Things were running smoothly at Seahawk Media back in 2015. We were managing many websites, but there was just one problem. We had to keep track of multiple licenses, credentials, and products for all of our clients without using a centralized platform to manage them. Sites were hosted all over the place, domains were purchased from different registrars, and we were keeping track of this information with excel documents. It all felt so antiquated. In 2016, we decided to shift gears and revamp our processes to coexist with GoDaddy products when they rolled out the GoDaddy Pro Program.
Now I can say that as an active GoDaddy Pro Plus and WordPress enthusiast, this was the best decision I had made throughout my years in the industry. GoDaddy has centered their company around the WordPress community. By providing the best tools for business owners to launch a successful WordPress website, it is now a seamless process to get a business up and running online.
Pro Managed WP
Managed WordPress is GoDaddy’s professional WordPress hosting platform. We use it on all of our clients’ website for many reasons:
1. Managed WP runs extremely fast because of performance enhanced caching.
2. The servers are configured specifically for WordPress websites.
3. The platform allows us to login into WordPress at the click of a button through the GoDaddy Pro delegate access tool. Clients that like to blog can easily login without having to enter WordPress Admin credentials.
4. As a website grows, things can get complex. With a Basic Managed WP plan you can get up to 25,000 visitors a month.
Managed WordPress hosting is the new way to get started with a website. With 74.6 million websites operating on WordPress, we only predict an increase in Managed WP hosted websites. This has prompted innovation on the platform. The recent Pro Managed WordPress is now available and will provide an all in one solution that comes bundled with a free domain and SSL – all of the products you need to launch a successful and professional WordPress site.
SSL
An SSL is a must-have for professional website. Also known as Secure Socket Layer certificate, it encrypts the data that comes to a website. All major companies like Seahawk Media, Clutch, GoDaddy, and Shopify use an SSL to encrypt any data passing through. This is essential for any business owner looking to establish a trustable and professional website, especially when accepting online payments. You can identify an SSL with the green padlock in the URL or an “s” after the “http” in the URL. This will now come pre-installed with Pro Managed WordPress hosting.
Web Security
GoDaddy’s acquisition of Sucuri was a major upgrade. We used to experience malware injections and hacks, but since we started using the web security essential product our sites have been malware and problem free. Malware sucks because it can slow down your site, display inappropriate content, and damage your reputation. This product is the best way to prevent it and also wipe it clean. Website security will soon come bundled with Pro Managed WordPress hosting, but for now it is purchased separately.
Domain
Buying a domain is fairly simple. You find a registrar, purchase it for around $13 a year, and then leave it on auto-renew. Things can get complicated when you purchase your domain from a different registrar, separate from your hosting. We always recommend purchasing your domain through GoDaddy, or transferring it over there to keep everything centralized. Managing your domain with GoDaddy allows your developer to easily notify their clients about expiring domains and products. A free domain will come bundled with Pro Managed WordPress hosting.
Google Business Tools
Google centralization is another important task for all businesses. The majority of your traffic comes from Google so all ends needs to be set up properly. G Suite, Google Analytics and Google My Business are important tools to use within a Google account.
Business Email with G Suite: A business email (you@yourcompany.com) is different from a personal email (you@gmail.com). It makes you look professional. A business email listed on your website will also keep things separate from your personal email. We recommend doing this through G Suite, Google’s business email tool. Although GoDaddy offers a business email solution, we recommend G Suite because you will control Google Analytics, Google My Business, and Google AdWords through it.
Google My Business: To get listed on the Google My Business directory, they send you a letter in the mail to sign and send back for verification. This will get you listed locally. There is also additional information that you need to provide to ensure a proper set-up.
Google Analytics: Analytics will harbor all of your website data like page views, sessions, visitor type, and many more metrics. It is good to keep this centralized with your G Suite business email.
Get Started
With 17 million customers and 72 million domains under management, GoDaddy is a trusted brand to purchase the products you need to get set-up on the web. We have relied on them for years and if we ever have any issues, their 24/7/365 world class support takes care of us.
Centralizing your web products is so crucial nowadays for organization purposes. It used to be a challenge to stay organized on the web, but now you can have all of your products in one place with Pro Managed WordPress hosting. Again, this comes with a free domain and SSL – all of the products you need to become successful online. The next step is hiring a WordPress developer with excellent reviews and letting them take the reins of the Pro Managed WordPress. Everything will be there for them, ready to start building the website of your dreams.
