Any Experiences of GoDaddy?

[90DC]

I am looking to set up a couple of e-commerce websites and have been looking into using GoDaddy's online website builder. I will be looking at initially selling 300 products on the websites, with the catalogue increasing over time.

Does anybody have any comments/experiences of using GoDaddy or can anybody recommend other website builders? Can I use the website builder to work on SEO?

Thanks,

 

[TotalWebSolutions]

With a product catalog of this size you should probably look at specific ecommerce software such as ekmPowershop, Magento, OpenCart. There are plenty to choose from that will offer you the flexibility you need. These carts will also give you more payment acceptance options.

We have a list of shopping carts on our website which you can use to browse the various carts and get a feel for them. Most will give you a free demo so that you can have a play around and see what is going to be suitable for you.

Click here to see the list.

Thanks,

Simon

 

[virginoffice]

We did use godaddy when we first set up our website but it proved to be a wrong decision. Site took ages to load and most of the time timed out. After hours spent on the phone to them changed to hostgator and not had any problems since

 

[blendwd]

Good Afternoon,

I would tend to agree with everyone else, in my opinion using OpenCart of other eCommerce software would be much more beneficial then using a service like the Go Daddy or other eCommerce services.

Potentially look for a design company that will host you an OpenCart on a sub domain just do you can try it out and see how you get on with it.

Thanks,
James

 

[TotallySport]

never used their build in service, but we have used their hosting, which started off really good, then they put al sorts of silly restrictions on it.

So although reliable, it does annoy me, but we are moving away from it.

 

[InternetMarketingPlatinum]

If you're serious about this which I'm sure you are then choose Magento on a dedicated web server. We put all of our E-commerce clients on Magento now.

 

[90DC]

Thanks for the replies.

I'll have a look at the other options.

 

[webstore]

90DC - Go for a shared hosted server provider which there are several in this forum who can help you at an attractive price and then either go for an OpenCart shop or a more complex Magento shop - again of which many in this forum will be able to help you with that.

We would never use GoDaddy even for registering a cheap domain since we were completely put off of GoDaddy when news broke earlier this year on the major US news tv channels that the GoDaddy CEO was going on big game hunts killing elephants in Zimbawe.

If you want to check out the story visit :-

eatocracy.cnn.com/2011/04/01/godaddy-ceo-claims-his-elephant-hunt-helped-feed-the-hungry/

edition.cnn.com/2011/BUSINESS/04/01/godaddy.peta.protest/index.html

If elephants need culling it should be done be licenced wildlife professionals and not a CEO of a large US Internet company.
.

 

[Faevilangel]

I personally would rather use UK businesses as the support is better (imho) and the price difference is minimal.

For domains, I use 123-reg.co.uk and for hosting, I use Vidahost (see my sig). UKBF members and Dom is brilliant with support. VH also do domains, you get a free domain when you buy hosting if you want to save about £10

For the ecommerce side, use a properly Open Source cart like Opencart, Magento or Prestashop so if something goes wrong, you will have an army of developers you can call on to work on the site. If you use a custom package like Godaddy's ecom then you're relying on them to support your growing site & keep the software up to date.

 

[InternetMarketingPlatinum]

Yes they don't seem to want to charge UK VAT only EU which, as a UK company, we can't claim back so we're constantly calling them to have the EU VAT amount credited back. I can't understand this. Anyone know of a better way than having to call them?

 

[OldWelshGuy]

GD are not good for dynamic sites, the servers are too slow. I have loads of sites on GD, but they are pretty much bog standard sites. Anything dynamic such as a cart, slows to a standstill.

 

[Iranda]

My website is hosted with godaddy and it is working fine..i have found their customer service to be excellent.

 

[Waumsley]

Although web-developers tells me GD is not good (slow) particularly for dynamic sites like WordPress I have to say my own 6 year experience has been the opposite. Perhaps I got lucky with my allocated shared server or it's the low traffic I get.

They have been better for me than the more often recommended BlueHost.

It's really has got to depend on the demands of your site.

I needed to use a managed VPS system for my shop from A2 hosting. It gives me the speed I needed, but I have to say downtime has been a problem with them.

 

[Nathanto]

I'd avoid GoDaddy at all costs, they're really not geared up for UK companies.

For reasons best known only to GD they will not allow you to transfer a .uk domain to their systems. The only way you can manage a .uk domain through GD is if you initially register the domain through them.

That rather makes a mockery of the total portability you get with practically every other hosting company out there and is a right pain if you have say the .com and .co.uk and want to manage them in the same place.

 

[Nathanto]

*duplicate post*

 

[Waumsley]

For reasons best known only to GD they will not allow you to transfer a .uk domain to their systems. The only way you can manage a .uk domain through GD is if you initially register the domain through them.

Just to add to this.. USA based A2 hosting managed to stuff up my transfer of a .co.uk name. It took the best part of a week to sort it. Their system could only cope with 3 digit extensions.

 

[TotallySport]

I also haven't had an issue with dynamic sites with GD, but I used asp at the time and build my own, so no idea about php.

Also I would never recommending having your domain names with the same company as your hosting, use a domain registration company and manage them yourself, very simple and your spreading the risk if something goes wrong.

 

[mdyson]

Not only would I not use GoDaddy's online site builder, I actually wouldn't even use them as a host for my external e-commerce software. I had to switch to Host Gator because GoDaddy slowed my site down to an absolute crawl.

Mike

 

[astutiumRob]

Although web-developers tells me GD is not good (slow) particularly for dynamic sites like WordPress I have to say my own 6 year experience has been the opposite. Perhaps I got lucky with my allocated shared server or it's the low traffic I get

Or you're just comparing it to another oversold US service, so not really noticing the speed improvements you'd get by going to a non-oversold UK system

And there's the usual customer and search-engine benefits of faster load times, less potential points of failure, being hosted on an IP in the right country - giving the ranking improvements that come as a result etc