in transactions. But, GoDaddy charges 3.5% and no extra fee.

GoDaddy offers different hardware options at varying price points. You can buy its portable card reader with a charging dock for $100. Customers can insert, swipe, or tap their card on this reader to pay you. The card reader works with the GoDaddy POS app installed on your tablet or smartphone.

Keep an eye on the latest GoDaddy promo codes to see how else you can save with some discounts available.

Alternatively, you can buy GoDaddy's Smart Terminal for $500. This all-in-one terminal lets you accept payments without depending on your smartphone or tablet. Everything works directly on the Terminal, and you can customize the screen to showcase your brand or announce promotions.

GoDaddy also offers the Smart Terminal Flex, a smaller version of the Terminal, for $400. The Terminal has dual screens (one for you and another for the customer), while the Terminal Flex has a single screen. The Terminal is ideal for businesses with fixed locations, while the Flex is ideal for businesses that frequently change locations, e.g., attending trade shows and industry events.

GoDaddy’s hardware prices are in line with most POS vendors I’ve tested. They aren’t the most affordable options, but neither are they costly. The prices are reasonable compared to the hardware specifications.

GoDaddy POS: Features

GoDaddy offers a comprehensive point-of-sale system for retail. It lets users receive payments when customers swipe, tap, or insert their cards into the POS hardware. Payments are settled and deposited into your business account within 24 to 48 hours.

GoDaddy takes a 2.5% fee on each transaction, which is a competitive rate compared to other POS systems. Customers who signed up before March 2024 pay GoDaddy’s previous 2.3% rate. I used this rate the last time I tested GoDaddy, and even with the increase to 2.5%, it remains competitive.

I didn’t like that GoDaddy’s POS system works exclusively with its POS hardware. Unlike some rival POS systems whose software works with external terminals, you must buy GoDaddy’s hardware to use its POS software.

Inventory management was a major highlight of my GoDaddy review, as creating and managing product catalogs was noticeably easy. I could seamlessly add new products with detailed descriptions and prices. Likewise, I could monitor all transactions from a central dashboard.

When customers choose specific products, the system calculates the total price and asks for a payment. The GoDaddy Terminal has a built-in receipt printer, so it can automatically print receipts when a customer makes a successful payment.

Product stock levels are automatically updated after each sale. Suppose you add an item and specify 10 units available. When a customer pays for one item, the item is subtracted, and the inventory level immediately updates to 9. You can set the app to send alerts once an item’s inventory count falls below a specific threshold.

I appreciated that GoDaddy’s Smart Terminal has a built-in camera that functions as a barcode scanner. When you add an item to your catalog, a unique barcode will be generated, which you can print and place on the item. If a customer picks up the item and gets it scanned via the camera, its details (price and other information) will immediately show on the Terminal screen. The total cost of the scanned items will be calculated, and the customer can quickly pay.

However, if you run a large store, you can still use an external barcode scanner. GoDaddy’s Smart Terminal is compatible with external barcode scanners connected via USB. Unfortunately, the Smart Terminal Flex doesn’t support USB or Bluetooth connections for external scanners.

I rate GoDaddy highly for its versatility, as it works reliably both for small and large stores. If you are running a small store, you can use the portable card reader to accept payments, and all software processes will run on the GoDaddy POS smartphone app. You can download this app on any iOS or Android device.

The smartphone app has the same interface you’d find on the Smart Terminal. It enables you to track inventory, monitor sales, and collect customer data, among other features.

The Smart Terminal or Smart Terminal Flex are the best hardware options for running a large store. These devices have built-in operating systems to run GoDaddy’s POS app directly. All payment processing operations run on the device, and the setup process is straightforward.

I liked the Smart Terminal’s dual-screen design. The upper screen is meant for the customer, and the lower screen is what you look at when adding items and processing payments. You can customize this screen to display your logo or promote products when not in active use. This feature seems trivial, but it goes a long way in making your store look professional.

Another good thing about GoDaddy is that it doesn’t require recurring monthly or annual subscriptions. After buying the device, the only fees you’ll pay are the commissions on every transaction. In contrast, most POS systems I’ve tested require a monthly or annual subscription along with the hardware and transaction fees.

Yet, something I didn’t like about GoDaddy is its minimal third-party integrations. It doesn’t have direct integration with many external tools. For the few integrations available, setting them up is often complex. Some rival POS systems have extensive third-party integration, so I think GoDaddy should improve in this area.

GoDaddy POS: Interface and use

GoDaddy has a straightforward interface that didn’t give me any problems. I found it easy to use, and the setup process is one of the most seamless I’ve encountered in a POS system.

Setting up the Smart Terminal was the easiest because of its built-in software. Setting up the card reader took more time because I had to download the app on my smartphone and pair it with the reader. Yet, compared to the many other POS systems I’ve tested, the setup process wasn’t out of the ordinary.

A good thing about using this POS is its compatibility with GoDaddy’s e-commerce tools. If you create and host a store on GoDaddy’s e-commerce suite, you won’t spend much effort integrating it with your POS system. For example, customers can place an order on your online store and pick it up in person. Your POS inventory can be linked to your online inventory, and any item a customer buys will automatically reflect in both.

GoDaddy POS: Support

GoDaddy offers customer support through live chat, telephone, and email. You can always head to the Contact Us page and choose Chat Now.

If live chat is unavailable, then you can look for the appropriate support numbers to call in the Call Us section; the exact one depends on your region. Similarly, you can send a message to one of GoDaddy’s support email addresses and wait for a response within 24 hours.

GoDaddy POS: The competition

Lightspeed is the main GoDaddy competitor I’d like to highlight. It offers similar features and a user-friendly interface like GoDaddy. Its transaction fees are 2.6% plus 10 cents, slightly higher than GoDaddy’s 2.5%. However, Lightspeed charges 2.9% plus 30 cents for manually keyed-in transactions, much lower than GoDaddy’s 3.5%.

Lightspeed offers better customization and has a broader collection of third-party integrations than GoDaddy. The drawback is that it requires a monthly subscription of $89 to $289, depending on your selected features. This subscription applies to each POS device you run, making it costly.

If you run a large retail business and need a customizable solution, Lightspeed is the better choice. However, you’re better off with GoDaddy for small and medium-sized businesses.

GoDaddy POS: Final verdict

GoDaddy offers a reliable point-of-sale system for retailers and service providers. Due to its affordability it is one of the best ecommerce platforms for businesses with limited budgets. It doesn’t have many features that differentiate it from competitors, but it performs its core job well.

Domain registrar and web hosting company GoDaddy has launched a new system that allows business owners to register a new domain and start accepting payments from customers instantly.

Payable Domains are branded pay links that create a checkout page, shareable via a link, that lets US-based domain name customers begin accepting payments shortly after they purchase a newly registered domain.

Available now, Payable Domains functions without the need for a website or ecommerce store, and can be customized with company logos, product images, cost of products or services, or other branded content.

Pay through domains 

Similar to Monzo’s share payment link service, GoDaddy’s new offering includes features such as the ability to share Payable Domains with customers through text, social media or a QR code, with the transaction fees of 2.3% + $0.30 per online transaction.

Business owners that use the domain registrar to purchase any domain can access the payable domain service via GoDaddy’s back-end dashboard.

“While there’s been innovation around add-on products for domain names, such as Domain Privacy and Ownership Protection services, not much has been done to enhance the capability of domain names themselves,” said GoDaddy President of Domains Paul Nicks. 

“Domains have largely been used as a digital identity for businesses, but with this new commerce capability we view the domain name taking on a far more versatile role for up-and-coming small businesses. The Payable Domain ultimately serves as an innovative and cost-effective tool for entrepreneurs to accept online payments before even setting up a website.”

GoDaddy customers that register the domain of their name or business will then receive the corresponding Payable Domain to accept payments. Domain owners will, then, be able to link a bank account to their GoDaddy Payment account once the first payment is received.

Currently, GoDaddy Payments is integrated in a host of GoDaddy commerce products, including its website builder, managed WordPress and managed WooCommerce store plans.

“We’re intensely focused on building connected commerce solutions that make growing a business easier, whether you’ve just named your business or are in the process of expanding its sales across the country,” said GoDaddy President of Commerce Osama Bedier. “With Payable Domains, it’s never been easier to start selling online.”

GoDaddy says that users will need to complete the verification process before they can receive payouts for transactions.

• Check out our list of the best small business web hosting services on the market

TechRadar created this content as part of a paid partnership with Squarespace. The contents of this article are entirely independent and solely reflect the editorial opinion of TechRadar.

If you want your business to succeed, it needs to have a good website – it helps customers find your firm, adds credibility, and can lead to sales.

A good website is crucial for any company, no matter its size and industry. And if you're wondering if you need to bother, look at the numbers: surveys show that 75% of consumers judge a company's credibility on its website design. Nearly 90% of people searching for a type of business on their smartphone contact a company within 24 hours.

It doesn't matter what your company does – it needs a website. And it's not just about throwing a page online and hoping for the best, either, because it's got to work well on smartphones and desktops, it's got to be fast, and it needs to give potential customers easy ways to get in touch.

These days it's actually pretty easy to create a top-notch corporate website that ticks every box when it comes to attracting and retaining customers.

Read on to find out exactly why you should build a website and the crucial steps for creating your own site. We've even reviewed six of the top services if you want to use a website building and hosting company.

Don't worry if you need more corporate help, either – head here for our guide on different versions of Microsoft 365 Business, or delve into alternative working methods for a more productive career. 

How to build a website in 9 steps 

It can be hard to know where to start when you want to build a website for your business, but if you follow this method then you won't go far wrong: 

1. Figure out what you need

Every business needs a website, but not every business needs the same site. In some industries you'll need little more than a page with basic information and contact details, but sometimes you'll need more complex sites with loads of articles and sections. You might need employee login portals or full ecommerce functionality. Before you build, work out your needs and budget.

2. Choose the right website builder and host

Once that's done you'll be better positioned to choose a building and hosting company. And while that's great, you'll find that some services are better for different industries and that others aren't suitable. Do your research before spending any cash.

3. Pick a plan that suits your needs

Every building and hosting company offers packages that provide different services and levels of support. If you need a basic site and you don't anticipate much traffic you can choose a more affordable option, but if you want complex features, ecommerce abilities and better technical support you'll need a more expensive tier. Also think about which content management system (CMS) your new site will use. Ensure that any plan can scale with your business – you may need to add pages, subdomains or bandwidth as the business grows.

4. Register a great domain name

Your next website doesn't just need to look great – it's got to sound catchy, too. If you've got a name that's memorable and straightforward, people will remember the URL and be more likely to visit and recommend your business to other people. Also check that other companies don't already use the name and consider including your location in the URL – it can improve your SEO.

5. Pick a template from the website builder you've chosen

You don't need to know anything about coding to build a brilliant-looking website. Any decent website-building service will offer loads of templates. If you use these you can skip many of the headaches associated with web design. Make sure your new template is good-looking, easy to navigate and consistent with your brand.

6. Install extensions and plugins

Most web-building businesses don't just offer great-looking templates, either – they also provide extensions and plugins that add functionality to your site. If you need social media feeds, contact forms, ecommerce options or help with SEO, you can drag, drop and configure these utilities within minutes.

7. Upload your content

Once you've got a theme selected and plugins picked you can fill your website with your company's text, photos and information. Make your company's industry, location and expertise extremely clear, and ensure that all of your content is designed with SEO in mind.

8. Publish and promote your website

You won't get very far if you don't publish the website – so when it's ready to go, hit the big button and let it loose. Add your website to your company's social media pages alongside professional websites, because it's no good having a website if no-one can find it.

9. Track, tweak and improve

No website is a static project. If you hook up your site to popular analytics packages you'll be able to see how much traffic you're getting and how often that converts to sales and contacts. When you can see how people use your site, you can also see where it succeeds – and what you need to improve. You should also regularly publish new content to keep your site relevant.

Why you should create a website

It's tempting to think that you don't need a website if your business is active on social media, but that's not necessarily the case. More than 50% of people won't recommend a business with a bad website, and most people judge a company's credibility on its website design.

If you want to grow your business and engage customers you cannot just rely on social media. And if you drill down into the details, we've got five great reasons why you should build a business website.

1. Build your credibility

Statistics show most customers don't trust a business without a website or with a bad website. Build a good site and you'll gain trust in the eyes of your potential customers, partners and employees – and it'll help your business stand out against your competition.

2. Grow your audience

If you've got a website with great SEO then you've got another way for potential customers to find your business and engage with your products and services. And it's not just about gaining customers immediately, either: if your website can bolster your brand you'll find that customers trust you in the longer term and it'll make them more likely to recommend you to other people. The business will also attract more candidates to job vacancies.

3. Make customer service easier

You don't want things to go wrong, but it happens. And if you can resolve issues easily, the business will better retain customers and gain word-of-mouth recommendations. If you've got straightforward contact and chat features then customers can easily access help features, and you can add articles and forums to help customers resolve issues without making contact – which will save you time and money.

4. Publish relevant content

If you have a website you can publish your own articles. And whether they opine on industry trends, highlight your professional expertise or help customers, it's all going to improve your industry standing and contribute to your marketing efforts. And if you publish content on your own website then you control it – it's not going to disappear at the whim of a social network or get hampered by abusive comments or bad reviews.

5. Sell directly

Here's one benefit you can measure in numbers – if you've got your own website you can sell directly to customers. Creating your own ecommerce website will add cost, but you won't have to slice off revenues to other third-party sellers like Amazon and you're often able to sell to a wider audience. If you've got a physical shop, for instance, opening an ecommerce website can help you sell to the rest of the country – or even the world.

Hostinger's website builder is one of the most intuitive we've used thanks to a sleek, effective drag-and-drop interface. It has an automatic responsive design that adapts your site to different screen sizes and Hostinger includes all of the ecommerce features needed to start selling immediately.

The firm's premium package costs $2.99 per month, so Hostinger is one of the more affordable web design options around, and for that money you can build 100 websites with unlimited bandwidth. You'll get one free domain, Cloudflare-protected servers and managed Wordpress installations. It's even possible to pay $1.99 per month for one website, although that doesn't include a domain.

Hostinger's website editor is impressively easy to use, but it's not all good news. With more affordable plans you only get weekly backups – not daily protection. It's not the best option for big businesses as you'll find faster VPS plans elsewhere, and other companies offer more detailed website builders. Phone support isn't available either.

For small and medium-sized businesses, though, Hostinger provides good value, a solid range of features and a website builder that's straightforward and easy to use, so it remains a good option for more modest projects.

Read our full Hostinger review.

If you listen to podcasts you'll undoubtedly have heard Squarespace adverts, and there's plenty to like about this website building company – it's not all just bluster.

Even beginners will feel comfortable dragging and dropping features around a new website thanks to the intuitive design, and users can pick from hundreds of templates. Once you've done that you can use loads of different customization options. Squarespace is strong when it comes to blogging, social networks and smartphone integrations, but it's a bit weaker when it comes to ecommerce.

You'll find more templates on other sites, too, and others also offer more in-depth options when it comes to customizing those templates.

Prices start at $16 per month for a personal plan and $23 per month for a business plan, and that does include advanced analytics and a free custom domain. If you'd like ecommerce without transaction fees and advanced checkout, shipping and merchandizing tools, you'll need to pay more.

Squarespace might not offer the customization or ecommerce abilities of some of the specialist builders out there. Still, it's a trusted and well-known all-rounder that'll do a great job with most business websites.

Read our full Squarespace review.

GoDaddy is one of the biggest names when it comes to website building and hosting, and no wonder – the firm's website editing tools are intuitive and straightforward, and it means you can get a website up and running within minutes.

You can pick from hundreds of sleek templates on GoDaddy and the drag-and-drop editor makes it easy to customize each page and add your own content. The builder works smoothly on desktops and smartphones. GoDaddy also offers features that can create consistent content across social media pages and emails. It's got ecommerce abilities and a management dashboard that offers analysis tools on any device.

It's an easy and effective system, and it's bolstered by great support options, including loads of guides, 24/7 tech support, a weekday live chat option and a thriving community forum.

Basic plans start at $9.99 per month and include custom domain connections, SSL security and analytics dashboards. You also get loads of marketing options, from social posting to email list management. Pay more and you'll get ecommerce features, the ability to send emails to wider audiences and more.

We'll be upfront about GoDaddy: it's not the cheapest website design option, templates can be tricky to find, and you'll also get a broader array of extensions and plugins elsewhere. But for most businesses, this is an ideal choice for straightforward website creation and hosting.

Wix is one of the most popular website-building and hosting services around, but its position of dominance doesn't mean the firm has stopped innovating.

Sign up to Wix and you'll get a couple of different options for website-building. The firm's conventional editor tool is excellent – it has more than 800 templates and it's easy to drag and drop content – and its newer WixADI tool is impressive. Choose this, answer questions about what you need and Wix will use AI to create a suitable site – and once that's done, you can edit it yourself.

If you're more comfortable with that, you can use Wix's open dev platforms and high-end editor tool to fine-tune your output. Wix also offers a logo designer and dedicated SEO tools.

Negatively, it can be tricky to manage templates across Wix's different editing and creation tools. And while its ecommerce options are decent, you'll get a broader array of features from other providers. It's not necessarily the cheapest option, either: Wix's Combo personal plan costs $16 per month and the Pro tool increases the price to $27, and even its basic business tool also costs $27 per month. Opt for the more affordable plans and you'll miss out on customized reports, multiple currency support, advanced ecommerce options and logo files for your social media profiles. Only the pricier tiers often have calendar and analytics utilities, too.

There's no denying the quality on offer from Wix – it's a versatile and powerful option for any kind of professional site. But, as ever, you get what you pay for, and this is not the most affordable tool.

Read our full Wix review.

Loads of website builders and hosts have been around for years and years, but Bluehost is a newer option that aims to disrupt the market with its Wordpress-friendly tools.

The firm's impressive Wordpress integration makes it easy to set up websites using one of the most popular platforms on the web, and Bluehost lets users choose from three hundred templates, many of which are tailored towards different industries. It's easy to edit sites for desktop or mobile platforms, and the marketing and social media features are intuitive too.

Bluehost tailors the building process to users with different levels of experience with Wordpress, and it's fast and reliable – we never encountered stability issues during our testing.

It's a slick product, but it's not flawless. The website-building tools from long-established companies like Wix are more powerful, and GoDaddy is easier to use. You can't switch templates without starting your site from scratch. The basic plans don't have much storage and you've got to purchase a special package if you want ecommerce features.

Bluehost is easy to use and affordable, though, with Basic hosting tools that start at $2.95 per month and even Pro packages that cost $13.95. It might be the most advanced option for large companies, but this is a good alternative for anyone who wants straightforward, budget-friendly web design.

Read our full Bluehost review.

You'll find about 150 high-quality templates on Web.com and they can all be customized using an effective drag-and-drop builder – and it's easy to position modular extensions and add-ons into your site.

Beyond that, users can also deploy Blocks, which assemble multiple extensions or design elements together to make it even easier to deploy common website features.

This is one of the easiest options for building a business website, so it's great for anyone without much tech experience. You even get one hour of free design support if you sign up to one of Web.com's design and hosting plans.

The prices are often right, too. If you pay annually the firm's Essentials plans start at $9.99 per month and only ascend to $19.95 per month, and at those latter levels you get added ecommerce features. All include a free domain, social media embedding tools and basic analytics, and you get phone support alongside live chat – a feature many rivals don't offer.

You'll certainly get more high-end power elsewhere, but Web.com has been around forever and remains a great option for anyone who wants a business website without any tech-heavy fuss.

Read our Web.com review.

We've also featured the best web hosting services.

An unknown threat actor was sitting in GoDaddy’s systems for several years, installing malware, stealing source code, and attacking the company’s customers, the web hosting giant has confirmed. 

The company's SEC filing (via BleepingComputer), the attackers breached GoDaddy’s cPanel shared hosting environment and used that as a launch pad for further attacks. The company described the hackers as a “sophisticated threat actor group”.

The group was eventually spotted in late 2022 when customers started reporting that traffic coming to their websites was being redirected elsewhere.

Links to previous incidents

GoDaddy now believes that the data breaches that were reported in March 2020 and November 2021 were all linked.

"Based on our investigation," it wrote in the filing, "we believe these incidents are part of a multi-year campaign by a sophisticated threat actor group that, among other things, installed malware on our systems and obtained pieces of code related to some services within GoDaddy,"

During the November 2021 incident, the user data of some 1.2 million of its customers were accessed by the attackers. This included both active and inactive users, with email addresses and customer numbers being exposed. 

The company also said that the original WordPress admin password, created once a new install of WordPress has completed, was also exposed, giving attackers access to those installations.

GoDaddy also revealed that active customers had their sFTP credentials and the usernames and passwords for their WordPress databases, that are used to store all of their content, exposed in the breach. 

However, in some cases, customer's SSL private keys were exposed and if abused, this key could allow an attacker to impersonate a customer's website or other services. 

While GoDaddy has reset customer WordPress passwords and private keys, it is currently in the process of issuing them new SSL certificates.

In a statement published in February 2023, the web hosting giant claims to have employed an external cybersecurity forensics team, and brought in law enforcement agencies from all over the world to investigate the matter further. 

It's also clear, now, that attacks on GoDaddy were part of a wider campaign on web hosting companies around the world.

"We have evidence, and law enforcement has confirmed, that this incident was carried out by a sophisticated and organized group targeting hosting services like GoDaddy,"

"According to information we have received, their apparent goal is to infect websites and servers with malware for phishing campaigns, malware distribution and other malicious activities."

• Invest in the best domain registrar and get your ideal domain name

If you have a website, chances are you've heard of SSL certificates. But what are they exactly? In short, an SSL allows you to establish secure communication between a website browser like Chrome and a server. 

This submission process verifies the identity of the website and encrypts any information that is exchanged between the two parties. This is because if this information were to fall into the wrong hands, it could be used to commit fraud or identity theft. 

As a result, it's important to choose an SSL provider that you can trust to keep your data safe. But with so many options on the market, how can you know which one is right for you? In this blog post, we've put Comodo SSL against GoDaddy SSL to see which one comes out on top. 

Comodo vs GoDaddy: Features compared 

Comodo offers three different types of SSL certificates: Domain Validation (DV), Organization Validation (OV), and Extended Validation (EV). DV certificates are the cheapest and quickest to obtain because they only require verification of your domain ownership. 

OV certificates are more expensive because they require proof of your organization’s identity, as well as verification of your domain ownership. EV certificates are the most expensive because they require extensive verification of both your domain ownership and your organization’s identity.

GoDaddy offers four different types of SSL certificates: DV, OV, EV, and Wildcard. Wildcard certificates are similar to DV certificates in that they only require verification of your domain ownership; however, they differ in that they can be used to secure multiple subdomains. The other three types of certificates offered by GoDaddy are similar to those offered by Comodo.  

Both Comodo and GoDaddy offer a variety of features with their SSL certificates. Comodo offers a warranty of up to $10,000, unlimited server licenses, 256-bit encryption, 2048-bit key sizes, compatibility with over 99% of browsers, a free site seal, daily malware scanning (for EV certs), and automatic renewal reminders sent via email 60 days before expiration. One feature that is unique to Comodo is its HackerGuardian vulnerability assessment service which is included free with all OV and EV certificates. This service scans your website for vulnerabilities so that you can fix them before hackers exploit them. 

GoDaddy offers 24/7 support, compatibility with over 99% of browsers, unlimited server licenses, 256-bit encryption, 2048-bit key sizes, a warranty for UCC/SAN certs, automatic renewal reminders sent via email 45 days before expiration, daily malware scanning, and SiteLock monitoring (for select certs). 

One feature that is unique to GoDaddy is their Managed Certificate Services which is included free with all UCC/SAN and Wildcard certs. This service automatically renews your certificate when it expires and installs it on your server for you so that you don’t have to worry about it. 

Comodo vs GoDaddy: Which offers better security? 

Comodo offers a wide range of security features, including malware scanning, Patch Management, Firewall Protection, Intrusion Prevention, and more. In addition, Comodo offers a $10,000 warranty against any damage that may occur as a result of a security breach.

GoDaddy on the other hand, offers many of the same features as Comodo, including malware scanning, Patch Management and Firewall Protection.

Both Comodo and GoDaddy offer a variety of features to help keep your website safe. However, Comodo is the better choice if you're looking for more comprehensive security protection. 

Final verdict

Both Comodo and GoDaddy are reputable companies that offer a wide range of security products at competitive prices. However, Comodo has the edge when it comes to cost-savings and warranty protection. 

If you're looking for an affordable SSL certificate with robust warranty coverage, Comodo is the clear choice. However, if you don't mind paying a bit more upfront for the convenience of annual renewals, GoDaddy may be a better fit for your needs. Take a look to see what GoDaddy promo codes are around to bring the price down.

• Building a website? Check out our list of the best website builder services on the market

GoDaddy has added a new managed WooCommerce Stores solution to its product suite that it says will streamline operating a WordPress ecommerce platform.

The managed WooCommerce Stores tool includes features needed to sell goods online, in person and across several marketplaces and social media platforms.

As part of the launch, GoDaddy is offering three managed WooCommerce Store tiers, with the option for businesses to try each plan through a free 14-day trial.

GoDaddy takes on ecommerce

On GoDaddy's new platform, business owners can create unlimited staff accounts, integrate point-of-sale (POS) transactions, send professional emails and automated abandoned cart recovery, as well as view and manage cross-channel inventory, product catalog, shipping, and payments.

"With our new Managed WooCommerce Stores offering, we wanted to manage complexity and ensure ease-of-use, yet deliver the nearly infinite flexibility of WordPress to empower growing businesses to operate at peak performance while selling exactly the way they want," said Osama Beider, President of GoDaddy Commerce.

"GoDaddy is one of the largest providers of WordPress solutions, and we're committed to ensuring businesses with more complex needs can also access seamless e-commerce solutions."

With the inclusion of more than 25 premium extensions, GoDaddy’s managed WooCommerce Stores solution offers WordPress functionalities, which is included in the plan.

The solution is managed, therefore, GoDaddy's team looks after the WordPress and WooCommerce software, plugins and extensions of the online stores created with the tool.

Managed WooCommerce Stores is GoDaddy's latest addition to its lineup of commerce offerings including GoDaddy’s recently announced POS.

“Businesses can easily add more plugins as their business scales, and the software will always be kept up to date, including PHP versions, WordPress + WooCommerce, plugins and extensions,” wrote GoDaddy in a blog post.

GoDaddy's managed WooCommerce Stores platform is hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud servers.

GoDaddy’s WordPress ecommerce hosting solution includes unlimited visitors, storage and product listings for one store, as well as free SSL installed and configured.

• Check out our list of the best ecommerce website builder services on the market

As a business owner, you understand the importance of having a reliable web hosting service. After all, your website is the foundation of your online presence, and a website that isn't up or running can cost you dearly in terms of both time and money. 

That's why it's so important to choose a web hosting service that is both dependable and affordable. But with so many options on the market, how do you decide  which is right for your business? 

In this blog post, we'll pit two of the most popular web hosting providers - Fasthosts and GoDaddy—against each other to help you make a more informed choice. 

• If GoDaddy is the web host for you, check out the different price plans on offer

Pricing 

Fasthosts offers three different web hosting plans: Ignite, Ignite Boost, and Momentum. The Ignite plan starts at $1 per month and includes 2GB of storage, 50GB of bandwidth, and up to five email accounts. The Ignite Boost plan starts at $1.50 per month and includes 10GB of storage, 500GB of bandwidth, and up to 25 email accounts. The Momentum plan starts at $5 per month and includes 50GB of storage, 1TB of bandwidth, and up to 100 email accounts.

GoDaddy also offers three different web hosting plans: Basic, Standard, and Premium. The Basic plan starts at $4.99 per month and includes 100GB of storage, unmetered bandwidth, and up to 100 email accounts. The Standard plan starts at $7.99 per month and includes 300GB of storage, unlimited bandwidth, and up to 500 email accounts. The Premium plan starts at $14.99 per month and includes unmetered storage, unmetered bandwidth, and up to 1000 email accounts.

As you can see, Fasthosts is the more affordable option for business owners who need web hosting for their websites. However, if you need more than 50GB of storage or 1TB of bandwidth, then GoDaddy would be the better option. Also, there are some GoDaddy promo codes around to bring the cost down.

Ease of Use 

From our experience, Fasthosts is the clear winner when it comes to ease of use. Their control panel is well-designed and easy to navigate. Even if you're not particularly tech-savvy, you should be able to find your way around without any issues. 

GoDaddy's control panel, on the other hand, can be a bit confusing and overwhelming. There are a lot of different menus and options to choose from, which can make it difficult to find what you're looking for. 

Interface 

Fasthosts offers a clean and simple interface that is easy to navigate. GoDaddy's interface is slightly more complex and may take some time to get used to if you are not tech-savvy. On Fasthosts official website, the menus are well organized and you can easily find what you need. 

We found GoDaddy's website to be more cluttered as it took us some time to find specific options and the menu we were looking for. If you want an easy-to-navigate interface, Fasthosts is the best choice.

Dashboard 

After taking a closer look at both Fasthosts and GoDaddy's dashboards, it's clear that GoDaddy offers a much more user-friendly dashboard. Its control panel allows for easy navigation between different aspects of web hosting, such as email accounts and its website builder tool.

Fasthosts, on the other hand, has a cluttered dashboard with multiple menus and submenus. It can be difficult to find specific features or make changes to your account settings.

Overall, GoDaddy wins in terms of providing a streamlined and intuitive dashboard experience.

Features  

Both Fasthosts and GoDaddy offer a range of hosting options, including shared, VPS, dedicated, and WordPress hosting. Both also offer additional services like website migration assistance, SSL certificates, and backup tools. However, Fasthosts offers more robust features in their higher-tier plans such as unlimited databases.

GoDaddy may be better suited for those looking for basic or entry-level hosting solutions with limited add-on features. On the other hand, Fasthosts is a good option for those seeking more advanced features and support.

• If Fasthosts is the web host you've picked, check out its various price plans

Ecommerce capabilities 

Fasthosts has integrated ecommerce features such as Payment platform and shopping carts. It is also compatible with WooCommerce and Shopify. 

GoDaddy, on the other hand, offers integration of online payment services and allows 1-click installation of some of the best ecommerce platforms such as Shopify, Magento, and PrestaShop. 

GoDaddy is compatible with most major CMSs including WordPress, and WooCommerce. If you're looking for an all-in-one ecommerce solution with easy integration of online payment and, then GoDaddy is a good option. 

Customer support 

Fasthosts offers 24/7 support via telephone, email, and live chat. You can also take advantage of their online knowledge base and user forum to find answers to your questions so you can rest assured that you'll always be able to get the help you need.

GoDaddy also offers 24/7 support via telephone, email, and live chat. However, during our test, we found its user forum is mostly inactive. That said, GoDaddy's customer support team is still very good. 

SEO tools compared 

Keyword research tool

Fasthosts uses a keyword research tool that allows you to enter a competitor's URL and see which organic and paid keywords are ranking well for them. You can also see how difficult it would be to rank for each keyword and how much traffic each keyword is generating. This information can be invaluable to your SEO efforts by helping you choose the right keywords to target. 

GoDaddy's keyword research tool works in a similar way, but doesn't provide quite as much data. You can see which keywords a competitor is ranking for and how much traffic each keyword is generating, but you can't see how difficult it would be to rank for each keyword. 

Site audit tool

Fasthosts' site audit tool checks your website for common on-page SEO issues and provides recommendations on how to fix them. This can be extremely helpful in making sure that your website is properly optimized before you start trying to rank for specific keywords. GoDaddy's site audit tool works in a similar way but only checks for common on-page SEO issues; it doesn't provide any recommendations on how to fix them. 

Competitor analysis tool

Fasthosts' competitor analysis tool allows you to enter up to three competitor URLs and see how they stack up against each other in terms of SEO. This can be helpful in gauging where you need to focus your efforts in order to keep up with your competitors. GoDaddy offers a similar competitor analysis tool, but it only allows you to compare two competitors at a time—not three. 

During our test, we discovered that Fasthosts offers more SEO tools and features than GoDaddy, making it the clear winner for businesses that are serious about SEO.

Final verdict

When it comes to web hosting, Fasthosts and GoDaddy are both excellent providers. Both offer reliable hosting with 24/7 customer support and a wide range of features such as free SSL certificates, installation of ecommerce platforms, and powerful SEO tools. 

Fasthosts stands out due to its superior customer support team, its in-depth keyword research tool, and its advanced competitor analysis feature. But if you're looking for an all-in-one solution specifically designed for ecommerce purposes, then GoDaddy would be the preferable choice.

• We have a list of the best cheap web hosting deals on the market

Web hosting giant GoDaddy and Google have combined resources to offer a new Google Ads solution through GoDaddy’s marketing dashboard.

With the aim of giving customers the ability to manage all their marketing activities from one location, the move will allow GoDaddy customers to pay per click, which means they won’t be charged unless a consumer clicks on the ad.

GoDaddy says the new integration will also simplify customizing and creating any number of paid Google campaigns - for any size budget - using keywords and themes.

Google Ads with GoDaddy 

Within the platform, entrepreneurs will be able to include three ad titles and two ad descriptions to launch a campaign, which can be picked from a predetermined selection based on Google’s algorithm or input by the business owner. 

Google will then automatically merge different ad descriptions with ad titles across Google properties such as Maps, YouTube and Search. It will also optimize the different ad descriptions to a combination that suits its users campaign goals.

Available now, Google is offering new Google Ads users $500 (£467.78) in ad credits when they spend $500 (£467.78) in the first 60 days of activating their accounts.

A GoDaddy spokesperson told TechRadar Pro that there's minimum spend of $5 a day and maximum spend of $100 a day, but could change in the future.

Sudha Reddy, director of product at GoDaddy, said in a blog post: “By combining the ease of GoDaddy’s suite of marketing tools with the massive reach of Google, entrepreneurs and small to midsize business owners are set up for success in a crowded marketplace where every click counts.”

The new solution also has the ability to reach specific locations (for in-person sales and events) or reach beyond a given region (for online sales or brand awareness).

On the GoDaddy marketing dashboard, users will be able to monitor engagement and results once a campaign is launched.

• Check out the best SEO tools on the market 

Bluehost and GoDaddy are two of the most popular web hosting providers in today’s market. Both offer a range of features to suit every website builder, from low-end servers for beginners all the way up to high-powered corporate solutions at an affordable price point. With over five million websites hosted by each company alone, it's an indication that they are doing something right - but which one will best serve your needs?

While these web hosts share many similarities, they do have some key differences.

When you're looking for a web host, reliability and performance should be at the top of your list. But what about features like WordPress hosting, security, pricing, ease of use and customer support? This article will take an in-depth look to see which company has better offerings when it comes down to these metrics so that we can help direct you towards deciding on the perfect hosting provider.

Main similarities and differences 

Both Bluehost and GoDaddy are popular choices for website hosting. They both offer a variety of services, including domain registration, shared hosting, VPS hosting, and dedicated servers. 

The similarity between Bluehost and GoDaddy is that they both offer a money-back guarantee. This means that if you're not satisfied with their service, you can get your money back. Another similarity is that they both have customer support. This is important because if you have any problems with your website, you can contact them and they will help you resolve the issue.

Bluehost offers a free domain name for life with select hosting plans, while GoDaddy charges an annual fee for domain names. Bluehost has a more robust set of features included in their basic shared hosting plans than GoDaddy does. However, Bluehost offers more affordable VPS and dedicated hosting plans than GoDaddy.

Another difference between Bluehost and GoDaddy is the price of their services. GoDaddy is generally more expensive than Bluehost. Also, both companies offer a variety of services at different price points.

Pricing

GoDaddy's Standard plan starts at $13.99/month which offers all the features in the basic plan with 50 GB storage and 500 email accounts. The Premium plan starts at $14.99 per month offering everything in the previous two plans, plus some additional features designed specifically for businesses. This includes a free toll-free number, private SSL certificate, and priority customer support.

GoDaddy also offers an ecommerce hosting plan, costing $29.99 per month. This plan includes all of the features of the previous three plans, plus some extras such as unlimited email accounts and a free shopping cart, designed to help businesses sell online. From the above comparison, GoDaddy offers better features and value for money although it may seem a bit pricey even though there are GoDaddy promo codes which help lower the cost. If you are on a tight budget, Bluehost might be a good start.

Pricing is one of the most important factors to consider when choosing a web host. Bluehost's basic plan starts at $2.99/month which will get you a free domain name, SSL, 10GB storage, and free WP integration while GoDaddy's basic plan starts at $6.99/month and offers SEO tools, unlimited bandwidth, SSL, 10GB storage and up to 100 email accounts.

Bluehost's Plus plan goes for $5.45/month inclusive of all the features in the basic plan plus 20GB storage space, Malware scanning, and unlimited websites. However, the Bluehost Choice plan goes for $5.95/month inclusive of all the features in other plans plus 40GB of storage space and the Pro plan starts at $13.45 with 100GB of storage space.

Ease of use 

Bluehost is often lauded for its ease of use. Setting up a new account and getting started with Bluehost takes just a few minutes. The interface is straightforward and user-friendly, making it easy to find what you need. Additionally, Bluehost offers a one-click WordPress installation, which makes setting up a new WordPress site quick and easy.

GoDaddy, on the other hand, is not known for its ease of use. The GoDaddy interface can be confusing and difficult to navigate. Additionally, GoDaddy does not offer one-click WordPress installation. This means that building a WordPress website with GoDaddy can be more time-consuming and complicated.

Overall, Bluehost is the better option if you're looking for an easy-to-use web host. GoDaddy is better suited for those who are more experienced with web hosting and are comfortable working with a more complex interface.

Features

Both providers offer a variety of plans to choose from, so you can find one that fits your budget. Bluehost's cheapest plan starts at $2.99 per month, while GoDaddy's cheapest plan is $6.99 per month. Both providers offer discounts if you pay multiple months in advance.

Bluehost provides free SSL certificates, email accounts, domain privacy, daily website backup, and free CDN. GoDaddy, on the other hand, offers a free SSL certificate, a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) toolkit, a branded content creator tool, up to 500 email accounts, On-the-go editing tools, and Custom domain connection.

Both providers offer a money-back guarantee, so you can try out their service without risk. Bluehost's money-back guarantee is 30 days, while GoDaddy's is 48 hours.

Overall, GoDaddy is the better choice if you're looking for more features and value.

Dashboard

GoDaddy has a clear advantage here. The GoDaddy dashboard is much more user-friendly and intuitive than Bluehost’s. Everything is organized in a way that makes sense, and it’s easy to find what you’re looking for. On the other hand, the Bluehost dashboard is a bit of a mess. It’s not nearly as user-friendly, and it can be hard to find what you need.

When it comes to the dashboard, GoDaddy is the clear winner. If you’re looking for an easy-to-use and intuitive platform, GoDaddy is the way to go.

Design

Bluehost's website is clean and straightforward. The homepage features a large search bar where you can enter your domain name. Below the search bar, there are three tabs - "Web Hosting," "VPS Hosting," and "Dedicated Hosting." This makes it easy to find the service that you're looking for.

GoDaddy's website is more cluttered than Bluehost's. The homepage has a lot of text and images, which can be overwhelming. However, there is a search bar at the top of the page, so you can still easily find what you're looking for.

Bluehost's design is much better than GoDaddy's. It's clean and easy to navigate, which is important when you're looking for a web hosting company. GoDaddy's website is too cluttered and it's hard to find what you need.

Templates 

As a website owner, it's important to have a plan for your site's design. This includes finding the right hosting platform and choosing between pre-made templates (or opting for a custom design).

Both Bluehost and GoDaddy offer a wide variety of templates to choose from. However, Bluehost offers more template categories than GoDaddy. If you're looking for a specific type of template (e.g., business, ecommerce, blog), you're more likely to find it on Bluehost. GoDaddy also offers fewer customization options than Bluehost. So if you want to make minor changes to your template's design, you'll have an easier time doing so on Bluehost.

If you're looking for a wide selection of templates and customization options, Bluehost is the way to go. But if you're not as concerned about those factors, GoDaddy may be a better option for you.

Interface 

GoDaddy's interface is much more user-friendly and easier to navigate than Bluehost's. With GoDaddy, you can easily find what you're looking for and get started with your website. Bluehost, on the other hand, has a more complicated interface that can be confusing for new users.

So, if you're looking for a web hosting company that offers a simple and user-friendly interface, then GoDaddy is the way to go. However, if you don't mind a little bit of a learning curve, then Bluehost might be worth considering.

Website builder capabilities

If you're simply looking for an easy way to create a basic website, then Bluehost's site builder might be a good option for you. On the other hand, if you're looking for more advanced features and greater customization options, then GoDaddy's site builder might be a better fit.

Both Bluehost and GoDaddy offer users a drag-and-drop interface that makes creating a website relatively easy. However, GoDaddy's site builder is powered by Weebly, which offers fewer customization options than Bluehost website builder.

Customer support  

There's no doubt that both Bluehost and GoDaddy offer good customer support. However, there are some key differences between the two. For instance, GoDaddy offers 24/7 phone support, whereas Bluehost only offers this during working hours. Additionally, GoDaddy provides live chat support round-the-clock, whereas Bluehost only offers this during working hours as well. So, if you need assistance outside of working hours, Bluehost is the better option.

Another key difference is in the response time. In our tests of the two providers, we found that GoDaddy provides a faster response time than Bluehost. Finally, it's worth noting that Bluehost offers live chat support in English only, whereas GoDaddy offers this in multiple languages. So, if you need support in a language other than English, GoDaddy is the better choice.

Security 

Bluehost offers a number of security features to keep your website safe. Their SiteLock service scans your site for malware and vulnerabilities daily, and they offer DDoS protection to keep your site online even in the event of an attack. They also provide a secure socket layer (SSL) certificate with every hosting plan, which encrypts data transmitted to and from your site.

GoDaddy also offers some great security features for its customers. Their Website Security service includes malware scanning and removal, as well as DDoS protection. They also offer an SSL certificate with their Business and Deluxe hosting plans.

However, Bluehost's inclusion of SiteLock malware scanning and removal sets them apart as the more comprehensive option.

Final thoughts

After looking at the different features and aspects of Bluehost and GoDaddy, it's clear that Bluehost is the better option. 

However, the ultimate decision depends on the features you want in a web hosting platform. Ensure you do your research before choosing between GoDaddy and Bluehost. 

If you’re not too thrilled about your domain registrar and are thinking about transferring your domain using Wix, you came to the right place.

One of the first yet often downplayed steps of creating a captivating website is choosing the right domain name. Since the top domain names are selling like hot cakes if you don't grab your piece fast, you'll either have to settle for the second-best choice or pay a hefty price if the owner is ready to sell it.

However, finding the right domain won’t cut it if your current domain provider isn’t supplying you with the services and support you need. While we often see a domain name registrar and web hosting services combined, this doesn’t come as a rule – you can choose one provider for the site and another one for the domain.

Also, although some providers will send a technical team to take care of domain transfer for you, this isn’t the case with most pocket-friendly choices out there. So, to give you a hand, we’ll go through the steps of transferring a domain name and since Wix is one of the most popular website builder solutions on the market – we’ll use Wix. 

Considering Wix? Save big with our list of the best Wix promo codes.

Does Wix charge for domain transfer?

While Wix doesn’t charge for domain name transfers by themselves, for them to be “free” you’re required to purchase one additional year of domain registration at a minimum. However, we must point out that Wix won’t straight out charge you any additional fees for transferring your domain to it.

The cheapest and most basic site-builder “premium” plan with Wix is “Connect Domain” and for $4.50 per month it will give you the ability to transfer and use your own domain, but it comes with severe restrictions (a skimpy 1GB of bandwidth and 500 MB of storage space) and Wix branding. 

So, if you’re thinking about the overall cost, this is the bare-bones minimum you have to purchase so you can transfer your domain name to Wix – plus, one additional year of domain registration.

How to transfer your domain using Wix

If you wish to transfer your domain for an external source to your Wix site the first thing you’ll want to do is proceed to Wix’s dashboard and check if there is a suggestion for you to do so on the landing page – it should be right under the “Suggested for you” section.

If there isn’t one, go to “Settings” on the left sidebar, then to “Website settings” and scroll down until you see the “Site address (URL)” section where you’ll tap into the “Custom domain” link. 

It will take you to another page and give you an option to opt between purchasing a new domain, connecting a domain you already own, and transferring a domain – tap into the last one. 

After this, type in the name of the domain you wish to transfer, click the drop-down menu to select where the domain was purchased, and then press “Continue”.

Now, you’ll want to log into your domain name registrar account, do the same with your Wix account and click on the “I logged in” button. 

Next, unlock your domain in your domain name registrar account, then do the same in your Wix account, and click “I unlocked it”.

After you get authorization codes in your domain name registrar and Wix accounts, paste them into fitting “Enter authorization code” fields and hit the “Continue” button. 

Here, you should select an extension period of one year at a minimum and again click on “Continue”. If you’re lucky to have a free domain voucher, this is where it applies and it does so automatically. 

Once this is done, you can choose between two privacy options: private registration (which means your name and address won't show up in the WHOIS domain information records) and public registration (meaning your contact details will be available to the public as part of the WHOIS domain information records). As always, then click on “Continue”.

After this, you’ll be asked to choose your payment method (where all major credit/debit cards are supported as well as PayPal and SEPA debit payments for some countries) and make a purchase. 

How long does it take to transfer a domain using Wix?

As soon as your request is submitted, you’ll receive an e-mail from Wix to confirm they’ve got it and that the transfer has been initiated. 

While in our Wix dashboard (as well as in Wix’s knowledgebase) it says it can take up to seven days for our domain transfer to be carried out, in practice, it shouldn't take longer than five days if everything goes according to plan.

Which domain extensions can be transferred to Wix?

As we write, only domains with the following extensions can be transferred to Wix: “.com, .org, .net, .biz, .info, .co, .tv, .guru, .email, .expert, .photography, .pictures, .space, .rocks .tokyo, .xyz., .company, .club, .solutions, .today, .technology, .tips, .center, .directory, .ninja, .photos, .land, .agency, .gift, .holiday, .christmas, .top, .design, .london, .online, .org, .party, .site, .store, .shop, .wiki, .mx, and .website.” 

Also, it’s currently impossible to transfer a Network Solutions domain to Wix. However, you can still connect a Network Solutions domain to your Wix site by using name servers.

Transferring a domain from GoDaddy to Wix 

To start the domain transfer process you’ll first need to get the authorization (EPP) code from your GoDaddy domain registrar and you can do it by following a couple of simple steps.

First, log into your GoDaddy account and find the username in the top corner of the page.  Then, pick out the “My Products” section and click the “Manage” button alongside the domain you wish to transfer. Then locate the “Additional Settings” section and click on the “Get Authorization Code” button – it’ll be sent to your e-mail address.

We should note that if you’ve registered the domain name recently, it won’t be available for transfer for the first 60 days – so, the second-best option is to connect it instead.

After this, the transfer process goes along the same path as with all other domain name registrars and as outlined in one of the previous chapters.

Final thought

There are plenty of reasons you’d want to register your domain name with GoDaddy rather than with Wix and most of these reasons stems from the fact that GoDaddy’s domains are very reasonably priced.

So, if you’re still thinking about transferring your old domain to Wix, shake a leg and start with it straight away – or, if you’ve registered your domain just a few minutes ago, add a reminder to do it in 60 days or so. 

• You might be interested in our roundup of the best small business website builder services

FTP (File Transfer Protocol) servers are often used to host websites. You'll likely need to transfer files from your computer to the server when you create a website. This is where FTP comes in handy.

Web developers often use FTP accounts to upload and download files from their web hosting accounts. 

This can be helpful if you need to transfer large files or if you want to edit website files directly on the server. You can also use an FTP account to share files with others.

What is an FTP account? 

An FTP account is a user account on a remote server that allows you to access files on that server. When creating an FTP account, you will be given a username and password. 

You can use these credentials to log in to the FTP server and transfer files between your computer and the server.

How does an FTP account work? 

An FTP account allows you to access your web server from a remote location, which enables you to upload and download files, as well as manage your website.

Your web hosting provider usually sets up FTP accounts, but you can also set one up yourself. You need to have a domain name and web host to do this. Once you have these two things, the next step would be to create your FTP account.

How to create an FTP account 

Most hosting providers will allow you to create an FTP account when you set up your hosting account. If not, you can usually create one from your control panel. 

The process is generally similar across different providers, but we'll go through the steps for creating an FTP account on cPanel:

1. Log into your cPanel account and scroll down to the "Files" section.

2. Click on the "FTP Accounts" icon.

3. Enter your FTP account's desired username and password in the appropriate fields.

4. Select the directory you want to give the user access to in the "Directory" field. By default, this will be your public html folder, where your website's files are stored.

5. Click on the "Create Account" button to finish creating your FTP account.

Now that you have an FTP account, you can use a program like Filezilla to connect to your web server and upload or download files. To connect, you will need to enter your domain name, username, and password into Filezilla.

The best FTP hosting services 

Many FTP hosting providers are available, but not all are created equal. To help you choose the best FTP hosting provider for your needs, here are six of the best:

A2 Hosting

A2 Hosting is a popular web hosting company that offers FTP hosting as an add-on to its regular web hosting plans. All A2 Hosting's FTP hosting plans come with unlimited storage, bandwidth, and email accounts, making it an excellent option for businesses or individuals who need a lot of space for their files.

GreenGeeks

GreenGeeks is one of the best web hosting companies offering FTP accounts as an add-on to its web hosting plans. GreenGeeks gives you unlimited bandwidth and storage space. It allows you to create as many FTP accounts as you need.

GoDaddy

GoDaddy is a well-known name in the world of web hosting, and its FTP hosting services are no exception. With GoDaddy, you can get an FTP account with your GoDaddy web hosting account for free. You also get 24/7 customer support and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

InMotion Hosting

InMotion Hosting is a leading FTP hosting provider with many plans to suit any budget. All of their plans come with unlimited storage, bandwidth, and email accounts, as well as a free domain name and SSL certificate. They also offer a free website builder and 24/7 customer support.

SiteGround

SiteGround is a popular web hosting provider that offers FTP hosting as part of its web hosting plans. All of SiteGround's plans come with unlimited FTP accounts, making it an excellent option for those who need multiple FTP accounts.

Bluehost

Bluehost is a leading web hosting company that offers FTP and other web hosting services. They offer various plans to suit different budgets and needs, and their customer support is excellent.

DreamHost

DreamHost is a popular web hosting and domain name registrar provider that offers FTP hosting plans. Their FTP hosting plans start at $4.95 per month and come with unlimited storage, bandwidth, and email accounts. They also provide a free domain name for the first year of service.

Why do you need an FTP server? 

An FTP server is essential for any business that needs to share large files internally or with clients. Here are the reasons why you need an FTP server.

Easily transfer large files

FTP servers make it easy to transfer large files within your organization and external clients. With an FTP server, there is no need to worry about email attachments bouncing back because they are too large. You can also password-protect folders on your FTP server to share sensitive information securely.

Save time and money

FTP servers can save your organization time and money by eliminating the need for physical media such as CDs or DVDs. You can also save money on shipping costs by sending files electronically.

Enhance collaboration

FTP servers can enhance collaboration by allowing multiple users to access and edit files simultaneously. This can be a valuable tool for teams working on joint projects.

Improve customer service

FTP servers can improve customer service by allowing customers to download files quickly and easily. This can be particularly useful for businesses that offer software downloads or other digital products.

What are the disadvantages of FTP? 

There are a few disadvantages of using FTP which include the following:

Security Issues: FTP is an insecure protocol that transfers data in plain text. This leaves the door open for hackers to intercept and use the data for malicious purposes.

Requires Additional Software: To use FTP, you need to have additional software installed on your computer. This can be a bit of a hassle, especially if you're not particularly tech-savvy.

Slow Speeds: Compared to other methods of transferring data, FTP can be pretty slow. This is because it relies on TCP (Transmission Control Protocol), which has a lot of overhead.

Limited Functionality: FTP is a very basic protocol; as such, it doesn't offer much features and functionality. If you need something more robust, you'll have to look elsewhere.

Alternatives to FTP 

There are many alternatives to FTP that provide different features and security. Some of the most popular alternatives to FTP are:

SCP: Secure Copy is an alternative to FTP using a command-line tool for securely copying files between servers. It uses the SSH protocol to provide secure file transfer and can be used with public-key authentication for increased security.

SFTP: Secure File Transfer Protocol is another alternative to FTP using SSH for security. Like SSH, SFTP uses encryption to protect data from being intercepted during transmission.

HTTPS: Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure is a protocol that allows for secure communication over the Internet. HTTPS uses SSL/TLS to encrypt data and ensure that it is not intercepted during transmission.

WebDAV: Web-based Distributed Authoring and Versioning is a protocol that allows for collaborative editing and file sharing over the Internet.

Each of these alternatives has advantages and disadvantages, so choosing the one that best suits your needs is essential.

FTP account for transfer

An FTP account is a user account on a server that allows you to access files on that server. You can use an FTP account to transfer files between your computer and the server or to access files on the server. 

Web developers and designers typically use FTP accounts to transfer files to and from their web servers. However, anyone can use an FTP account to transfer files if they have the correct login information.

• If you are building a website, you'll need the best website builder for the job

A website color scheme is a set of colors used together on a website, which can include the colors of the text, background, links, and other visual elements on the site.

Creating a color scheme for your website can help create a certain mood or feel for your site. It can also make it easier for visitors to navigate and understand your content. When choosing colors for your website, consider both the aesthetic appeal and the functional purpose of each color.

For example, you may want to use a bright color to draw attention to a call-to-action button. But if that same color is used too often on the site, it can become overwhelming and difficult to read. It's essential to find a balance between using visually appealing colors and colors that serve a purpose. A well-designed color scheme can help improve the user experience on your website. There are many factors to consider when choosing colors for your website. 

6 tips for picking the best website color scheme 

No matter what website you're building, a suitable color scheme can make a huge difference in how your site is perceived. Note that most top website builder services provide color schemes with templates, which makes the color picking process easier - we list the best website builder providers that offer great color schemes below.

The wrong colors can make it hard to read your content, and cause issues with navigation as well as CTAs (Call to Action). The right colors usually create an inviting and visually appealing experience that encourages visitors to stick around.

When it comes to choosing a color scheme for your website, there are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Consider the tone of your website

Are you trying to create a fun and friendly website? Or a more serious and professional one? The tone of your site will impact the colors you choose. For example, brighter and more saturated colors tend to be more playful, while muted and desaturated colors convey a more serious tone.

2. Consider the colors of your brand

If you already have an established brand, it's important to incorporate those colors into your website. This will help create a consistent visitor experience and make your site more recognizable.

3. Use color to create contrast

You want to ensure that your content is easy to read and that visitors can easily see your navigation and CTAs. To do this, you'll need to create some contrast between the background and foreground colors. A good rule of thumb is to use a light background color with dark text, or vice versa.

4. Use color sparingly

It's tempting to want to use a bunch of different colors on your website, but it's essential to use them sparingly. Too many colors can be overwhelming and make it hard to focus on the most important elements of your site.

5. Stick to a limited color palette

To create a cohesive and visually appealing website, stick to a limited color palette. This doesn't mean you have to use the same colors throughout your site, but you should choose a few core colors and use them throughout.

6. Use color psychology

Specific colors can evoke certain emotions in people. So, when choosing colors for your website, it's important to consider the psychological effects they may have on your visitors. For example, blue is often associated with trustworthiness and dependability, while green is associated with growth and harmony.

By keeping these tips in mind, you'll be well on your way to choosing the perfect color scheme for your website.

Website builders that offer the best templates and color schemes 

GoDaddy offers a variety of website templates and color schemes to choose from. They also offer a drag-and-drop builder, making creating a website easy.

This website builder offers lots of color schemes and templates. Jimdo allows you to customize your website's look and feel with its drag-and-drop editor. 

Weebly offers a wide variety of templates and color schemes. There are also many customization options available, so you can create a unique website that fits your specific needs and preferences.

Wix also offers various templates and color schemes to choose from. You can also customize your website with their drag-and-drop editor, making it easy to create a unique website that reflects your style. 

Squarespace offers a clean and modern design interface with various template designs and color schemes to choose from. Squarespace allows you to customize your website for best user-friendly experience.

How to create a colour palette for a website 

Creating a color palette for your website is an integral part of the design process. The colors you choose will have a significant impact on how your site looks and feels, so it is essential to take the time to create a palette that you're happy with.

There are a few different ways to create a colour palette, but one of the simplest is to start with a base colour and then add in accent colors. 

To choose your base color, think about the overall feel you want for your site. Are you going for something calming and serene? Bright and cheerful? Once you've decided on the overall tone, choose a base color that reflects that. 

For example, if you want a calm and serene feel, you might choose a light blue or green as your base. Once you've chosen your base colour, it's time to add accent colors.

An accent color is a color used in design to highlight a particular area or element. It is usually used to contrast with the main color or colors in a design.

Again, think about the overall feel you're going for and choose accent colours that complement your base. For example, if you've chosen a light blue as your base, you might want to add some darker shades of blue as accents. Or, if you've chosen green as your base, you might want to add in some earthy tones like brown or tan.

Once you have your base and accent colors picked, it's time to start thinking about how to use them on your site. You'll want to create a consistent look throughout, so consider using your colors similarly on different pages. For example, you might use your base color for the background of your site and use your accent colours for headers, links, and other elements. Or, you might use your base colour for your site's background and accent colors for the text.

With a little bit of thought and planning, you can easily create a color palette that's perfect for your website. Just remember to keep the overall feel of your site in mind as you choose your colors, and you'll end up with a palette that looks great.

Importance of a good color scheme for your website 

Your website's color scheme is important for several reasons. First, it can help set the mood and tone of your site. A site with a lot of bright, cheerful colors will have a different feel than a site with more subdued or even dark colors.

Second, your color scheme can help improve your site's overall look and feel. If your site's colors are well-coordinated, it will look more professional and put together. On the other hand, if your colors are all over the place, it can give off a chaotic or amateurish vibe.

Finally, your color scheme can impact how easy (or difficult) it is for people to read and navigate your site. If your site's colors are too similar, it can be hard to tell where one element ends, and another begins. On the other hand, if your colors are too contrasting, they cannot be easy to look at for extended periods.

In short, your website's color scheme is important because it can affect how your site looks, feels, and functions. Choose wisely!

What colors work best on websites? 

Some colors work better than others when it comes to creating a website that is visually appealing and easy to read. Here are some general guidelines to follow when choosing colors for your website:

- Use light colors for the background and dark colors for the text. This contrast makes it easier for people to read the text on your website.

- Avoid using very bright or very dark colors as they can be hard on the eyes.

- Use complementary colors (colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel) for the background and text. This combination will make the text stand out and be easy to read.

- Use muted colors or pastels for a more calming effect.

- Use warm colors (such as red, orange, and yellow) to create an energetic or exciting feel.

- Use cool colors (such as blue and green) for a more relaxing or calming effect.

Final thoughts

When it comes to choosing colours for your website, there are no hard and fast rules. However, following the general guidelines above will help you create a color scheme that is both visually appealing and easy to read. 

Experiment with different combinations of colors until you find one that you like. And don't be afraid to ask for feedback from family and friends to get their opinion on your website's color scheme. With a bit of thought and planning, you can easily create a color scheme perfect for your website.

• Your website will need the best web hosting service to ensure your site is secure online

Combined search for free website builders and free web hosting is at its highest in almost two years as people come to terms with the cost-of-living crisis and wider economic downturn.

From May to June 2022 alone, the search volume for free web hosting doubled, with there also being a sharp increase in the number of people looking for the best free website builder services.

This is reflected in the number of site visits some of the top web hosting and website builder services have received. 

The shift towards free web hosting 

There is also some evidence to suggest this shift may have been playing out over a number of years.

According to data shared exclusively with TechRadar Pro by Similarweb, GoDaddy has lost roughly 20 million site visits in the last two years while cheap web hosting provider Namecheap gained around eight million.

It’s not just GoDaddy that has taken a hit; popular hosting providers such as Bluehost and HostGator also experienced a significant drop in website visitors from May 2019 to May 2022.

Along with Namecheap, affordable hosting provider Hostinger also saw an increase in site visits as monthly visits increased steadily from just over two million in 2019 to 8.2 million in 2022.

Interestingly, the search for cheap web hosting took a significant drop in June 2022 as free web hosting became an increasingly popular search. Although, in the last twelve months, there has been a 30% increase in the number of searches for cheap web hosting, a 44% increase in the search for cheap website hosting and a 20% increase in the search volume for cheap website builders.

Last year, our research found that web hosting and website builder traffic slumped post-COVID. Coupling the damage from the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine has magnified the slowdown in the global economy, which is entering what could become a protracted period of feeble growth and elevated inflation, according to the Word Bank’s statistics, which is reflected in the shift in web hosting needs from online users. 

• Build your online presence with the best website builder service providers on the market

Top web hosting and domain registration provider GoDaddy has introduced a link in bio tool as the latest feature in its studio app.

Competing with Linktree and Luma, GoDaddy’s bio linking solution was created to help businesses promote their important websites on social media.

With the new free tool, GoDaddy customers can organize links in a mini-site, as the web hosting provider focuses its efforts on keeping business owners on-brand online.

Maximum social engagement

GoDaddy’s link in bio tool works across social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest boards, as well as YouTube and TikTok channels.

“There are countless ways for small business owners to connect with potential customers online,” said GoDaddy in a blog post.

“As the constellation of places a business can show up to customers grows, the number of links it needs to share grows along with it.”

With no web design skills required, GoDaddy’s link in bio tool enables businesses to display an unlimited number of links in their social media bio. 

The tool lets users add, remove and reorganize links in any order and comes with a variety of templates, photos, fonts, content and colors available in the GoDaddy studio app.

A new feature called Color Palette is currently available on iOS, with GoDaddy announcing its plans to extend availability on Android in the coming months. 

Launched in February 2022, the GoDaddy studio app is a photo editing mobile application that allows users to add text to images and alter colors, fonts and backgrounds to create branded content from a smartphone.

The Studio is fully integrated with all GoDaddy Websites and Marketing plans, which include features for social media and email marketing, as well as ecommerce platforms to sell products and services.

You want a website that looks great, works well, and helps your business grow. Wix and GoDaddy are two of the industry's heaviest hitters, providing two of the best website builder platforms on the market, well-known for helping beginners create a professionally-designed online presence.

Wix is famous for giving users loads of control with hundreds of templates and powerful design tools. The GoDaddy website builder, on the other hand, speeds up the process by keeping things extremely simple.

So, to help you decide which of the two is a better bet for your business, we’ll compare their key features, ease of use, templates, and overall design flexibility. Plus, we’ll check the pricing and customer support, both of which are major priorities for newcomers. Without further ado, let's get straight into it.

Wix vs GoDaddy: A detailed breakdown

Wix vs GoDaddy: Features

Wix packs a ton under the hood. You get a true drag-and-drop editor, over 900 modern templates, plus advanced design features like custom fonts, video backgrounds, entrance animations, and image cropping. Their AI-powered site builder (Wix AI) can whip up a website in minutes based on your answers. Wix also has a bustling app marketplace: adding booking systems, marketing tools, and new payment gateways is easy. Ecommerce goes deep, with abandoned cart recovery, product variants, Afterpay support, and built-in digital creation tools like Adobe Express.

GoDaddy keeps things simple. You’ll find a handful of template categories, basic design controls, and a streamlined drag-and-drop interface. Adding blogs, eCommerce, or appointment booking is just a click away. GoDaddy excels at providing essentials like mobile-friendly templates, an easy-to-use dashboard, and integrated marketing and social media tools. Their features might not go as deep, but everything you need for a starter website is right there, clearly labeled and fuss-free.

Bottom line: Wix wins for business owners wanting creative flexibility and advanced tools. GoDaddy is best if you want to launch quickly, don’t need fancy extras, and prefer less complexity.

Wix vs GoDaddy: Ease of use

Wix aims to be beginner-friendly. You can start with a template or let their AI build your site. The true drag-and-drop editor means you can move elements wherever you want, tweak colors, fonts, and layouts—all with zero coding. But the sheer number of options can overwhelm, especially if you’re new to building websites. There’s a learning curve if you want to unlock Wix’s deepest features, though most people can build something decent in a short window.

GoDaddy goes for minimalism. Open the builder, pick a template, swap photos and text, publish. Done. Their editor steers you, so there’s less room to “break” something or get lost. You won’t spend time hunting for features or menus. If you just want a simple website up fast, GoDaddy is hard to beat. However, power users may find its limits frustrating as customization options and advanced settings just aren’t there.

We see Wix as the better play for those wanting more control and are willing to spend time learning. GoDaddy’s ease of use makes it perfect for total beginners, busy owners, or anyone needing a website yesterday.

Wix vs GoDaddy: Support

Wix offers support via live chat, phone callback, and a rich help center full of guides and tutorials. Premium users get faster responses and dedicated help for urgent issues. Most questions, like billing, editing, or site errors, can be resolved quickly by chatting with their human reps or scanning their extensive help articles. There’s also a supportive community forum, making solutions easy to find any time of day.

GoDaddy delivers battle-tested support: 24/7 help via phone, chat, and SMS in most countries. Their “GoDaddy Guides” are always on call, known for friendly, fast answers on setup or troubleshooting issues. They even help with basic marketing, selling, or hosting questions. If live chat isn’t available, phone support picks up the slack—no waiting days for help.

We rate GoDaddy as the best bet for users who want instant, 24/7 access to real people. Wix shines for those who prefer browsing self-help resources or need advanced troubleshooting for premium plans.

Wix vs GoDaddy: Pricing and plans

Wix offers a free plan so you can build and test without spending a dime. Paid plans unlock custom domains, more storage, advanced analytics, and premium features. Prices start at $17/month for the Light plan and climb to $159/month for Business Elite. Each step up gives access to bigger storage, more collaborators, and stronger marketing tools. Ecommerce features kick in at the $29/month Core plan, with advanced business features reserved for the highest tier.

GoDaddy’s starter plan is cheaper at $9.99/month, with core features included — templates, hosting, SSL, and email. Upgrades add eCommerce, email marketing, and extra integrations. On the downside, GoDaddy’s renewal rates can jump sharply, so that cheap intro price may not last. You’ll also see upsells on added features, domains, or SSL certificates beyond the basics. There’s a 30-day money-back guarantee for annual plans and shorter refund windows for monthly deals.

If budget is your number one worry, GoDaddy grabs the win for affordable starting prices and less commitment. But for growing businesses or power users, Wix is often worth the investment thanks to advanced features and a persistent free option.

Wix vs GoDaddy: Alternatives

If you want something similar to Wix (but not Wix) your best bet is its strong competitor Squarespace. It offers an equally easy-to-use interface, advanced customization choices, breathtakingly beautiful templates, but no app store nor add-ons.

If Squarespace doesn’t tickle your fancy, you should check Weebly. It’s simpler than Wix but offers a free plan, built-in SEO tools, and excellent ecommerce features. Another cheap and convenient alternative to Wix is Webnode – it uses a simple interface and extremely easy-to-use editor, but falls short when it comes to customization.

GoDaddy is loved by many, but not by all. So, if you fall into the latter category, don’t fail to check out Site123. It's a cheerfully cheap and straightforward site builder that unfortunately suffers from a severe lack of customization choices — you can’t even pick out your template.

Jimdo is another swift and simple alternative to GoDaddy and one that targets self-employed business people. If you plan to build a portfolio, startup site, or small online store, Jimdo might be a good choice. And if you wish to start a soon-to-be booming e-commerce business, Shopify should be your top choice for a site builder since it’s also an end-to-end ecommerce platform.

Wix vs GoDaddy: Final verdict

All things considered, there’s no denying that Wix comes off as a stronger candidate. It’s simpler to use than GoDaddy, offers superior design flexibility, and provides a well-supplied app market.

However, if you don’t care much about customization, GoDaddy’s most pocket-friendly plan won’t force annoying ads on your site and will supply you with all you need to swiftly put a site together.

So, if you want more creative control, Wix is the way to go. But if you want a blend of easiness and efficiency, GoDaddy is an excellent choice.

Wix vs GoDaddy: FAQs

• If you’re building a website, picking the best web hosting provider should also be on your to-do list

GoDaddy is one of the oldest domain registrars and web hosting companies around. Founded in 1997, the company is now the largest ICANN-accredited registrar in the world, and you’ll likely have come across many adverts for it online over the years. It’s the go-to place for many people who just want to buy a domain or hosting package quickly.

I’ve been buying domain names for the past 20 years or more, and that includes via GoDaddy in the past. I’ve also reviewed many hosting plans and other web services so I know what to look for. This GoDaddy review is based on my hands-on testing and personal experience with GoDaddy. I’ve bought domain names, looked at how good the support options are, and kept an eye out for any unwelcoming upselling techniques. I’ve also spent time with other domain registrars to see how GoDaddy compares.

For more options, take a look at our list of the best domain registration services.

GoDaddy: My experience

GoDaddy has a very welcoming UI right from the start. Type your idea in and the site takes you to all the domains you can choose from, right down to ones that are currently taken but could possibly be acquired via a broker service fee. GoDaddy is a little sneaky with prices as it gives you the price for the first year based on if you commit to 3 or more years at once. That means the actual price is often much higher so it’s worth experimenting with the renewal length for accurate prices.

On the other hand, GoDaddy also suggests useful bundles if you want to commit to a name in a few different ways, and domain privacy is included as standard. You can pay extra for more advanced domain protection but it isn’t necessary. Skip past other upselling like email hosting and you’re all set. GoDaddy even creates a coming soon page for you if you don’t need to forward the domain elsewhere just yet. Its onboarding is very user friendly.

GoDaddy: Features

As standard, GoDaddy bundles in a lot of features and, refreshingly, highlights them clearly. You have WHOIS privacy as standard along with automatic DMARC security so you can keep an eye on any suspicious emails. There’s also LLC registration if you need it, along with domain forwarding. For building your vision, there’s also an AI Logo Maker and you can check out a free trial to GoDaddy’s website builder.

That leads into GoDaddy being a tad keen on upselling, right down to offering up free AI credits for its Airo AI builder. Dive into your domain management and it’s simple enough to toggle auto-renew, manage DNS records, and also sell your domain. Bonus points for GoDaddy gauging how much your domain is worth.

GoDaddy: User experience

GoDaddy is one of the easiest domain registrars to use. Its sign up process and dashboard is designed in a way that you don’t need much technical expertise to still get things done. Its onboarding process also guides you towards signing up for hosting, whether that’s email or web hosting, but it can also happily create a quick coming soon landing page so you’re not restricted here.

Everything within the dashboard is laid out clearly, so you can see exactly what you’re doing or might want to consider for later. For instance, one useful extra is how easy it is to set up a subdomain for your social media presence. The main thing to be aware of is that some of these tasks involve additional fees.

GoDaddy: Customer support

When you’re in need of help, there are two obvious port of calls. There’s GoDaddy’s Help Center which has solutions to a huge amount of queries. There’s also Airo, GoDaddy’s AI chatbot, which I found worked pretty well.

If you need to talk to a human being, you can do so by asking Airo to send you to a person for assistance. Adding to that, you can also phone GoDaddy with phone support available 24/7. WhatsApp is another solution along with how-to videos if you want to learn as you go along. Simply put, GoDaddy has it all.

GoDaddy: Pricing

GoDaddy’s pricing looks very appealing at first glance. Its first year prices are some of the lowest around. When you delve deeper though, things often end up more expensive. That’s because the first year discount is often only applied if you plan on buying the domain for a number of years, and those extra years often cost a lot more.

That goes for individual discounts and bundle plans which are convenient but can get very expensive. It’s worth playing around with domain options to see what works out the best value for your needs, but be prepared for the fact that it’s all likely to be more expensive than the deals that lure you in.

GoDaddy: Specs

GoDaddy: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

• You want simplicity. GoDaddy really makes everything very user-friendly whatever your skill level. That makes it an enticing company.
• You’re looking long term. Domains are at their best value prices when you commit for a long time which is certainly useful at times.
• You want 24/7 support. GoDaddy doesn’t miss a trick here with every support option you could possibly need and it’s available 24/7.

Don't buy it if...

• You only want a domain for a year. First year prices are cheap only if you commit for a number of years. This won’t suit every need.
• You hate being upsold. At every turn, GoDaddy tries to upsell you on something. It can get draining to keep an eye on what you’re clicking.
• You want maximum security for free. If you want two factor authentication, you have to pay for more advanced security.

GoDaddy: The competition

• Ionos: For web hosting and domain management, Ionos is a good rival to GoDaddy. It still has some annoying upselling moments, but it packs in the essential features for free.
• Porkbun: Just need a domain rather than be tempted by hosting? Porkbun is the solution. It’s very cheap with a basic dashboard. It also somehow squeezes in phone support.
• Dynadot: Dynadot doesn’t have every TLD on offer but it does have the vast majority. It also boasts fairly limited upselling and clutter which makes it appealing.

How I tested GoDaddy

• Signed up for two domain names
• Investigated domain management features
• Looked at pricing compared to competitors

I signed up for a new account at GoDaddy before browsing domain names that were suitable for my needs. Once signed up, I looked at how easy it was to use GoDaddy’s domain management features and changed a few things. I also looked at pricing conventions and how much upselling there was.

Business owners already have a lot to worry about which is why GoDaddy has partnered with Avalara to provide its customers with an automated ecommerce sales tax solution.

With fluctuating sales tax rates for over 13,000 US jurisdictions, selling items from an online store across the US can be quite difficult. For this reason, GoDaddy has launched its new Websites + Marketing Commerce Plus plan that comes equipped with Avalara AvaTax.

These new sales tax automation features in GoDaddy Online Store free business owners from having to manually track their transaction thresholds for each state they operate in to know if and when they owe sales tax. However, they also log the sales tax rates for each state and keep track of when they change in order to help businesses remain compliant.

VP of commerce products at GoDaddy, Greg Goldfarb explained in a press release how the company's new Commerce Plus plan makes it easier for customers to focus on growing their business, saying:

“GoDaddy is increasingly focused on powering growing businesses with connected commerce tools that simplify selling across online stores, point of sale, and ecommerce marketplaces. Dealing with the nuances of differing sales tax regulations as you grow can be a major headache. Commerce Plus is designed to solve this and other challenges that get in the way of taking a small business to the next level.”  

Commerce Plus

Beyond simplifying sales tax, the Commerce Plus plan adds new features to GoDaddy's Online Store including unlimited product listings, higher marketplace order limits and increased email marketing campaign sizes.

Entrepreneurs also have the option to pair their Online Store with GoDaddy Payments for lower card transaction fees compared to other payment gateways at 2.3 percent plus $0.30.

Meanwhile, when combined with AvaTax, GoDaddy Online Store also makes it possible to export sales data instantly to provide businesses with consolidated sales tax liability and exemption reports so they'll be more prepared to file their tax returns.

GoDaddy's new Commerce Plus plan is available now and costs just $29.99 a month for the first year though it increases to $44.99 per month upon renewal.

• We've also featured the best web hosting and the best website builder

A new hacking campaign infecting hundreds of sites hosted by GoDaddy-hosted sites has been uncovered.

An investigation by the Wordfence Incident Response team found more than 280 websites hosted with GoDaddy’s Managed WordPress service were infected with a backdoor.

Among the compromised services are MediaTemple, tsoHost, 123Reg, Domain Factory, Heart Internet, and Host Europe, with a total of 298 sites found to be infected. 

This unnamed backdoor, it was further explained, has been in use for at least seven years. The threat actors add it to the beginning of wp-config.php and its goal seems to be to generate spammy Google search results, including resources customized to the infected site. 

Russian TLD

“If a request with a cookie set to a certain base64-encoded value is sent to the site, the backdoor will download a spam link template from a command and control (C2) domain – in this case t-fish-ka[.]ru – and save it to an encoded file with a name set to the MD5 hash of the infected site’s domain,” the researchers explained. “For example, the encoded file for ‘examplesite.com’ would be named 8c14bd67a49c34807b57202eb549e461, which is a hash of that domain.”

The C2 domain has a Russian top-level domain, but there’s nothing to indicate that this particular campaign has anything to do with Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. 

The researchers are yet to discover how the threat actors made their way into GoDaddy’s services, speculating that it might be linked to last year’s attack on the company’s systems. In 2021, GoDaddy reported of an unknown attacker accessing its systems used to provision its Managed WordPress sites. 

Customers of GoDaddy’s Managed WordPress platform are advised to manually analyze their site’s wp-config.php file, or run a scan with a malware detection solution, to make sure their premises are clean. 

Those that do find something can use the instructions found on this link, to clean up their sites of any malicious code or viruses.

• Check out our list of the best patch management solutions right now

Finding the best cheap website builder is all about balancing price and functionality. After all, just because a website builder is cheap doesn't mean it will let you create the website you need.

In this guide, we list some of the best website builders on the market, whilst focusing on which offer great value for money. Each provides an easy and quick solution that requires no coding knowledge, simply drag and drop what you want, where you want, and there you have it, a stunning website.

Although there are plenty of free website builders out there, these come with limitations. For example, the majority of free website builders do not allow you to connect a custom domain and force you to display branding or ads on your website. This makes them unsuitable for professional purposes.

So, if you are looking for the cheapest website builder without frustrating limitations, this guide is for you.

The cheapest website builder

Want to learn how we pick the cheapest website builder? We explain here.

Cheapest website builder

If you’re looking for a no-frills website builder that won’t cost you an arm and a leg, Hostinger might be your perfect match. Previously known as Zyro, Hostinger is not the most famous site builder out there, but it offers a lot of potential.

Pricing

Hostinger’s pricing is quite competitive, starting at just $2.99/month if you commit for a year or more. This low rate can be locked in for several years, giving you significant savings. Plus, if you subscribe for a two-year term, you can get up to 75% off the price, which means three months free before renewal. When it’s time to renew, the price goes up to $11.99/month, but that’s still more affordable than options like Wix and Squarespace. Hostinger also offers a 7-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it out risk-free before deciding.

Features and tools

Hostinger provides a wide variety of features that simplify site building. Its AI tools, including an AI logo maker and AI writer, can create unique content and visuals effortlessly. The drag-and-drop editor and over 150 templates are user-friendly, although beginners might find the interface a bit overwhelming at first. While the number of templates isn't vast, they are visually appealing and suitable for various types of sites, including blogs, portfolios, and web stores.

While Hostinger’s cheapest plan covers hosting basics with a free SSL, unlimited bandwidth, 100 emails, and a free domain, the business-focused plan unlocks all the AI tools and essential ecommerce features including analytics through Google and Facebook.

However, there are a few drawbacks. You can’t switch templates once your site is set up, and the image editing options are basic compared to competitors like Wix. The cheapest plan also has limited AI and ecommerce tools, making the business plan more attractive for those needing advanced features.

Overall, Hostinger is a solid site builder, ideal for budget-conscious users, especially those with ecommerce aspirations.

Explore Hostinger's latest deals and discounts on our Hostinger promo codes page.

Best for beginners

If you’re new to building sites and want a straightforward, hassle-free experience, Weebly is a smart choice. With plans starting at $10/month, Weebly offers an intuitive drag-and-drop editor that allows users to create professional-looking websites without any coding knowledge. All of its templates are mobile-responsive, ensuring your site looks good on any device.

Pricing

Weebly’s pricing starts at $10/month for the “Personal” plan if you opt for annual billing, saving you a couple of bucks compared to the $13 month-to-month rate. However, it comes with pretty basic features. For more advanced functionalities, consider the “Professional” plan at $12/month when billed annually or the “Performance” plan at $26/month. These plans offer additional tools and capabilities, making them a great choice for users needing more robust functionality.

Features and tools

Weebly excels in simplicity and functionality. Its integrated ecommerce features enable easy inventory management, shipping setup, and support for popular payment gateways like Stripe and PayPal. The platform’s app center offers a variety of apps and integrations, enhancing your site with tools for marketing, CRM, and much more.

Despite being easy to use, Weebly has its limits. Its blogging tools are basic, and you might find the customization options somewhat limited if you want a truly unique design. For those seeking more extensive customization capabilities and additional features, Wix presents an amazing alternative, albeit at a slightly higher cost.

Nonetheless, Weebly excels as an ideal platform for beginners looking for an easy, hassle-free method to build and oversee their site.

Best AI website builder

Looking for an AI-powered website builder that's easy on the wallet and simple to use? GoDaddy could be just what you need. Like Wix and Hostinger, GoDaddy offers an intuitive site builder with AI features, allowing you to create a site swiftly and effortlessly.

Pricing

Starting at just over $10.99/mo, GoDaddy offers a budget-friendly option for businesses seeking to build an online presence. This price is valid with one-year commitments, which include a 30% discount off the first term.

GoDaddy's plans provide flexibility, often requiring additional fees for features such as SEO, booking, or ecommerce tools. It's worth noting that while these introductory prices are attractive, they do increase after the first year. For example, a “.com” domain name costs $11.99 for the initial year but rises to $17.99 per year thereafter.

Features and tools

One of the standout benefits of GoDaddy is that it bundles essential tools together, including email marketing, a content creator tool, and appointment scheduling, all included in every plan.

That said, GoDaddy does have its shortcomings. While it excels in user-friendliness and speed, sites built with its AI sometimes lack unique flair. Plus, without an app market, its features and customization options are limited, which might not suit those needing more advanced functionalities.

Despite these drawbacks, GoDaddy offers superb 24/7 tech support and clear subscription plans, making it a solid choice for users prioritizing simplicity and affordability in their site builder. GoDaddy's AI site builder is worth checking out if you're looking to get your business online quickly and without any hassle.

Discover special discounts and promotions on the GoDaddy promo code. Or you can check out our full GoDaddy website builder review to learn more about the platform.

Best for ecommerce

If you're looking to dive into the world of online sales, Square Online is a superb choice. After merging with Weebly, Square offers a seamless and user-friendly experience, making it perfect even for beginners. With its simple drag-and-drop editor, you can quickly set up a stunning and functional ecommerce site without any technical know-how.

Pricing

Square Online offers a range of paid plans designed to provide excellent value for money. Their entry-level plan, “Plus”, priced at $29/month when billed annually, offers a significant step up from their free tier.

It includes essential sales features crucial for running an online store. You’ll get advanced features, including a free custom domain, an SEO toolkit, and a built-in payment processing system that ensures smooth and secure transactions without needing any third-party processors. Just be aware that with fees of 2.9% + 30¢ on each transaction, these can add up over time.

Features and tools

Square Online is particularly well-suited for small businesses needing a straightforward, affordable way to sell products online. The Square built-in point-of-sale (POS) system, appointment scheduling, email marketing, and team management tools are critical for growing businesses.

This site builder also stands out with its robust ecommerce features, including the ability to add unlimited products and automatic product categorization. Its fulfillment options are diverse, supporting curbside pickup, local delivery, and more. An automatic tax calculator saves you time by setting tax rates for different regions.

For those looking to grow their business, Square’s app marketplace offers a wide range of handpicked apps to enhance functionality. Whether you need marketing tools or accounting software, there's something for everyone. The platform also supports social media integration, allowing you to sell products directly on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

However, while Square Online excels in user-friendliness and ecommerce features, its customization options are somewhat limited, and the available themes may not satisfy those looking for unique designs. If you're seeking more advanced features and customization, alternatives like Shopify or BigCommerce might be worth considering. While pricier, these platforms provide richer design choices and advanced functionalities.

Best for agencies

Wix Studio is tailor-made for agencies and freelancers seeking robust tools to create and manage professional-grade sites. With an advanced development environment that includes a built-in code editor and API access, Wix Studio is ideal for those looking to build sophisticated sites and applications without extensive coding knowledge. It can empower users with the flexibility and capabilities to execute complex projects effectively and efficiently.

Pricing

The "Basic" plan is priced at $19/month and tailored for beginners looking to start their online projects. It includes 10 GB of media storage, supports up to 3 site collaborators, and manages up to 1,500 CMS items. Key features encompass detailed site analytics, a free domain for the first year, and integrated payment capabilities, ideal for new ventures or personal projects.

The pricing is set up for yearly subscriptions, which helps you budget clearly with straightforward details on extra charges. You can cancel anytime, but you'll only get a refund if you do so within the first 14 days.

Features and tools

Wix Studio excels in providing an intuitive user interface, AI-driven design tools, and extensive customization options. It supports multi-site management, custom CSS control, and integrates with Wix apps for enhanced functionality. Agencies benefit from responsive AI, a wide range of animation options, and collaborative workspaces, facilitating effective project management and scalability.

In addition, all Wix Studio plans feature intuitive, code-free CMS capabilities, robust SEO and marketing tools, expert support, and high-level security measures. With a global CDN, full DNS management, and unlimited bandwidth, these plans ensure optimal site performance for a global audience.

For agencies and freelancers seeking advanced web development tools without compromising on quality, Wix Studio offers a robust solution backed by Wix's reputation for innovation and support. While not the most budget-friendly option, Wix Studio provides some of the most affordable advanced tools available for agencies and freelancers. Alternatives like Duda offer rich features and e-commerce tools but at a higher price point, making Wix Studio a competitive choice for those prioritizing functionality and value.

Check out our Wix promo codes page for exclusive savings and offers.

Other cheap website builder deals

The website builders we review above offer some of the best standard prices on the market. In this section, we highlight some great deals and promo codes for other leading website builders on the market.

How we choose the cheapest website builder

Wondering what qualifies a website builder to be crowned the 'Cheapest Website Builder'? Here are some questions we answered when deciding...

Aren't there free website builders?

Yes. There are several free website builder plans to choose from - in fact, we have an entire guide dedicated to the best free website builders. However, these all have considerable limitations such as limits on storage and bandwidth, onsite ads, and an inability to connect a custom domain. These limitations make them impractical for high quality, professional websites.

When picking the cheapest website builder, we only choose from plans that offer you everything you need to create a quality website.

Are there cheaper website builders?

Yes. There are certainly website builders out there that offer cheaper plans. However, we reserve our 'cheapest website builder' spot for those that already have an extensive user base, a trusted name, and are known for being reliable.

In reality, the top spot should be named 'cheapest of the best website builders'...but that doesn't really roll off the tongue.

Some website builders may also run limited time deals that beat the price of our top spot. We list all the best deals on this page, so you can check these out before deciding which is right for you.

How long will the 'cheapest' price last?

Some website builders offer really good deals for a very short period of time. For example, Shopify currently offers 3 months membership for just $1 a month. Others offer free trial periods for premium plans.

To earn our top spot, the plan must be available for at least 12 months or longer and give you the ability to cancel your subscription once the deal runs out.

Cheap website builder deals FAQs