When I first started thinking about building a website, I didn’t know where to begin. Like many novice business owners and hobbyists, I had heard about GoDaddy through their sometimes controversial advertising campaigns. They’ve been around since 1997, and over time, they’ve become known as the world’s most popular domain registrar and a massive web hosting company.
Back then, I thought choosing a provider was just about grabbing a domain name and moving on. I quickly learned that bundles, ecommerce solutions, professional email, SSL certificates, and even Microsoft 365 were part of the bigger picture. At first, it all felt unfamiliar and even a little puzzling, but slowly, I began to understand how each service worked.
Web Hosting: My First Step with GoDaddy
My journey started with web hosting, where I discovered what a web server actually is a piece of hardware sitting in a data center, storing all the website files like images and code.
GoDaddy offers four main types: shared hosting, VPS hosting, dedicated hosting, and the reseller program. Each comes with its own server performance, processor power, storage, bandwidth, and even extras like DNS.
- With shared hosting, I paid around $5.99 per month for the Economy plan and realized it was perfect for small websites that didn’t need ultimate server performance.
- Later, I upgraded to a VPS hosting plan (around $10.07 to $86.09) where I could get the server configured exactly as I needed.
- For high-traffic projects, I experimented with dedicated hosting (starting at $219.99 and climbing up to $500) where I had full control over my server.
- I even tried the reseller plans the basic plan for $9 per month let me host up to 25 clients, while the pro plan at $15 handled unlimited customers.
The comparisons made me appreciate how different plans, from Deluxe to Ultimate, balance price and features.
WordPress Hosting: Was It Really Better?
Since I was already comfortable with WordPress websites, I decided to test their WordPress optimized shared hosting. It came with pre-installed themes, plugins, and one single install for $5.99.
Performance-wise, it wasn’t much different from regular shared hosting, but the convenience of having WordPress hosting ready to go was undeniable. Their guide and resources on types of WordPress hosting plans helped me decide what I actually needed.
Domain Registration and Protection
GoDaddy is most famous for domain registration, and I quickly learned why. A domain name is basically the address typed into a browser to find your website.
Beyond the classic .com, they offered plenty of domain extensions like .biz, .club, .net, .today, .xyz, .email, .group, .company, and .org.
I also discovered domain protection. With threats like hijacking, accidental expiration, and data exposure, I appreciated that basic privacy protection was free, though I upgraded later for more robust options.
Ecommerce Solutions with WooCommerce
When I wanted to build an online store, I tried their ecommerce solution. It bundled WooCommerce (a WordPress plugin) with GoDaddy hosting plans, making it easy to transform a site into a full-fledged store.
I could sell unlimited products, manage customers, and track revenue with tools for SEO, Google listing, and product promotion.
Payment gateways like PayPal, Stripe, and Square worked seamlessly, and I loved the Pay Links feature sending QR codes, email, or text to collect payments was a game-changer. The free plan had a 2.9% + 30¢ transaction fee, while the premium plan lowered costs.
Website Builder: Simple But Effective
For a quick project, I tested the GoDaddy Website Builder. The visual builder had drag-and-drop functionality, customizable templates, and even a free trial.
Eventually, I upgraded at $9.99 per month (one-year term) when I was ready to launch my site online. It wasn’t as flexible as WordPress, but for someone who wants speed and simplicity, it worked well.
SSL Certificates and Security
Nothing worried me more than seeing “Not Secure” on a Chrome browser. That’s when I realized the importance of an SSL certificate.
An SSL is basically a digital certificate that provides authentication, ensuring your website’s identity is verified. With GoDaddy, some hosting plans included free SSL (sometimes only for the first year), while a standalone basic certificate cost around $64. Post-2015, SSL became a standard, so I made sure to install it quickly earning that little lock icon of trust.
Professional Email and Microsoft 365
Instead of using a generic Gmail like skatergirl@gmail.com, I wanted something professional, like media@skatergirl.com. GoDaddy partnered with Microsoft to provide professional email at just $1.99 per user, per month (renewing at $7.99 after the one-year contract).
Pairing this with Microsoft 365 made even more sense. For $10.99 per month, I got access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Skype, and OneDrive. It really was the perfect bundle for small businesses like mine.
Final Thoughts
Looking back, I now see why GoDaddy is still considered one of the most popular hosting and domain companies. Whether you’re figuring out how to make a website or ready to start an online store, their wide range of services from domain registration and WordPress hosting to SSL certificates and Microsoft 365 can take care of all your online needs.
For me, the real win was convenience. Instead of juggling multiple providers, I could keep my hosting, email, security, and store management all in one place. It wasn’t always cheap, but avoiding costly mistakes and saving time was worth it.
