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Website builders are a great way to help you build your own personal website. This is the most popular service in its category, and it has been around for years. However, some people have reported that GoDaddy’s website builder can be difficult to work with at times. Can their site building tools match up to other competitors? We’ll take a look at this question today!
The “is godaddy website builder free” is a question that many people ask. The answer to this question is no, it’s not free. However, if you are looking for a cheap site builder with lots of features and no monthly fees, then GoDaddy Website Builder may be the right choice for you.
GoDaddy’s website builder features a simple interface and a comprehensive set of marketing options, all for a low cost. According to Website Builder by GoDaddy reviews, it’s an excellent all-around site builder for novices. For small companies on a budget that want to utilize built-in Booking an Appointment tools and chatbots right away, it’s a good, Beginner-friendly option.
Website Builder by GoDaddy
What We Enjoy
- Plan that is completely free indefinitely
- It costs $6.99 a month to get started (first year)
- Beginner-friendly
- Booking an Appointment & chatbots―even in the free version
- In only a few hours, you can create a website.
What Isn’t There
- The number of templates available is restricted.
- Themes aren’t varied enough.
- Customization options are limited.
- There isn’t a third-party app store.
- Only a one-year free email account is available.
- There is no revision history.
GoDaddy is suggested for…
- Any tiny firm operating on a shoestring budget
- Service & sales-forward businesses
- Restaurants
- Charities and non-profits
- Agents of real estate
- Locations for events (ticket sales)
- Designers and photographers
Website Builder by GoDaddy Overview
GoDaddy is one of the most established names in the market for domain name registration and web hosting yet not many know about the Website Builder by GoDaddy. The website builder’s intuitive interface makes it easy, even for complete beginners, to get a professional-looking website up quickly and affordably.
Even in the free edition, it offers critical SEO and marketing capabilities as well as a powerful native Booking an Appointment system, yet being beginner-friendly. The forever-free plan is ideal for people who are just getting started or who want to check out a free site builder before committing to a paid subscription.
Who Should Use the GoDaddy Site Builder?
- Beginners who need to put up a company website quickly: This is one of the most straightforward section-based website builders we’ve come across. During the setup process, a template is chosen for you depending on your industry and objectives. After that, you may alter the layout, design, colors, and fonts. It’s simple to alter the page by deleting or adding sections and customizing them with your content. See how it compares to other top drag-and-drop site builders to learn more.
- Budget-conscious startups and small businesses: The cost of a premium subscription starts at $6.99 per month (for the first year, paid annually). Although this plan does not provide ecommerce features, it does include a free secure sockets layer (SSL) certificate as well as unlimited storage and bandwidth. GoDaddy is one of the most affordable website builders available.
- Service-based businesses: You receive options to allow customers or prospects to schedule one-time appointments on the lowest plan, and even the free version. You’ll need to upgrade to the Standard tier plan if you want to set up recurring appointments or collect payments.
- Restaurants: This is one of the finest restaurant website builders we suggest. It interacts with ChowNow and OpenTable and includes specific restaurant themes.
- Event venues: Starting with the Premium plan, Website Builder by GoDaddy users can sell and track ticket sales for multiple events.
- Realtors: GoDaddy is a website builder for real estate brokers. It offers internet data exchange (IDX) connection as well as predefined themes for real estate brokers. It’s one of the cheapest methods for agents to establish a real estate website where customers can schedule appointments for showings, listing presentations, and more when combined with the built-in Booking an Appointment system.
- Photographers, artists, and creatives: All premium plans provide unlimited storage, allowing you to create a visual portfolio with no restrictions. This is one of the finest website builders for photographers, even the lowest-tier plan allows you to accept appointments and offer services.
- Nonprofits: Nonprofits may instantly establish a website with a PayPal contribution button starting with the premium plan’s basic tier. Keep in mind that selling products online requires a Commerce plan membership at the highest level.
Who Isn’t a Good Fit for the GoDaddy Site Builder?
The fact that GoDaddy’s site builder is one of the most simple ones is one of the reasons it’s so user-friendly. Design customization is restricted, as is access to the complete library of templates, and its marketing and ecommerce features are better suited for novices than small enterprises seeking more comprehensive tools, at least for the time being.
Based on our expert Website Builder by GoDaddy review, we don’t recommend it for:
- Businesses that need highly customized websites include: Drag-and-drop capability, access to a large number of templates, and complete customization possibilities are all missing from the basic editor. You’re largely confined to selecting and editing predefined pieces. Instead, we suggest using a site builder like Wix for genuine design control. Alternatively, the finest drag-and-drop website builders will provide you with additional possibilities.
- Ecommerce: Ecommerce functionality is only accessible on the most expensive package. You’re better suited constructing a shop with Shopify or Squarespace because of this, particularly when combined with restricted design capabilities–find out more by comparing the finest ecommerce platforms. Weebly is also a good option for businesses with a little budget. Because Weebly is owned by Square, you may sell an infinite number of things online, even with the free edition.
- Bloggers: Using the website builder to create a blog is really easy and quick. However, the blogging tools, as well as the SEO and design capabilities, are rather rudimentary. Instead, start with Wix or another of the top blogging platforms favored by influencers for a site builder that can grow with you.
Website Builder by GoDaddy Pricing
Create a free site with GoDaddy to get a better idea of what you can do with it. The free-for-ever version isn’t nearly sturdy enough for most organizations, particularly because it doesn’t allow you to link your own domain. It does, however, offer you a taste of the site editor and a look at how you may expand its features by paying for one of four expensive plans.
Website Builder by GoDaddy pricing is very affordable, especially during the first year. All plans require annual prepayment and come with unlimited storage, bandwidth, a free SSL certificate, and a free email account for one year. Paid plans are ad-free and you can connect a custom domain. However, to get any ecommerce capabilities you’ll have to upgrade to the top-tier Commerce plan.
**Use Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google Business Profile, and Yelp to connect and share.
Select from the dropdowns below to learn more about each of GoDaddy’s website builder plans:
Free
The Plan that is completely free indefinitely includes a GoDaddy subdomain URL and free SSL security. It even includes limited ability to accept payments (via links) or take donations through Paypal. GoDaddy’s site builder includes one-time Booking an Appointments in the free version, which is why it also made our list of the best free website builders.
The appointment scheduling software is rather sophisticated; for example, a customer may pick between providers and services (e.g., a senior stylist and a hair color service). While you won’t be able to accept payments for appointments online, it’s still a wonderful alternative for startups and small service-based enterprises on a budget, such as a salon or spa.
The Website Builder by GoDaddy also includes chatbots, again, even starting at the free level. Chatbots can be used to create engagement with site visitors, gather and relay basic information to you about a prospects’ inquiry or a customer’s service request, and help to generate conversions like web form completions.
All options feature the ability to link to your Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts and publish to them, as well as the ability to schedule posts in advance. You may also use the dashboard’s marketing capabilities to link to and maintain your Google Company Profile and Yelp business listings.
The GoDaddy Studio is also available to free plan customers. While paying plan customers have access to select templates and capabilities, the Studio allows users to design logos, social media images, and even purchase business cards directly from the dashboard. Additionally, new video creation and editing capabilities have been introduced.
Basic
The Basic plan is one of the most well-rounded “low-cost” options available. Your site is ad-free and you may connect your own domain for $9.99 ($6.99 per month for the first year). You also receive unlimited storage, unmetered bandwidth, and a free professional email address for a year. You’ll also be able to send out 100 email newsletters.
The site builder is also a wonderful choice for non-profits and charities, since it enables for Paypal contributions and event ticket sales. It’s also a wonderful option for content-heavy sites, such as digital portfolios and online picture galleries, since the base plan includes unlimited storage and bandwidth.
Standard
You may upgrade to the Standard plan for $5 extra each month. While still reasonably priced, you only get a little feature upgrade, primarily the capacity to send 500 emails. You do, however, receive GoDaddy’s website optimizer at this level, which ensures that your site is seen on Google.
You can’t make recurring appointments, accept appointment fees, or sell via an online shop, just as with the Basic plan. We recommend avoiding this plan in favor of the more extensive capabilities in the Premium and Commerce levels unless you truly require the little marketing enhancement.
Premium
The Premium plan is GoDaddy’s most expensive non-commerce plan, but it’s still reasonably priced for what you receive at $19.99 a month. Although this package does not have ecommerce, it does provide recurring reservations, appointment fees, and text and email appointment reminders. It also offers enhanced marketing capabilities, such as the ability to send 25,000 emails every month. You may also create and manage social media advertising and boost posts.
Most other site builders, on the other hand, provide ecommerce functionality for about the same price. For $23 per month, you can create a small company website with Wix, which includes ecommerce and a booking system. Nonetheless, GoDaddy’s Premium site builder bundle is a solid alternative for bigger service-based organizations that require a simple method to go online and accept reservations.
Ecommerce
GoDaddy’s lone ecommerce package is $24.99 per month, which is comparable to other prominent site builders’ ecommerce options. However, the first year’s cost is significantly reduced, making this an attractive option for firms looking to sell online. GoDaddy also supports Amazon, Etsy, and Facebook as well as other popular ecommerce platforms and marketplaces.
It does have certain drawbacks, such as the lack of powerful ecommerce analytics that other site builders provide with their ecommerce services. GoDaddy isn’t the greatest choice for complex ecommerce functionality. However, its simplicity of use makes it a viable solution for newbies who need to get a business up and running fast.
Features of the GoDaddy Site Builder
GoDaddy’s site editing features are on the basic side, which isn’t always a negative thing since it makes it straightforward for newbies to develop and publish a site fast. It’s inexpensive, comes with unlimited storage and bandwidth on premium plans, and offers several unique features in addition to key marketing and SEO tools to help you expand your company.
Expand the tabs below to take a closer look at what you get with the Website Builder by GoDaddy:
Templates & Design
Template selection and design modification are two of GoDaddy’s main flaws. It does not provide you with the option of selecting your own template. Its themes all look the same and lack the aesthetic variety that a site builder like Squarespace provides. While there isn’t a large collection of templates to pick from, you may change the look of your website using the tools supplied without losing any content, which is convenient.
You can’t choose a template, but you may alter the layout of your template at any moment.
Full design freedom is also lacking—you can’t edit the site to your heart’s content like with Wix. The Website Builder by GoDaddy doesn’t have a true drag-and-drop editor, and you are limited to pre-made content blocks (and limited options for editing).
That isn’t to imply GoDaddy’s designs aren’t current. GoDaddy’s templates are more contemporary than Weebly’s, but not as modern as Squarespace’s, Webnode’s, or even Wix’s. If you want to make a custom-looking site utilizing GoDaddy’s website builder, you can become upset.
Booking an Appointment
It’s noted for its advanced online booking system, in addition to its simplicity of use. This functionality is accessible on all of the company’s plans, albeit recurring appointments and Payments Made Through the Internet need the Premium plan at the very least. Even yet, few premium website builders, much alone free website builders, have a sophisticated booking system in their basic plans.
GoDaddy’s integrated appointment system makes it simple to set up your services.
You may list various services, dates, hours, service providers, organize payments, and collect consumer information using the online booking system. You can also sell tickets for group events (up to 300 people), which is a feature available on even the most basic subscription.
Chatbots
Not every company offers live chat to engage with visitors, handle difficulties, and give useful information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Beginning with the free package, GoDaddy offers two chatbots. They are turned on by default, however you may set them to turn off at certain times. If you have live chat during work hours, you can configure the chatbots to come on while you aren’t there.
The “Hello” bot may interact with site visitors, ask questions, and gather data so you can respond to requests. The order chatbot recognizes discussions about orders and replies with relevant information and progress updates.
Marketing Instruments
We already mentioned that all paid plans come with the ability to send marketing emails, starting with 100 sends in the basic plan and increasing to 25,000 sends in the two upper-tier plans. Other key Marketing Instruments included are the ability to create and manage your Google Business Profile and Yelp Business’ listings and post to Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Connect your social media accounts and publish from the GoDaddy dashboard.
You may also promote social media postings and develop and manage social adverts with higher-tier subscriptions. Subscribers to the Commerce plan may also drive sales by posting goods from their businesses on Facebook and Instagram.
Our list of the top website builders for SEO also included GoDaddy’s site builder. It boasts three data centers around the globe to guarantee quick site loading, as well as basic SEO tools (even in the free version) and an SEO Wizard that analyzes your website and provides recommendations for improved search optimization.
Payments Made Through the Internet
While selling online with an ecommerce shop necessitates a GoDaddy site builder package of the highest tier, you may still accept payments with lower-tier plans. You may send Pay Links to request and collect payments starting with the Basic plan.
You may also take credit card payments using your smartphone or laptop as a virtual cash register. In addition, all plans have a sales dashboard so you can see all of your transactions in one spot.
With GoDaddy’s virtual terminal, you can accept credit card payments from your laptop or smartphone.
Ecommerce
The highest-tier package is the only one with ecommerce features. You receive an easily managed shop, no commission costs, abandoned cart recovery, and marketplace and dropshipping connections for $24.99 a month.
Add and manage goods in your GoDaddy shop with ease.
In some ways, this pricing and the features you receive put GoDaddy ahead of the competition. For example, Wix’s most costly business plan ($49 per month) only allows for limitless dropshipping.
Similarly, the lowest Squarespace commerce package ($26 per month) does not include abandoned cart emails. Still, none of these options come close to Weebly’s ecommerce capabilities, which include ecommerce in a free website builder that gets better with each premium plan tier.
GoDaddy’s ecommerce, however, may be too basic for certain web companies when combined with its design skills and lack of ecommerce analytics. You’re better off using a specialized ecommerce site builder on a platform like Shopify instead, unless you truly need GoDaddy’s ease-of-use.
User-Friendliness
Choose from a variety of ready-to-use content blocks and organize them on your website.
The site editor is quite user-friendly for newcomers. During setup, you’ll be prompted to choose your industry before you can access it. The optimal template for your business’s website requirements is then determined by GoDaddy’s artificial design intelligence (ADI).
GoDaddy’s editor isn’t a full drag-and-drop interface. Instead, you may customize or add pre-made content blocks to the pages of your website. In just a few easy steps, you’ll be able to create a website using the GoDaddy site builder.
It’s one of the most user-friendly web builders we’ve ever seen. The GoDaddy interface is clear and easy to comprehend, and it spoon-feeds you the steps you need to do to make your site ready for posting.
Limited options and customizability are the trade-offs, so if you believe the simplicity is too basic for your purposes, we recommend exploring elsewhere. Wix is at the top of our list of the best drag-and-drop site builders, but any of the other alternatives on our list might work for you.
Customer Service
If you have any fundamental queries, check out GoDaddy’s Help Center.
All of GoDaddy’s options, including the free trial, provide live phone and live chat support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There’s also a Help Center and forum, like most other site builders, where you may peruse articles and ask queries. This is particularly handy since none of GoDaddy’s plans provide priority assistance, so it may take a long for someone to reply to your questions.
What Users Say in Website Builder by GoDaddy Reviews
The best way to judge the quality of site-building software is to look at what real-life users have to say. Website Builder by GoDaddy reviews show that it’s one of the quickest ways to get started with your business’ online presence. In Website Builder by GoDaddy reviews, users praise the site builder’s User-Friendliness and how quickly you can set up a website on it.
Based on Website Builder by GoDaddy reviews, it has earned the following average scores on popular review sites:
The site builder’s greatest flaws are its restricted design possibilities and lack of advanced functionality. Despite this, GoDaddy continues to be one of the most popular website builders on the market.
Best Website Builder by GoDaddy Alternatives
Due to limitations such as a lack of design flexibility and the expensive cost of ecommerce features, this platform may not be the ideal choice for your company’s website. Check out our evaluation of the best GoDaddy competitors for additional possibilities, or see below for three top small business website builders with unique features that may make them a better fit.
Conclusion
Already popular as a domain registrar and web hosting company, GoDaddy’s website builder adds another small business-friendly product to its range of offerings. It’s affordable and offers a standout Booking an Appointment system, chatbots, and built-in marketing and SEO tools. Despite limited site design capabilities, building a website using GoDaddy’s site builder it’s one of the easiest and quickest options for a small business.
Go to GoDaddy.com.
The “godaddy website builder vs wordpress” is a question that is asked often. The comparison of the two websites will help you decide which one to use.
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