Websites using Networksolutions

Okay, let s break down Network Solutions, covering its overview, revenue, alternatives, pricing, and customer care.

Network Solutions: An Overview

Network Solutions is one of the oldest and most well-known domain registrars and web hosting providers. Founded in 1979 as a government contractor to manage the early internet domain name system, it was later privatized. It s a big player in the industry, primarily offering:

• Domain Registration: They offer registration of a wide range of domain extensions (.com, .net, .org, and many more).
• Web Hosting: They provide various hosting options, including shared hosting, VPS hosting, and dedicated servers.
• Website Builder: They offer a website builder tool for users who want an easy way to create a website without coding knowledge.
• SSL Certificates: They provide SSL certificates to secure websites.
• Email Services: They offer email hosting services.
• Marketing Services: They also offer some marketing services, such as SEO and social media marketing, but this is not their core strength.

Strengths:

• Longevity and Established Brand: Being one of the oldest in the business, they have a strong brand recognition and a long track record.
• Wide Range of Services: They are a one-stop shop for domain registration, hosting, and related services.
• Large Number of Domain Extensions: They offer a huge variety of domain name extensions.

Weaknesses:

• Often Perceived as Expensive: Compared to newer and more competitive providers, their prices are generally seen as higher.
• Customer Support Reputation: Network Solutions is known for having some of the poorest customer support in the industry.
• Outdated Technology: Their technology is sometimes considered to be outdated.
• Pushy Sales Tactics: They can have aggressive sales and renewal tactics.
• User Interface: The user interface can be clunky and not very intuitive.

Revenue

As a private company owned by Web.com, Network Solutions doesn t publicly disclose its specific revenue figures. However, being a subsidiary of a larger corporation allows it to continue to operate, regardless of its own profitability. This is an important fact, especially when looking at the other information provided in this review. Web.com reported about $600 million in revenue in 2023, so they are a major player in the market, and Network Solutions is a significant portion of that revenue. It s fair to say they remain a major revenue generator in the domain registration and hosting market, but exact numbers are not transparent.

Alternatives

There are many alternative domain registrars and hosting providers available, many of which offer better value and customer service. Here are some of the top ones:

• Domain Registrars:

  • Namecheap: Known for affordable pricing, excellent customer support, and a wide range of features.
  • Google Domains (Now Google Registry): Offers a clean interface and tight integration with Google services.
  • GoDaddy: A very large registrar with frequent promotions, but often gets complaints about renewal prices and customer support.
  • Cloudflare: Very competitive pricing, top-tier DNS service, and a wide range of security features.
  • Porkbun: A more budget focused domain registrar and hosting company.
  • Namesilo: Another popular domain registrar with competitive pricing and many free features.

• Web Hosting:

  • SiteGround: Popular for its excellent customer support, fast speeds, and developer-friendly features.
  • Bluehost: A widely used and recommended WordPress hosting provider.
  • HostGator: Offers a range of hosting plans at competitive prices.
  • DreamHost: Well-known for its ethical practices and commitment to open source.
  • DigitalOcean: A popular cloud hosting provider for developers.
  • Vultr: Another popular and highly rated cloud hosting provider.
  • Linode: Another popular and highly rated cloud hosting provider, which recently was purchased by Akamai.

Pricing

Network Solutions pricing is generally considered to be higher than many of its competitors. They also use aggressive renewal tactics and pricing, which can result in higher costs than originally anticipated.

Here s a general breakdown of their pricing structure:

• Domain Registration: Domain registration can be expensive, with renewal rates often being much higher than the initial purchase price. The prices can vary significantly depending on the extension and promotion.
• Web Hosting: Their web hosting plans are generally more expensive than those of their competitors, and the plans come with limitations.
• Website Builder: There are also tiered plans for the website builder, which can quickly become pricey compared to other solutions.
• SSL Certificates: The cost of SSL certificates is also considered to be on the high side.

Key Pricing Concerns:

• High Renewal Fees: Renewal rates for domains and other services are significantly higher than initial prices, so you can find yourself locked in with high costs.
• Hidden Fees: There are cases of unexpected or hidden fees.
• Upselling: They are known to aggressively upsell unnecessary add-ons and services.

Customer Care Details

Network Solutions has had many, many complaints about their customer support over the years. Here s a summary:

• Availability: Customer support is available via phone, live chat, and email.
• Response Times: Response times can be slow, especially with email.
• Quality of Support: The quality of support can be inconsistent, with many reports of unhelpful or uninformed support representatives.
• Difficulty in Resolving Issues: Users often have difficulties resolving complex issues, and their resolution can take a long time.
• Long Hold Times: Expect long hold times when trying to get phone support.
• Lack of Technical Expertise: There is a common complaint that the support staff does not have enough technical understanding to resolve many problems.

Summary

Network Solutions is a long-standing player in the domain registration and hosting industry. However, its higher pricing, coupled with consistent negative feedback about customer service and clunky user interfaces, make it hard to recommend. Many alternatives offer better value, better technology, and better customer support.

Recommendation:

If you are considering Network Solutions, it is important to do your research. Look into other registrars and hosting providers, as there are many better options with lower pricing and superior customer support.