I know that when some people hear the GoDaddy name that it doesn’t always bring a positive response. It could be the risque commercials of the past or maybe it was an experience with their products or services. Yes, GoDaddy is aware that some have a less than positive perception. In June of 2017 I was invited to join the GoDaddy Pro Advisory Council and I want to share some of my experiences.

First, you might ask why I was invited? I wasn’t given an exact reason, though I had been part of their GoDaddy Pro program since its inception. Honestly, I didn’t even join. I already was buying enough products that I just got added to the program. I’m sure that I was invited to the Advisory Council based on the large number of products in my account.

There isn’t an exact schedule, but the Advisory Council probably averages two conference calls a month. Sometimes they are most often and then we may go a stretch between calls. On those calls GoDaddy will often show us something they are building to get our input. I can’t speak about the exact products discussed, but it is very obvious that the input provided is taken to heart. In addition to getting to know various GoDaddy employees leading projects, I’ve also gotten to know the other Advisory Council members from various parts of North America and beyond.

Near the end of October 2017, a conference was held at GoDaddy headquarters. It was very convenient for me since their office is less than a 30 minute drive. Other members of the Advisory Council flew in for the event. We all got a tour of one of their support centers and got to meet quite a few of the employees. Upon first walking in, I found myself talking to the CEO. Until I saw the name on his badge, I had no idea it was the big cheese. Even the name badge just said employee. We had a wide ranging conversation and it was great that I got to meet him. Of course he has now retired and the impending retirement was part of the conversation.

The next day was a full-day conference with 8-10 different sessions throughout the day on current and future products. I even sat on a panel discussing experiences working with Web design clients. In addition to the Advisory Council, another 80 local Web pros were in attendance. There will likely be another conference in the future and I’m already looking forward to it. One of my fellow Advisory Council members, Cami MacNamara, wrote a detailed blog on the GoDaddy Pro Summit 2017. She even remembered to take a lot of photos!

Overall, it has been a wonderful experience. Being able to meet other Pros as well as the GoDaddy team has been great for networking. Should I have a question in the future, there is no doubt that I’ll know somebody who has the answer. It is also nice to be able to help shape future products and I am better able to plan for myself and for clients by knowing what is coming.

GoDaddy has changed their advertising greatly in the last few years to get away from their risque past. They’ve also worked hard to improve their products, services and their support team so that we can all have a positive experience. No, they are not perfect. But I have no doubts that they’ll keep working hard to get things as close to perfect as possible.

While I may not be able to tell you what might be coming, I am happy to discuss your Web-based needs and the best way to fulfill those needs. This often involved GoDaddy products and services, but it may include their competitors should that be the best answer. Drop me a note and let me know how I can help.

I also suggest that you check out the GoDaddy Garage Pro blogs as it is a wonderful resource of information for anyone working on the Web today.

Farzad Nazifi