Kholoud Hussein
With a passion for empowering entrepreneurs and fostering digital growth, Selina Bieber, Vice President for International Markets at GoDaddy, leads GoDaddy's initiatives to support small businesses in their journey toward online success.
In an exclusive interview with Sharikat Mubasher, Bieber will delve into how GoDaddy transforms digital dreams into reality for entrepreneurs around the globe, particularly in Saudi Arabia. As a frontrunner in the digital solutions market, GoDaddy offers a comprehensive toolkit that enables small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to establish and grow their online presence.
We will explore the unique challenges faced by entrepreneurs in the region, how GoDaddy is addressing them through innovative solutions and partnerships, and the company's commitment to leveraging emerging technologies like AI and cloud computing to enhance the entrepreneurial experience.
Can you tell us about GoDaddy's main business and how it helps entrepreneurs?
At GoDaddy, we're in the business of turning digital dreams into reality. Our focus is providing a complete toolkit for businesses to thrive online. This includes everything from securing the perfect domain name – think of it as your digital address – to building beautiful, functional websites that truly represent your brand.
But we don't stop there. We also offer hosting and security solutions to help keep your website running smoothly, professional email services to give your business that extra touch of credibility, and a range of digital marketing tools to help you reach your audience effectively.
For our Saudi entrepreneurs, whether you're a small bakery in Al-Khobar looking to take orders online, a boutique in Riyadh aiming to showcase your latest fashion, or a tech startup in Jeddah ready to make waves, we've got solutions tailored for you. Our goal is to simplify the online journey, making it accessible and manageable for small businesses without the need for advanced technical abilities. With small and medium businesses (SMEs) accounting for 99.41% of the private sector in Saudi Arabia and contributing significantly to the economy, we understand the crucial role they play and are dedicated to supporting their growth.
What makes GoDaddy stand out from other companies in your field?
What we believe truly sets GoDaddy apart is our commitment to our customers' success. We don't just sell products; we build relationships and partnerships with our customers. This commitment manifests in several ways that make us unique in the industry.
We pride ourselves on our localized approach. For instance, our Arabic Website Builder is a testament to our commitment to the Middle Eastern market. It's designed with the nuances of the Arabic language and culture in mind, ensuring that local businesses can create websites that truly resonate with their audience.
We also go beyond just providing online tools – we're committed to education and empowerment. Our extensive library of resources, tutorials, and webinars is designed to help entrepreneurs at every stage of their online journey. Whether you're just starting out and need to understand the basics of online presence, or you're looking to scale your e-commerce operations, GoDaddy has the knowledge and resources to guide you, along the way. Our recent surveys show that 87% of Saudi small business owners believe digitization is crucial, and we are here to help facilitate that transformation.
How is GoDaddy supporting growth in Saudi Arabia?
The Kingdom's Vision 2030 has set an inspiring roadmap for digital transformation. One of our key initiatives in the region is our partnership with Monsha'at Academy. Through this collaboration, we're offering specialized digital skills training tailored to the needs of Saudi entrepreneurs. These courses cover everything from the basics of establishing an online presence to advanced e-commerce strategies.
Our Arabic Website Builder, as mentioned above, is another significant way we're supporting growth in Saudi Arabia. We understand that language plays a crucial role in effective online communication. That's why we've launched this tool specifically for the Arabic-speaking market. It allows businesses to create professional, culturally relevant websites easily, helping them connect more effectively with their local audience.
Our 2024 Global Entrepreneurship Survey revealed that 93% of Saudi entrepreneurs feel confident in using AI technology for their business, and 87% acknowledge the importance of digitization. These findings inform our strategy as we continue to enhance our product offerings to meet the evolving needs of Saudi businesses.
How does GoDaddy keep up with the fast-changing digital world?
Staying ahead in the rapidly evolving digital landscape is a challenge we embrace with enthusiasm at GoDaddy. Our approach to innovation is multi-faceted and deeply rooted in understanding both technological advancements and our customers' evolving needs.
A great example of how we're embracing new technologies is our integration of AI into our products. We've recently introduced AI-powered tools like our Generative AI Prompt Library, which helps small businesses create engaging content for their websites and social media platforms. This tool is helpful for entrepreneurs who might not have the time or resources for extensive content creation. According to our survey, 97% of small businesses in Saudi Arabia believe AI can positively impact their bottom line, and we're providing the tools to make that belief a reality.
We're also evolving our website-building tools to incorporate the latest design trends and functionalities. For instance, we're adding new templates and features that allow businesses to create mobile-responsive, visually appealing websites that meet current user expectations. Using tools like GoDaddy Studio, powered by AI, easily creates content that elevates and helps small businesses sell their brand on social media and across their online presence.
Can you share any recent partnerships or investments GoDaddy has made in Saudi Arabia?
Our initiatives in Saudi Arabia reflect our commitment to the Kingdom's entrepreneurial ecosystem and our belief in the immense potential of Saudi small business owners.
Our partnership with Monsha'at Academy stands out as a significant milestone. This collaboration is all about empowering Saudi entrepreneurs with the digital skills to help them succeed in today's economy. Through this partnership, we're offering specialized courses that cover a wide range of topics, from the basics of website creation to advanced e-commerce strategies. These courses are tailored to the unique needs of the Saudi market, considering local business practices, consumer behaviors, and cultural nuances.
Our participation in local events and initiatives is another form of investment we're making in Saudi Arabia. For example, our involvement in Biban 23, one of the largest entrepreneurship events in the Kingdom, allowed us to connect directly with Saudi entrepreneurs, understand their needs, and showcase how our solutions can help support their growth.
What challenges does GoDaddy face in Saudi Arabia, and how are you addressing them?
Like any market, Saudi Arabia presents its own unique set of challenges, but we see these as opportunities to innovate and better serve our customers. One of the primary challenges we face is raising awareness about the importance of a strong online presence, especially among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Many business owners in Saudi Arabia are experts in their fields but may not fully grasp the potential impact digital tools can have on their growth. That is why we launched our extensive educational initiatives in partnership with Monsha'at Academy. In addition to the courses that explain the benefits of going digital in practical, relatable terms, we also produce localized content – blog posts, webinars, and social media campaigns – that showcase success stories of Saudi businesses that have thrived online to help inspire others.
Another challenge is the varying levels of digital literacy among entrepreneurs. To tackle this, we've focused on making our products as user-friendly as possible. Our Arabic Website Builder, for instance, was designed with an intuitive interface that allows even those with limited technical skills to create professional-looking websites. We also offer extensive customer support in Arabic language, ensuring that help is available when needed.
These challenges are not roadblocks, but we see these as stepping stones in our journey to empower Saudi entrepreneurs. By addressing them head-on, we're not only improving our services but also contributing to the overall growth of the digital ecosystem in Saudi Arabia.
How is GoDaddy using new technologies like AI and cloud computing?
At GoDaddy, we're always excited about leveraging new technologies to help enhance our offerings and make life easier for our customers. AI and cloud computing are two areas where we're making significant strides.
We've recently introduced several AI-powered tools that are transforming how small businesses manage their online presence. One of our most exciting innovations is the Generative AI Prompt Library. This tool helps entrepreneurs create engaging content for their websites and social media platforms quickly and easily. It's particularly useful for business owners who may not have the time or resources for extensive content creation. By simply inputting a few key details about their business, they can generate professional, relevant content that resonates with their audience.
GoDaddy is also using AI to enhance our customer service. Our AI-powered chatbots can handle basic queries and guide customers to the right resources, allowing our human support team to focus on more complex issues. This results in faster response times and more efficient problem-solving for our customers.
Moving on to cloud computing, this technology is at the core of our hosting services. We leverage cloud infrastructure to provide scalable, reliable hosting solutions that can grow with our customers' businesses. This means that whether you're a small startup or a rapidly expanding enterprise, our cloud-based hosting can accommodate your needs without interruption.
In the realm of e-commerce, our cloud-based solutions enable businesses to handle large volumes of transactions securely and efficiently, even during peak shopping periods. This scalability is crucial for businesses participating in major shopping events or experiencing rapid growth.
Security is another area where we're leveraging both AI and cloud computing. We use AI algorithms to help detect and deter security threats in real-time, while our cloud infrastructure allows us to implement robust security measures across our entire network.
What recent projects has GoDaddy launched in Saudi Arabia?
Entrepreneurs can utilize our Arabic Website Builder which includes more locally relevant templates, featuring designs that resonate with Saudi consumers and support local aesthetic preferences. We've also improved the Arabic content creation features, making it even easier for businesses to create engaging, SEO-friendly content in Arabic.
In response to the growing e-commerce sector in Saudi Arabia, we've launched a series of e-commerce workshops. These hands-on sessions guide entrepreneurs through the process of setting up an online store, managing inventory, processing payments, and marketing their products effectively. We've seen great enthusiasm for these workshops, especially from traditional retailers looking to expand into the digital space.
GoDaddy has also participated in key entrepreneurship events across the Kingdom, including Biban 23 which has allowed us to engage directly with the Saudi business community, understand their needs firsthand, and showcase how our tools and solutions can support their growth.
How does GoDaddy approach social responsibility in Saudi Arabia?
At GoDaddy, our approach to social responsibility in Saudi Arabia focuses on empowering local communities through education and entrepreneurship. This commitment is closely aligned with the Kingdom's Vision 2030 goals, particularly in fostering digital transformation and supporting SMEs.
One of our key initiatives is our partnership with Monsha'at Academy, where we offer free digital skills training to aspiring entrepreneurs across the Kingdom. These courses cover a wide range of topics, from basic digital literacy to advanced online business strategies, helping individuals start and grow their businesses.
What's GoDaddy's long-term vision for Saudi Arabia and the Middle East?
GoDaddy supports local entrepreneurs and small business owners in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East. We aim to be more than just a service provider – we want to be a trusted partner in every entrepreneur's journey, from the moment they conceive their business idea to when they're ready to scale globally.
GoDaddy continues to offer easy to use and affordable online tools and solutions, along with expert customer care and guidance, to help Saudi entrepreneurs and small business owners across the region, along their journey of business growth.