GoDaddy: From WordPress Enemy to Hosting Partner
GoDaddy, a software company founded in 1997, has had a tumultuous relationship with WordPress. Complaints of slow loading times, poor customer service, and plugin incompatibilities have plagued the company’s reputation as a WordPress host. However, under the leadership of new CEO Blake Irving, GoDaddy has made a major push to integrate WordPress into their product offerings. In this article, we will explore the history of GoDaddy’s relationship with WordPress, their new direction, and the products and services they now offer.
GoDaddy’s History with WordPress
GoDaddy’s relationship with WordPress has been rocky. Developers have complained about slow loading times and inconsistent answers from tech support. In 2013, one blogger expressed his frustration by saying that “Saying they’re ‘WordPress Friendly’ is like saying your pit bull is friendly while you’re using every ounce of strength you have trying to keep it from attacking me!!” However, under the leadership of Blake Irving, GoDaddy has made significant changes to improve their product offerings and customer service.
GoDaddy’s New Direction
Under Blake Irving’s leadership, GoDaddy has revamped their product offerings and expanded their customer support call center. They have also improved tech support training and tackled the company’s representation of women. Additionally, GoDaddy has begun sponsoring WordCamp events internationally. These changes have made GoDaddy a serious contender in the hosting industry.
GoDaddy’s WordPress Hosting Highlights
GoDaddy has made WordPress a first-class citizen in their product lineup with a set of solutions staff describe as a “tightly managed” product offering. Here are some of the highlights of their revamped WordPress offering:
Sidekick Tutorials: If you’re new to WordPress, you’ll have access to hundreds of SIDEKICK tutorials that demonstrate how to build your website. Their videos cover topics such as photo editing, page and post creation, theme selection, and much more.
WordPress 101: WordPress 101 offers video tutorials formatted for all of your devices. They cover everything from very basic instruction to more advanced concepts like SEO optimization.
Trained Support Staff: Technical support staff have been trained to troubleshoot problems exclusively for WordPress users over the phone and through live chat 24-hours a day.
Heightened Website Security: GoDaddy has been taking an increasingly proactive stance against security threats. Spam blockers, automatic updates, and nightly site backups with one-click reinstallation are just a few of GoDaddy’s new security features.
Plugin Compatibility: GoDaddy has compiled a list of plugins known to interfere with the functionality of their managed WordPress hosting accounts. If activated, GoDaddy will remove these blacklisted plugins from your managed account upon detection.
Website Migration: Migration options seem to have also substantially improved. During the migration process, you can preview your websites on a separate subdomain. Furthermore, you can expect to experience a surge in your website’s page speed upon completion.
GoDaddy Pro: GoDaddy Pro was created with developers, designers, and creative agencies in mind. It combines core components of GoDaddy’s managed WordPress hosting with clever client management tools.
Is GoDaddy Good to Go?
GoDaddy has gone to great lengths to shift customer perception and prove their trustworthiness as a hosting company. With the introduction of managed WordPress hosting, they are now a serious contender in the hosting industry. Are these WordPress-specific changes enough for you to consider hosting your next website through GoDaddy? Or are you still on the fence? Let us know in the comments.
