How to Build a GoDaddy Website in 5 Steps

As one of the oldest and most established names in the domain and hosting market, GoDaddy also offers all-in-one website building services suited for beginners. It has over a hundred templates, an intuitive editor, and affordable prices, and where it really stands out is its industry-leading online booking system. Start building your GoDaddy website by creating an account, choosing a template, adding pages, editing your template, and hitting “Publish.”

Here’s how to build a GoDaddy website in five easy steps:

1. Create a GoDaddy Account

Head over to GoDaddy and click on “Start for Free” under the Website + Marketing banner on the main page. This will lead you to the website builder, where you will be prompted to create an account or sign in to an existing one.

Build a website on GoDaddy

2. Pick Your Template

GoDaddy will help you narrow down the right template for your site by asking you to find your industry from a list. You can always change your site’s theme in GoDaddy’s Editor by clicking on “Try a New Look” under the Theme menu to the right of your screen, so don’t worry about this too much.

Once you find the perfect theme, hover over it and click “Select.” This will bring you back to the editor, where you can start editing your design and content.

Change your theme

3. Add & Delete Pages

Now that you’re in the Editor, start designing your website’s structure by adding, deleting, and editing pages.

First, head over to your right-hand menu and click on “Website” to see your existing pages. Click on the gear icon beside each page to rename, duplicate, delete, or add the page to your footer. You can also reorder your site by clicking on “Reorder Pages” at the top of the menu or add a new page by clicking the “+” icon. Keep in mind that when you add, delete, and reorder your pages in the navigation bar, it automatically updates on your website’s menu.

Head to the Editor

GoDaddy also offers website add-ons, which you can find at the bottom of the Website tab. Add a store, a blog, messaging, and page pop-ups that display messages when visitors land on a certain page on your website. Keep in mind that these aren’t individual pages but sections and features that you can add to your site. For example, you’ll have to create a blank page and add the store section to set up a separate ecommerce page.

4. Edit Your Site’s Pages

Edit sections

Unlike some other website builders, GoDaddy doesn’t utilize a true drag-and-drop editor. Instead, you can add sections to each page by clicking on the “+” icon and then choosing from a list of premade sections. Organize your sections by hovering over the section you want to move. Then, click on the up or down arrows to the right of the box.

Beside the arrows is a section layout button. Click on this to change how the section looks; each section has around three different layouts to choose from. Finally, click on the ellipsis (“…”) to duplicate, delete, or move the section to a different page entirely.

Change your content blocks

Select the content block you want to edit on the Editor itself, and type out your content. Alternatively, you can also type out your content through the right-hand menu. Each text block usually comes with a few different styles and sizes that you can access by clicking on the block itself. Some text blocks also come with a magic wand button: click this if you want to change all the similar content blocks across your website to the same style.

Note that the Editor has an autosave feature that can’t be disabled. To revert to an earlier version of your site (or back to how it originally looked), click on “Settings” in the sidebar and scroll down to “Site History.”

Fix Your Header & Footer

As two very important parts of your website, focus on your header and footer to ensure that all the necessary information is placed properly.

Begin by clicking on the very top of your screen (on the header). On the right-hand menu, you can change your website’s colors, add promotional messages, and upload your logo. The most important thing to remember is to change the content on your header to your business name and to upload your logo.

Once you’ve completed your header, scroll down to the very bottom of your page and click on your footer. Change your footer’s layout and sections by clicking on the right-hand menu, and edit the content by clicking directly on the block you want to change. Some common details found on footers are business information (addresses, contact information, and so forth), social media pages, and search bars.

Both your header and footer stay consistent throughout your entire website, so you don’t have to worry about changing them on every page.

5. Preview & Publish Your Site

Publish your website

When your website is ready, hit “Preview” at the very top of your screen to view your website on computer and mobile. Scroll through the pages and make sure that everything is in place.

From here, either go back to the Editor by clicking on “Edit Site” to the right or click on “Publish” to launch your site. Like all free plans on website builders, your site will be published under a subdomain (yoursite.godaddy.com).

To get your own domain name (www.yoursite.com), you’ll need to purchase one or connect an already existing domain name by upgrading to a paid plan.

GoDaddy Plans

Best Alternatives to GoDaddy

GoDaddy is only one of many intuitive all-in-one website builders. While it’s easy to use and good for beginners, it also doesn’t have a lot of customization available. For example, it lacks a drag-and-drop editor, and its themes are all pretty much similar to one another. In case you need more from your site builder, here are a few we recommend:

• WordPress: If you need a completely unique website with an infinite mix of templates, features, and add-on tools, create a website with WordPress and host it on GoDaddy or any GoDaddy hosting alternatives. Although it has a steeper learning curve than an all-in-one website builder like GoDaddy, it also has tons more customization options that make it work for any business. Learn how to build your own WordPress site.
• Wix: If you’re looking for an easy way to sell products online with a customized storefront, Wix is a great option. With its built-in features, Wix eCommerce is a breeze to use. Unlike GoDaddy, it has a true drag-and-drop editor so that you can create almost any site or store at all with absolutely no coding skills. Build your Wix website with our guide.
• Squarespace: For more advanced search engine optimization (SEO) tools that still come with a beginner-friendly site builder, Squarespace is a great choice. Although not as intuitive as Wix or even GoDaddy, Squarespace has sleek templates, a drag-and-drop editor, and excellent built-in SEO and marketing tools to help your business grow. Create a website on Squarespace today.

Still undecided? We’ve broken down the best website builders to help you out.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is GoDaddy the cheapest website builder?

There are other cheaper website builders in the market, like Bluehost and Webnode. Although the cheapest GoDaddy plan is priced at $9.99 per month, GoDaddy has a good mix of affordability, good design capabilities, and features that small businesses would want. In case you need even cheaper services, see our list of the best budget-friendly website builders.

How do I build a website fast?

The fastest way to build a website is through an all-in-one website builder like GoDaddy. With its premade templates, easy editor, and useful features, you can build a professional website for your business in a few hours or less. For a more detailed description, check out our guide to building a small business website.

Why are domain names so expensive?

A custom domain name is your address on the web. Think of it as an extension of your business’ branding—it doesn’t pay to go cheap. However, there are some ways to make it more affordable: you can register for a not-com domain name (domain names not ending in .com), or you can use a website builder like GoDaddy and get a free domain name for a year when you purchase a premium plan.

Bottom Line

With just a few simple steps, anyone can build a professional website on GoDaddy without any prior coding or web design knowledge. GoDaddy’s user-friendly editor comes with useful features like a great booking system. It is a good option for a small business looking for an easy and affordable way to build a web presence. Build a website on GoDaddy today.

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