What is GoDaddy Used For?

You may remember the confusing Danica Patrick superbowl ads and still wonder what GoDaddy is used for.  GoDaddy offers a plethora of website related services, but their main ones are their website builder, wordpress hosting, domain hosting, and web security.

1. Website Builder

Drag and drop elements in an intuitive website builder that makes website building feel more like making a PowerPoint presentation. With so many website builders such as Wix, Weebly and Squarespace, the GoDaddy website builder is often overlooked.

The GoDaddy website builder is one of the cheapest, with an intuitive drag-and-drop editor, scheduling/booking integration, and a plethora of themes. GoDaddy’s website builder is most similar to the Weebly editor, which is a good thing.  The GoDaddy website builder is a drag and drop editor, with simple SEO options including meta-description boxes and url slug editing.

This website builder is not the best for blogging, but it does have convenient scheduling tools that you can easily embed in your site.  The customer service is excellent as well, and making a robust mobile site is automatic, thanks to the responsive design. For more information, check out our beginner’s tutorial on using the GoDaddy website builder (on our YouTube channel).

2. WordPress Hosting

GoDaddy’s WordPress hosting includes things like a free domain, backups, testing, GoDaddy themes, SEO tools, and more.  WordPress powers approximately one third of the internet, and with over 10,000 themes and 50,000 plugins to choose from, the versatility is unparalleled.  A unique offer from GoDaddy is their theme wordpress theme library.

GoDaddy WordPress Hosting Prices

The table below shows the current prices of GoDaddy hosting.  Please note that each subsequent line (increase in price) includes all of the previous features.  The “Key features” column represents the new features at that price point that are not seen in cheaper plans, but are seen in more expensive ones.  Also note the prices change when you renew.  The prices you see here are typically only introductory prices… not cool.

3. Domain Hosting

When it comes to domains, GoDaddy does just about everything you could want.  From transfers to purchases, to appraisals and new idea generation, GoDaddy has nearly unparalleled domain options available at low prices. Below are a few of the domain services that GoDaddy offers.

Domain Transactions

Whether you are looking to transfer a domain of your own, looking to sell a domain, or looking to buy one in use, GoDaddy has you covered.  Starting with the sale of your own domain, you would first want to visit their appraisal page. The appraisal page allows you to type in your domain (or any domain) and determine the approximate worth.  This is of course not always 100% accurate, but it is a useful tool for understanding how much you should charge when selling your domain.  This is essentially the Kelly Blue Book for domains.

If you are looking to buy a domain that is not available, you should first visit the WHOIS page (a sub-tab on Godaddy.com) to see who currently owns it, and how much it might cost.  If you are lucky, you may find that they did not hide their contact information and you can therefore contact them.  You would then want to use the GoDaddy domain broker services to ensure the deal goes smoothly. We have all heard those horror stories about shady craigslist deals and internet scammers.  Don’t let that happen to you.

Once you have a domain, privacy might be your next concern.  With GoDaddy, you have the ability to hide your information. Without hiding your information, anyone can look up your domain on WHOIS and find your name, number, and address. This is not a big deal for some, and it is a big issue for others. Be mindful of this, and pay the extra few dollars if you would like your information to remain private.

Purchasing New Domains

Buying a brand new domain is much simpler than selling a domain.  You have two easy options.  To buy a domain on GoDaddy, either search for the one you would like, or use the domain name generator for new ideas. Thanks to the dot com bubble, most ***.com domains with less than 7 letters are taken, but the domain generator can help you find ones that aren’t and consider other options as well.  You are also able to buy bulk domains if you are interested in reselling them.  Most of these domains are relatively cheap.  Again, you may want to consider paying a bit extra to hide your personal information associated with your new domain on the WHOIS database.

4. Web Security

GoDaddy offers SSL certificates, website backups, and website security, which are all important topics for a healthy website.  SSL encryption will make your website secure for visitors inputting login information, credit card information, or other sensitive data. Website backups are important in case anything goes wrong and you need to revisit an older version of your site. Website security and malware protection/removal will help your website stay resistant to hackers and malicious internet users.  Many of these offerings are included in GoDaddy website hosting plans.

Does GoDaddy domain include hosting?

All GoDaddy hosting plans include a free domain, but GoDaddy domains do not include hosting.  When you purchase a domain through GoDaddy, you will be offered a free trial with their website builder, but after the trial expires, one of three things will happen. Either a “coming soon” page will appear when someone visits your site, or you pay for a plan with either GoDaddy or another website host.

Can you just buy a domain without hosting?

Yes. GoDaddy domains do not include hosting, but hosting plans do include a domain name for free. Domains purchased from GoDaddy can be used on GoDaddy’s website builder, wordpress hosting, or can be transferred to the host/builder of your choice.