Microsoft and GoDaddy want small businesses to 'get online today'

Earlier this year, Microsoft and GoDaddy announced they’d be working more closely together. Now they’re rolling out their latest collaboration.

Today the companies are launching Get Online Today, a web hosting and web site building services package with email from Microsoft’s 365 office for $1 a month for the first year. The plan will also give consumers a $50 credit towards Bing Ads.

GoDaddy already offers a bevy of á la carte products for web hosting, site creation, and access to Microsoft 365. But, they’re all individually priced in tiers and give the user a lot of choice in creating a custom package. Get Online Today, does away with all that, giving users one package for one price.

At first, this seems like a move to better compete with the range of other website hosts and builders like WordPress and Squarespace. But it actually may be the opposite of that. Rather than compete with products beloved by developers and tech savvy, design-focused users, GoDaddy and Microsoft are hoping to entice people who are not technologically inclined.

When Microsoft and GoDaddy launched their partnership, they started reaching out to small businesses and realized quickly that half of them didn’t have an online presence. “They were too busy, they didn’t know where to start, and they were worried it would be complicated and expensive,” said Steve Aldrich Sr. VP of business applications for GoDaddy.

Aldrich says he’s trying to reach people who would rather work 80 hours a week running their own small business than 40 hours a week working for the man. Here’s where GoDaddy’s collaboration makes the most sense. Many small business owners throughout the United States know and already use Microsoft office products, which may help sell GoDaddy’s online package.

“They are the local marketing consultant. They are the neon sign maker down the street. They are the CPA that does taxes for the local businesses and consumer population. It’s the local Zumba fitness class operator,” says Aldrich painting a romantic portrait of “Main Street” workers with a politician’s ease. He also points out that 23 million businesses in the U.S. are solo entrepreneurs — and this is the sweet spot for the campaign.

Get Online Today will be $1 a month for the first year and then shoots up to $12 a month, which is still fairly reasonable. But that package doesn’t include cloud storage, which a company may want after a year of being online. In this way, Get Online Today is a gateway drug to future products.

While GoDaddy isn’t aiming to cross swords with other website hosts and builders more focused on nabbing photographers, designers, and craft sellers, it still has its work cut out for it. Convincing small businesses they need a web presence may be more difficult than it looks and will require more than just a cheap price tag — it will need some serious evangelism.