Google introduces domain registrar service

Google has recently introduced Google Domains, a domain registrar service that seems poised to be serious competition for current leading domain registrar GoDaddy.com. Unlike GoDaddy, which hosts thousands of sites on the same server, Google will not be doing any of its own hosting. Instead, Google has signed contracts with website-building providers like Wix, Weebly, Shopify, and Squarespace to provide hosting services and domain management support. Spreading the hosting duties among several providers will mean faster connection to the domains, and since slow connection is a common complaint about GoDaddy’s service, this could be a great advantage to Google.

Speed isn’t the only advantage Google Domains will have over its competition. Users will also have access to services like Google Analytics, and Google will be offering free private registration, customizable sub domains, and easy domain forwarding. Google’s blog post about Domains, states that 55% of small businesses don’t have websites, so it seems that Google will not only be trying to get clients to transfer to Google Domains from other domain services, but they will also be going after customers that other services (like GoDaddy) have not yet been able to reach.

GoDaddy is easily recognized by its always-memorable, sometimes-controversial, and often celebrity-featuring Super Bowl commercials. Despite drawing criticism for its initial support of SOPA, objectification of women in their ad campaigns that generally feature attractive women clothed in tight tank tops if they are clothed at all, and its penchant for unethical business tactics, GoDaddy.com has remained at the top of domain registrars ever since it began gaining recognition with its first super bowl commercial in 2005 that ended up being deemed too racy for its primetime spot, and its second showing was canceled.  It currently controls about 30% of the domain registrar market, with about 57 million domains under its name.

While Google Domains doesn’t currently have any attention-grabbing advertising, the name Google might be enough to draw in more customers than GoDaddy’s models. The service is currently in its invite-only beta phase, however, so we will have to wait until it is available to the general public to see if it can compete with GoDaddy.

By MaryElizabeth Koepele

Story via plus.google.com