Monday, April 28, 2025

Moving Away from GoDaddy After 20 Years as a Reseller

make your departure from inefficient business partners

If you’re a small business owner or entrepreneur considering GoDaddy for web hosting, domain registration, website development, or email services, read this first – buyer beware. After nearly 20 years as a GoDaddy reseller, my experience has shifted from positive to deeply disappointing.

This post isn't just a personal story—it's a warning based on two decades of hands-on experience. Below, I explain why I can no longer recommend GoDaddy, share my recent frustrations, and provide links to others who have exposed similar concerns.

No time to read? Listen to audio instead:


1. 5+ Months Without Commission Payments

It’s been over 5 months since I received my reseller commission via ACH deposit from GoDaddy. Despite updating my payee information twice with the assistance of their support team, my last payment was November 26, 2024.

When I reached out for answers, GoDaddy shifted blame, suggesting I should "contact the U.S. Government"—an impractical and evasive response. Meanwhile, their system aggressively enforces 60/30/15/5 day notices if you, the reseller, miss a payment. Yet when GoDaddy owes you money? No urgency.

For small business owners, reliable cash flow is vital. Delayed payments, poor communication, and hours spent on hold shouldn't be part of the cost of doing business.

Extended GoDaddy Custmer Service Phone Call Screenshot


2. Poor Handling of Product Changes (Workspace Email → Microsoft 365)

Another major failure was GoDaddy’s transition from Workspace Email to Microsoft 365. Resellers like me were updated after our clients, leaving us completely unprepared to answer support questions.

Instead of a seamless transition, we were left looking incompetent. To this day, deprecated Workspace products still clutter accounts, "swept under the rug" rather than being properly phased out.

Good customer experience starts with proactive communication—something GoDaddy no longer prioritizes.



3. Losing Potential Clients Over GoDaddy Association

Several years ago, I received a referral from a high-profile client. Everything was moving forward until the prospective client discovered that I was a GoDaddy reseller. Immediately, they declined to do business with me, stating they would never work with anyone associated with GoDaddy due to their negative reputation.

At the time, I dismissed it as an overreaction. I even felt insulted. Looking back, I realize they were right. I wish I had acted on that red flag sooner.

Your business reputation is invaluable. Being tied to a company with declining service and poor support can cost you opportunities you didn't even know you were losing.


4. Outsourcing Customer Service Overseas

GoDaddy has moved significant portions of its customer service operations overseas, particularly to the Philippines 🇵🇭. While I have immense respect for the professionalism and friendliness of Filipino support agents, the reality is they are often paid pennies on the dollar—sometimes as low as 50 cents an hour.

This shift prioritizes shareholder profits over supporting American jobs and small businesses. In the words of @realDonaldTrump 🇺🇸, “We must put America first.” Companies that offshore labor while raking in billions ($28.56 billion valuation for GoDaddy) undermine that principle.


5. GoDaddy’s Poor Security Practices

According to the FTC, GoDaddy’s lax data security led to several major breaches between 2019 and 2022:

"GoDaddy’s failures resulted in unauthorized access to customer websites and data, exposing consumers to malicious redirects."
FTC Official Report (2025)

This isn't just a minor issue. Security should be the top priority for any hosting provider. GoDaddy’s negligence puts your website—and your customers—at risk.


6. Others Are Speaking Out

I’m not alone. Here are a few more experiences worth reading before you commit to GoDaddy:


7. Final Thoughts: Choose Local, Choose Smart

If you're a small business owner or entrepreneur, take it from someone who has spent two decades helping businesses grow: GoDaddy is not the same company it used to be.

Today, they prioritize offshore labor, fail to support their resellers, delay payments, mishandle product updates, and expose their clients to security risks.

I am moving all my domains, hosting, email, and other services to a reputable, local company that values American businesses, offers reliable support, and puts clients first.

“Make the smart choice for your business. Protect your brand, your website, and your future.”

If you’re considering alternatives to GoDaddy, stay tuned — I’ll be posting my recommended hosting providers soon.

Saturday, April 26, 2025

How to Succeed in Business: 7 Tips for Rapid Business Growth


Rapid Business Growth Stock Exchange Monitor

Rapid growth in a small business is a thrilling yet challenging phase that demands strategic foresight and adaptability. As your business expands, it is essential to implement robust strategies that not only support this growth but also ensure its sustainability. From restructuring your business model to forming strategic alliances, each decision plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of your enterprise. 

This article delves into practical approaches that can help you manage the complexities of expansion while maintaining operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.

"Implement these strategies so your business will be ready to handle the demands of rapid growth while maintaining resilience and adaptability. By prioritizing sustainable practices, you position your company for continued success and long-term prosperity." 

1. Adapting Your Business Structure for Sustainable Growth

When your business starts expanding quickly, it’s time to reassess your organizational framework. Transitioning to a Limited Liability Company (LLC) can be a smart move, offering benefits like protecting personal assets and potentially lowering taxes. By choosing to establish your LLC independently or through a formation service like ZenBusiness, you can avoid hefty lawyer fees. This approach not only saves resources but also simplifies the process, allowing you to focus on scaling your business. A well-chosen business structure provides the stability needed to support your company’s growth.

2. Equipping Supervisors for Business Expansion

As businesses expand, managing larger teams requires refined leadership capabilities. Supervisors benefit from targeted training that sharpens communication, delegation, and conflict-resolution skills. Strengthening these abilities equips them to guide teams effectively while promoting a culture of inclusion and creativity. Providing such development opportunities builds confidence in leadership roles and supports sustained organizational growth. Prioritizing these efforts ensures teams operate with cohesion.

3. Leveraging E-commerce for Sustainable Growth

E-commerce platforms simplify sales and inventory management during periods of rapid growth. Real-time tracking tools help maintain ideal stock levels, avoiding shortages or excess inventory. Integrating these systems enhances order fulfillment efficiency, ensuring customers receive timely service. Tailored strategies for inventory management streamline operations and cut expenses, supporting long-term growth. Leveraging these tools fosters smoother workflows and stronger customer relationships.

4. Building Brand Loyalty Through Exclusive Events

Hosting exclusive events or webinars for your most dedicated customers can deepen their connection with your brand. These gatherings provide a unique opportunity for customers to engage more intimately, fostering a sense of community and belonging. Shared experiences enhance emotional bonds, making participants feel more connected to your brand and each other. By offering these unique experiences, you not only reward loyal customers but also create a platform for them to become brand advocates, driving word-of-mouth referrals and repeat business.

5. Find Business Resilience Through Supplier Diversification

Managing sudden growth requires a diverse supplier network to mitigate potential risks. Dependence on a single supplier increases vulnerability to disruptions, while multiple suppliers across regions safeguard operations. This approach enhances flexibility and introduces opportunities for new products and technologies. Engaging varied suppliers can also reduce costs through strategic deals and collaborations, improving margins. Strengthening these efforts with a focused risk management program ensures a more resilient supply chain and tighter network control.

6. Use Financial Analytics for Sustainable Business Growth

During rapid growth, financial analytics play a vital role in preserving cash flow and supporting financial stability. Tools such as real-time dashboards and rolling forecasts offer clarity on cash movement, enabling swift adjustments to changing conditions. Anticipating cash shortages becomes easier, allowing for decisions that align with expansion objectives. Optimizing working capital through better inventory management and renegotiating supplier terms frees up resources for growth. Leveraging these strategies ensures smoother financial operations and greater adaptability.

7. Enhance Your Brand’s Reach with Strategic Partnerships

To navigate rapid growth, forming strategic partnerships with influencers and key allies can significantly boost your brand’s visibility. Collaborations like product seeding, sponsored posts, and affiliate marketing allow you to leverage the genuine connections influencers have with their audiences. This strategy increases your brand’s exposure and fosters meaningful interactions with potential customers, driving higher engagement and conversions. It’s crucial to select influencers whose values and audience demographics align with your target market. Thoughtfully planning and executing these partnerships ensures a successful expansion of your brand’s reach.

Elevate your brand and business growth with Oevae Marketing Consultants — where over two decades of expertise in strategic marketing and brand development can transform your business into a market leader. Get your free consultation today! – grow@oevae.com

Make a brand difference.™

 

Monday, April 21, 2025

The Social Media Jackpot 777 Method: Increase Social Media Engagement

Reading time 9 min 24 sec


Hit The Social Media Jackpot 777 Method
As a Small business owner, you thrive on ways to grow your business through social media. You've heard the stories of successful companies who started with a minimal budget, then they'll hit the Social Media Jackpot – high social media engagement and more customers than they could have ever imagined.


The Social Media Jackpot Method is perfect because it is effective in helping you organize your time and resources to manage your social media platforms in small increments of time without becoming a burden and sharing the responsibility or handing over the reins to other team members.  


// How does the Social Media Jackpot 777 Method work?


Step 1 

Start with liking 7 social media posts, by doing this you will be engaging with 7 different social media accounts. This gives these social media accounts the opportunity to engage with your social media account, by generating likes or followers. At the very least, those accounts will see your profile picture (brand logo). Some recommend using your professional headshot or product image, however, I recommend using your brand logo – following the trend of top-tier brands like Nike, Starbucks, Netflix, Spotify, and Nestlé.


Step 2 

Like and comment on 7 social media posts using a complete sentence without being SPAMMY (inappropriate, containing advertising, promotional material, or links irrelevant links to the original post). Write a comment that readers might relate to, and see you as a related source for what you offer.  


For example, if your company offers chiropractic services and you follow a local Bike Shop Facebook page that has a post with pictures of a new bike, you could comment “This looks like a great bike for riding White Rock Lake Trail in Dallas.”. This comment is personable and complements your Like – shows that your brand is one that really cares about engaging with its audience and potential clients.


This type of comment reinforces your enthusiasm with the Bike Shop, and possibly new followers of your social media account. Liking, commenting, and sharing posts benefits the page by increasing visibility, reach, and engagement, ultimately helping grow the page's audience and potentially leading to more conversions. For users, these actions signal interest, provide a sense of community, and can boost their social media presence.


Step 3

Dedicate 7 minutes to each social media platform, and try to focus on one at a time. This is an efficient way to engage with potential customers on several platforms without becoming a burden. By spending only 7 minutes on BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube, it would only take less than an hour of your day to complete.


// What are the key benefits of the 777 method?


Growing your social media audience, engaging with users, and getting them to interact with the content (posts, stories, updates) you publish. Reaching a larger audience and also having a direct connection with your social media audiences has the power to increase your followers, brand recognition, and ultimately your sales goals.


Include your company's website link on your social media platforms to help drive more traffic, increase your brand visibility, and foster a deeper engagement with your audience – users can easily explore your offerings and learn more about your business, ultimately promoting a more comprehensive online presence.


// Why is Social Media Engagement Crucial for Businesses?


While Social Media Engagement doesn't directly boost Google ranking, consistent and engaging social media activity can indirectly improve SEO by increasing brand visibility, driving traffic to your website, and building a positive brand reputation. Over time, a well-managed social media strategy impacts a business’s bottom line and enables you to create new products and services to remain a viable choice in the market.


The number of followers often impacts a person's perceived attractiveness, influence, and expertise on social media. Individuals with a larger follower count are often seen as more attractive, credible, and influential. Focusing on quality content (influencers, copywriting, photography, videos), engaging with your audience, and building a sticky social media presence can help mitigate the impact of a lower follower count and grow your business follower base, subscribers, and customers – reaching out to people from all over the world.


// The Most Cost-Effective Marketing Approach


One or more people from your team can post, share, re-post, and forward messages from your social media business profile which could reach hundreds if not thousands of people with no additional cost to the business. This is often much easier to budget than printing out flyers and handing them out to the public or direct mail – Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM).


// Enhances Brand Recognition/Brand Recall, and Top of Mind Awareness


Platforms like Facebook, Discord, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, Tumblr, Twitch, WhatsApp, and X (formerly Twitter) prioritize engagement metrics like likes, comments, and shares, which influence visibility and reach – data is generally used to understand user behavior, improve content recommendations, and drive growth.


Although social media platforms like BlueSky, Diaspora, Hive Social, Mastodon, Minds, and Steem (blockchain-based platform) do not primarily prioritize engagement metrics (likes, retweets, or shares) in their algorithm. Instead, they focus on user autonomy, and privacy, with a strong emphasis on user-generated content and rewards, and a more decentralized, community-driven experience. The Social media Jackpot Method can still be an effective strategy for building engagement with your brand.


// Top-tier Social Media Engagement Recommendations


Top-tier (high-performing) social media platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook often provide recommendations or suggestions tailored to business owners, helping them optimize their presence and engagement – A social media platform is considered top-tier may have a massive user base (billions of monthly active users), diverse audience demographics, high engagement rates, customizable advertising options, strong brand recognition, unique features, and adapt to changing consumer trends. Here's what 3 of the top 5 social media platforms recommend:


Facebook: To improve social media engagement, share content that’s most relevant to them in a timely matter about your business and learn more about trending conversations as you build out your social content calendar – experiment with different post formats to find out what works best, and make sure to post consistently to stay top of mind – every social media post is an opportunity to get people talking about your business.


Google (YouTube): To improve social media engagement, create valuable and shareable content, engage with followers through interactive posts, and leverage user-generated content. Additionally, focusing on consistency, establishing clear goals, and utilizing data-driven strategies can help optimize social media efforts.


TikTok: To improve social media engagement, focus on creating high-quality, relatable videos and interacting with your audience trending sounds (popular audio tracks that can increase engagement by making content more discoverable and relatable aka viral sound clips), hashtags, ask questions, and posting consistently. Replying to comments and participating in challenges can help boost engagement.


// The Best Time of Day to Post on Social Media


The best time to post on social media will depend on the platform and your target audience. Generally speaking, mid-morning and early afternoons tend to be good times for most platforms. Weekday morning hours (9 AM - 11 AM) and early afternoon hours (1 PM - 3 PM) often see higher engagement across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X. 


Daytime peak hours users spend reading their social media feeds are often minimal or spurts of time based on the number of users on a platform. Scrolling in the late evening, because of the fear of missing out (FOMO) – and the constant desire to stay connected and catch up on social media, is when people often check feeds; before bed, leading to increased usage during these hours. People tend to have a better recall of images they see before bed, especially when sleep follows the viewing period. Sleep helps consolidate memories, transferring information from temporary storage to long-term memory, which aids in better recall later.


// Social Media FAQs


Do the top social media platforms give recommendations for business owners? 

Top-tier social media platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook often provide recommendations or suggestions tailored to business owners, helping them optimize their presence and engagement. These platforms offer features like analytics dashboards, insights into user behavior, and guidance on content strategies to improve visibility and reach. 


Why is it beneficial to like and share Facebook Page posts? 

Liking and sharing Facebook Page posts benefits the page by increasing visibility, reach, and engagement, ultimately helping grow the page's audience and potentially leading to more conversions. For users, these actions signal interest, provide a sense of community, and can boost their social media presence.


Why is it a good practice to ask customers to follow on Instagram? 

It fosters engagement, builds relationships, and drives business growth. By encouraging followers, you increase brand awareness, improve customer loyalty, and potentially boost sales.


How do I ask someone in front of me to follow my social media page on Instagram? 

To politely ask customers to follow your store's Instagram account while they're in the store, you can use a simple and friendly phrase like "Follow us on Instagram for updates, exclusive deals, and more!"


How do smartphone notifications impact social media engagement?

Smartphone notifications have a significant impact on social media engagement, primarily by increasing user retention and driving engagement through personalized messaging and real-time updates. Notifications remind users about the app, prompting them to return and engage more frequently.


The team at oevae.com has been helping small businesses grow for over two decades. We've been doing this before social media was a thing. We work for individual professionals, entrepreneurs, small businesses, private practices, and Fortune 500 companies. Our founder was groomed by his experience in lower/middle/upper management at FedEx Office (formerly Kinko's Copy, Ticketmaster, and VISA.


When you need a little help, you have reached your peak, or simply want your business's social media managed by professionals so you look better in business, try Oevae Marketing Consultants.


"We've built lasting relationships with our clients, some for more than 15 years because our teams are dedicated to your success with integrity, which our clients appreciate." – Gibrón Williams, Founder, Oevae.com


Oevae designs logos, websites, marketing collateral, and creative/technical writing for clients who desire a well-rounded marketing strategy – incredibly important for business success, providing a clear path for communicating with customers, building brand awareness, and driving sales. This helps businesses stay ahead and navigate changes in the market, ensures consistent image/messaging, and facilitates collaboration across different departments.


Look better in business. That's Oevae.com


Make a brand difference.