GoDaddy Is Doing Everything Right
I gotta be honest. GoDaddy is blowing my mind right now., especially when it comes to the WordPress community. Just a few years ago, they were the bane to any developer who made websites. Today, things are looking quite different. Even though many people still won’t like them, usually based on some bad experiences that just leave a bad taste in the mouth, you have to respect what they’re doing.
Today, things are looking quite different. Even though many people still won’t like them, usually based on some bad experiences that just leave a bad taste in the mouth, you have to respect what they’re doing.
The genius of GoDaddy
Acquisitions. Plain and simple. GoDaddy is buying up the WordPress market left and right!
Let’s be honest, a few years ago, GoDaddy sucked. I mean it was the worst. Just take a look at the post I wrote, and you’ll see it flooded with comments of how much people do not like GoDaddy.
They launched a new WordPress hosting initiative, and that’s when things really started to take off. I had the honor of having one of their accounts, and I had no issues with it at all. It was pretty solid, and very easy to use.
Then they acquired Media Temple. The internet was in a roar, but Media Temple is still pretty grand. None of the horrible expectations of a GoDaddy take over came to fruition. At least none that I’ve heard of.
GoDaddy was starting to get more and more involved in the WordPress Community / Atmosphere. They were sponsoring WordCamps, and even engaging with a lot of key players.
Their efforts were not going unnoticed.
Then they acquired ManageWP. The holy grail of self-managing WordPress sites. Once again, the internet went in an uproar.
GoDaddy continues its trail of merging with the WP market.
They keep improving their hosting and onboarding process to make WordPress as simple to use on the managed hosting platform for GoDaddy.
Skeptics were still… well skeptics, but then another merger came. Not in the form of an acquisition, but in the shape of a great partnership!
Welcome to GoDaddy’s onboarding process! They ran into the awesome folks at Beaver Builder at decided to create their own special system. GD integrated the amazement that is Beaver Builder, built a few custom templates, and incorporated the lite version to EVERY SINGLE INSTALL so that users can have a super easy jump off point when they sign up.
Mind blown yet? No? OK, I’ll keep going then.
So now, when you use GoDaddy, you’re starting to have access to a fantastic round up of tools. Sign up, and you’ll be instantly greeted with a simple to use, very popular, web builder. Not that shitty builder that the super cheap hosts used to use (and I’m sure some still do.)
GD continues it’s run. More recently, they acquired WPCurve. A very popular and growing, WordPress maintenance company created by Dan Norris (super cool guy and content machine) and Alex McClafferty. Now, GoDaddy has a 24/7 WordPress maintenance company under its belt.
Do you recognize the genius of GoDaddy yet? Here’s my breakdown.
What exactly is GoDaddy doing?
Take a step back for a moment and start to look at the bigger picture here. GoDaddy, a shitty hosting company, hated by many, hires a few professionals to start strategizing and break into the WordPress world. Managed hosting, maintenance, management, etc.
They slowly start to enter this world where I’m sure they know they aren’t liked, but in hindsight, who gives a crap right? I mean GoDaddy is the king of domains and people who are getting started, don’t hesitate to jump on the cheapest hosting they can find, only to eventually learn it’s shitty.
But you only realize it’s shitty when you start to become part of that world. Meaning working on more than one site, hosting sites, maintaining sites, etc.
GoDaddy wants more; they want growth because if the people who continue to build websites, keep thinking GoDaddy is shitty, then these people aren’t going to recommend them, or even try them out.
Why WordPress?
Matt Mullenweg has said numerous times that he wants WordPress to run at least 50% of the internet. Currently, they run about 25%.
If GoDaddy even gets a piece of that, and if WP stands on it’s grounds to run 50% of EVERY SINGLE WEBSITE ON THE INTERNET, then Holy Crap GD is setting itself up for a very nice piece of that pie.
That’s freakin’ brilliant!
Acquire the up and coming most popular WordPress brands. Not agency’s, tools. The tools that get the job done. The services that WordPress users, like myself, flock to when it’s needed.
I’m pretty sure everyone that uses WP, at least from a development side has heard of these companies that GoDaddy is acquiring. And GD is just kicking back, buying these companies left and right.
Pretty soon, you’re going to be using something (if you’re not already) that GoDaddy owns, making it a definite PowerHouse in the WordPress industry, whether you like it or now.
So hat’s off to you GoDaddy, for doing everything that you’re doing. I respect and admire this path that you’re going on and I wish you nothing but the best.
I’ve spoken with a few of the guys over there heading the initiative (think it was last year) and they definitely got their stuff together
They care and for once, they really know what they’re talking about.
This was something that could not be found at GD a few years ago.
Great job guys.