Yes, if you are tired of building and fixing the site yourself, or you run a small business and do not have the time for it. No, if you are happy with your GoDaddy site and pay about $10 a month: moving will not save you money, and I will say so.
I'm Matt Denecke. I build websites for local businesses out of Elkhorn, Wisconsin, and I move GoDaddy sites onto flat-rate hosting.
Why should I move my GoDaddy site to Denecke Media?
You run a business, and building a website is not your job. I do it for you, so you get a finished site and a team that looks after it, for a flat price, instead of a builder you have to run yourself.
- I do the work. I rebuild your site from your live GoDaddy site, move your text and photos, and set up the technical side. You do not learn a new tool.
- Faster. Our target is 14 business days from when we have everything. GoDaddy's own design service says about 30 days.
- One flat price. $297 to move as is or $397 for a new design, then $20 a month for hosting, which covers your domain, SSL, the editor and uptime checks. No upsells.
- You see it first. I build a free mockup from your live site before you pay anything.
- You own your site files. Once the build is paid off, the files are yours to take anywhere. GoDaddy's builder has no export tool, so you cannot take your site with you.
- A local team. Denecke Media is based in Elkhorn, and we can meet in person. You talk to the people who built your site, not a call center.
- It is built right. A layout for phones and computers, search setup so Google can read it, and accessibility tested to WCAG 2.1 AA at launch.
Here is what you get, next to what GoDaddy states on its own pages.
The admin panel and contact form stay with our hosting, and hosting is a 12-month commitment from launch, then month to month with 30 days' notice.
You can edit your own text, photos and buttons in our editor, and the layout is locked so you cannot break it. If you would rather not make the edits at all, the Care Plan is $39 a month and we make your small changes for you.
Two ways to leave GoDaddy, and both are done for you
If you run a small business, you do not have hours to learn a website builder. So I do the work either way. You pick the one that fits.
| Move it as is | Build it new | |
|---|---|---|
| Best if | You like your site and just want it off GoDaddy | You want a fresh design, or your site is out of date |
| What I do | Rebuild your current site on my hosting with the same look, text and photos | Design a new site around your business, with the text written for you |
| Price | Starting at $297, up to 10 pages | Starting at $397, up to 5 pages |
| Then | $20 a month hosting, 12-month commitment from launch | $20 a month hosting, 12-month commitment from launch |
| Your site files | Yours once the build is paid off | Yours once the build is paid off |
Prefer to pay monthly with nothing down? A move is $49 a month for 12 months and a new build is $59 a month for 12 months. After the 12th payment you own the site and pay only the $20 a month hosting.
Either way, the next step is the same: request a free mockup and see it before you pay anything.
Can I take my GoDaddy website with me?
Not as a file. GoDaddy Website Builder has no export tool, and a site built there only runs on GoDaddy. There is no download button that hands you a working website.
I do not need one. I rebuild your site from the live version. Your text, photos and pages come over, and I can match your current look or give you a new design. You never have to touch an export.
What does a GoDaddy website really cost?
GoDaddy's Website Builder starts at $9.99 a month on an annual term. The three plans most people compare run $9.99 (Basic), $14.99 (Premium) and $20.99 (Commerce) a month, billed yearly. Basic takes payment links, Premium adds online booking and deposits, and Commerce adds a full online store.
The plan price is the start of the bill. The domain is free the first year with an annual plan, then renews at roughly $20 a year for a .com. GoDaddy says introductory rates end, and it does not publish the renewal price, so check the total at checkout before you rely on the low number. Card fees on online sales go to the payment processor on top of the plan.
GoDaddy's $9.99 plans are a builder you run yourself. I build it for you, so the fair match is GoDaddy's done-for-you Essential Web Design Service. Here they are side by side. Prices as of October 2026.
| GoDaddy design service | Denecke Media | |
|---|---|---|
| Who builds it | GoDaddy's designers | Our team |
| Build price | $499.99 once | Starting at $397 for a new design |
| Pages | 4 | Up to 5 |
| Revisions | One scheduled call | Two rounds |
| Time to build | About 30 days | Target 14 business days from when we have everything |
| Hosting | "Plus annual hosting fee", amount not listed | $20 a month, with domain, SSL, the editor and uptime checks included |
| Editing it later | A playbook for updating the site | Our editor, layout locked so you cannot break it |
| Your site files | Not stated | Yours once the build is paid off |
GoDaddy does not list the hosting fee for its design service, so I cannot add up five years for it. On what it does list, my build costs less, is ready sooner, and ends with you owning your files.
Already have a GoDaddy site you like? I can move it as is for $297, up to 10 pages. GoDaddy has no service like that.
If you would rather build it yourself, here is that cost next to mine. The table adds up what you have paid by the end of each year for a simple site with no extras, using GoDaddy's listed annual-term price.
| GoDaddy Basic | GoDaddy Premium | GoDaddy Commerce | Denecke Media | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly price (yearly billing) | $9.99 | $14.99 | $20.99 | $20 hosting |
| Building the site | You do it | You do it | You do it | I do it, $297 once to move as is |
| Domain after year 1 | About $20 a year | About $20 a year | About $20 a year | Included in hosting |
| Booking | Not on Basic | In the plan | In the plan | Square or Calendly button, $79 setup |
| Online store | No | No | In the plan | Online Store add-on, $197 setup |
| Total paid since day one | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GoDaddy Basic | $119.88 | $259.76 | $399.64 | $539.52 | $679.40 |
| GoDaddy Premium | $179.88 | $359.76 | $539.64 | $719.52 | $899.40 |
| GoDaddy Commerce | $251.88 | $523.76 | $795.64 | $1,067.52 | $1,339.40 |
| Denecke Media | $537 | $777 | $1,017 | $1,257 | $1,497 |
Here is what the do-it-yourself numbers say plainly. A GoDaddy plan you build yourself costs less than I do every year for five years. Premium and Commerce also include booking and an online store, which cost extra with me ($79 and $197 setup). So if you want to build it yourself, stay put. If you want it built for you, the side-by-side table above is the fair one: my build costs less, it is ready sooner, and you end up owning your site files.
What happens to my GoDaddy features, like booking and email marketing?
The tools built into GoDaddy, such as Appointments, the Online Store, email marketing and GoDaddy Payments, only run inside GoDaddy. They do not come with you.
That does not mean you lose what they do. I find a replacement that fits:
- Contact form: included on every site.
- Online booking: usually a Square or Calendly button on your site. It is a $79 setup, it uses your own account, and both have free plans. Any card fees go to them.
- Online store: my Online Store add-on, below.
- Email marketing: tell me what you send and who you send it to, and I will look for something that fits.
- Member logins and subscriptions: not part of a standard site. I can quote it as custom work at $100 an hour, estimated first.
Before I quote anything, I ask which GoDaddy tools you use and what each one does for you. You know the cost of the replacement before you pay.
Will I lose my Google rankings if I leave GoDaddy?
Done right, a move protects your Google ranking. Expect a short wobble while Google catches up.
If your web address and page addresses stay the same, nothing needs redirecting. I point your domain at the new site and Google keeps finding the same pages. If a page address changes, I redirect the old one to its matching new page, not to your home page. Google says permanent redirects do not cause a loss in PageRank, and I keep them in place for at least a year, which is what Google recommends.
Nobody can promise a date when everything settles, and I will not either. I set up the technical side so Google can read and index your new site, and I submit it to Google Search Console.
Do I keep my domain and my Google reviews?
Yes to both. Your domain is registered in your name, and renewal is included in hosting. If your domain is at GoDaddy today, I either point it at your new site or move it over, whichever is simpler for you. If you ever leave me, I send you the transfer code once your account is settled.
Every site I build shows your Google reviews right on the page. Your reviews live with Google, not with GoDaddy, so moving your website does not touch them. Your Google Business Profile points at the new site, and I can set that up for you if you want help.
Can I still sell products if I leave GoDaddy?
Yes. My Online Store add-on is $197 for up to 25 products on a site with 5 or more pages. You get a shop page and a page for each product, with a photo, price, description and a Buy button.
The Buy button goes to the payment service you already use, like Square, Stripe, PayPal, Shopify or Etsy. The money goes straight to you, and I never touch card data. You add and change your own products in the admin panel, the same place you edit your text and photos. Hosting stays $20 a month.
This is Buy buttons, not a full shopping cart. If you need inventory tracking, discount codes or customer accounts, a store platform may fit you better, and I will tell you that up front.
When should I stay on GoDaddy?
Stay on GoDaddy if:
- You like building and editing the site yourself and you have the time for it.
- You run a simple site on the Basic plan. You would pay more to move, not less.
- You run a store that needs inventory tracking, discount codes or customer accounts.
- Your business runs on member logins or subscriptions.
If you do decide to move, cancel GoDaddy after the new site is live, not before. Check your renewal date first, since yearly plans are billed up front.
How does moving my GoDaddy site work?
- Request a free mockup. Send me your GoDaddy address and tell me which tools you use. It costs nothing. Start with the free mockup request.
- I build a concept from your live site. You see it before you pay anything.
- You ask for changes. Two rounds of changes are included.
- We go live. I point your domain at the new site and set up your redirects. Then you cancel GoDaddy.
The build itself can be done in a day or two. From there, you set the pace: take the time you need to look it over, and we go live once you're happy with it.
Moving a GoDaddy site in Southeast Wisconsin
Denecke Media is based in Elkhorn and works with businesses around Walworth County, Lake Geneva, Delavan, Burlington and Whitewater, plus northern Illinois. You deal with the people who built your site, not a support line, and we can meet in person. See more on my Southeast Wisconsin web design page.
On Wix instead? Read Should I Move My Website Off Wix?
Frequently asked questions
Can you export a GoDaddy website?
Not as a working file. GoDaddy Website Builder has no export tool. I rebuild your site from the live version, so you do not need one.
How much does a GoDaddy website cost?
GoDaddy lists its Website Builder from $9.99 a month on an annual term, with Premium at $14.99 and Commerce at $20.99, and you build the site yourself. Its done-for-you design service is $499.99 plus a hosting fee it does not list. With me it is $297 to move as is or $397 for a new design, then $20 a month for hosting.
Will moving cost me my Google ranking?
Done right, a move protects it. I keep your page addresses or redirect each old page to its new one, and I keep the redirects for at least a year. Expect a short wobble while Google catches up. Nobody can promise a date.
Do my GoDaddy booking and email tools move over?
No, they only run inside GoDaddy. I find a replacement first, like a Square or Calendly booking button, and you know the cost before you pay.
Do I keep my domain and Google reviews?
Yes. Your domain is registered in your name, and your reviews live with Google, not GoDaddy.
How long does the move take?
The build can be done in a day or two once we have your information and your approval. Our target for the whole project is 14 business days from when we have everything.