I have used multiple domain registrars in the past 10 years: Network Solutions, Moniker, DirectNIC, Fabulous, eNom, Register.com, BulkRegister, GoDaddy and NameCheap. While there has been some consolidation in these names, there has also been a major shift in market leaders – GoDaddy being the current “leader”. Unfortunately, size isn’t always the best.
I recently switched from Fabulous to GoDaddy, because Fabulous being located in Australia, caused some banking issues. I did some research and found GoDaddy to be the best reviewed, lowest cost, no frills registrar. So I switched. However, what you won’t see until you switch, are some of the drawbacks with GoDaddy…
Cumbersome, Slow Site
You might notice this when you hit the site – lots of stuff going on. And it never ends. Once you get an account, the site is peppered with upsells, offers, more junk than you can shake a stick at. And there are so many options, it makes the site slow and confusing to navigate.
Complex, Confusing Purchase Process
Wow – tons of steps. And most of them “you might be interested in this”…”no thanks” pages. It might be good for them – selling more stuff. But bad for someone like me who knows exactly what I want. It adds to the process. And they really get you, because the the domain names are somewhat cheap, but the other upsells are not a bargain. Once you figure it out, buying is simple, just time consuming.
Fine Print
Here is where the power user will get annoyed. I like to move domains around, play with them, sell them, etc. You can’t do that at GoDaddy – we’ll, not without strings. For instance, you’ll find that changing certain domain settings will add a 90 day lock on your name – you can’t sell or transfer it if you want. And everything is setup to “auto renew”, so they get you when you don’t expect it.
All in all, if you are a casual domain buyer or just looking for a web site or two, GoDaddy might make it easy enough to justify. But for an advanced user, there have got to be better alternatives out there.
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