Facebook to take on Wix, Godaddy with free website builder offer

Facebook
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Facebook has increased its investment in its suite of business tools, including a new hosting service that is likely to interest small and medium-sized firms. Details are thin on the ground at the moment, however, regarding Facebook Hosting Services, with the social network giant working hard with its partners to make the service available over the coming months.

“Businesses have varying technology needs and want choice in the companies they work with to host and manage customer communications, particularly with remote work increasing,” the Facebook blog explained. 

“Which is why over the coming months, we plan to expand our partnerships with business solution providers we've worked with over the last two years. We will also provide a new option for businesses to manage their WhatsApp messages via hosting services that Facebook plans to offer.”

Facebook has been working on increasing its appeal to business customers, particularly through WhatsApp for Business. It has recently announced a way for individuals to makes purchases directly through WhatsApp chats, while also making it easier for retailers to integrate this within their existing approach to e-commerce.

The host with the most

In a statement published by TechCrunch, Facebook announced that its new hosting service would be offered to businesses for free, removing a financial burden for companies that want to use the WhatsApp Business API. Facebook’s experience in running online infrastructure, coupled with its vast collection of data centers, means that it will represent an attractive option for firms looking for a new hosting provider.

Facebook also confirmed that it will deliver a service for businesses that allows them to manage their WhatsApp messages directly via its hosting services. For small and medium-sized organizations that connect with their customers via this medium, it should make their comms a lot easier to manage.

In the meantime, as we wait for more details about Facebook’s new hosting platform to emerge, other website building companies will be wondering how much of a threat this new service poses.

Via TechCrunch

Barclay Ballard

Barclay has been writing about technology for a decade, starting out as a freelancer with ITProPortal covering everything from London’s start-up scene to comparisons of the best cloud storage services.  After that, he spent some time as the managing editor of an online outlet focusing on cloud computing, furthering his interest in virtualization, Big Data, and the Internet of Things.