Careers at Web.com

Mission

Web.com’s mission is to help small businesses succeed online.

Founding story

In the late 1990s, as usage of the Internet grew, Darin Brannan developed a goal. Specifically, he wanted to start a website design company that would provide its services at one-tenth of the time and cost of that offered by the thousands of existing small design shops. So in 1999 he founded Website Pros to do just that. It provided subscription design services to small and medium firms.

Website Pros received early funding of $65 million in a round led by Norwest Venture Partners. It used this investment to acquire Atlantic Teleservices (a technical call center) and the SaaS sitebuilder platform company (first in the market). It promoted its offerings through both direct and indirect sales; however, it abandoned direct sales when the tech bubble burst in 2000.

Over the next few years the company obtained enterprise channel partners in order to broaden its sales reach. It also acquired several firms, contributing to significant growth and expanded capabilities. In 2005 it completed an initial public offering and became listed on the NASDAQ. In 2007 it bought Web.com, a web hosting firm that was once the largest hosting firm in the world.

Website Pros adopted its target’s name, becoming Web.com to establish what it viewed as a more powerful long-term brand. Over the next several years it sold some of its subsidiaries and acquired several more companies, including Solid Cactus, Register.com, and Network Solutions. Web.com now provides a broad range of web design and value-added services to small and medium businesses.

Benefits at Web.com

Health insurance Dental insurance Vision insurance Life insurance Disability insurance Health care on-site 401k Plan Stock options Maternity & Paternity leave Family medical leave Vacation & Paid time off Paid holidays Bereavement leave Employee discount Employee assistance program Company mobile phone Company social events Gym membership

Business model of Web.com

Customer Segments

Web.com has a niche market business model, with a specialized customer segment. The company targets its offerings at small and medium-sized businesses.

Value Proposition

Web.com offers three primary value propositions: accessibility, customization, and brand/status.

The company creates accessibility by providing a wide variety of options. It has acquired several firms since its founding, including Donweb.com, Yodle, Scoot Business Directory, Network Solutions, Star Group Bangalore, and Solid Cactus. This strategy has enabled it to greatly expand its capabilities and diversify its portfolio.

It now offers a broad range of services, including domain name registration, website design and management, hosting, online marketing, and search engine optimization. In the area of website design, it provides three different options:

  • Do-It-Yourself (DIY) – Customers are in control of website building from start to finish
  • Do-It-With-Me (DIWM) – Customers obtain support from company staff while building their websites
  • Do-It-For-Me (DIFM) – Customers give complete control of website building to company staff

The company has established a strong brand due to its success. It has one of the largest domain name registrars in the world. It serves more than 3.4 million customers and has over 3,500 employees across North America, the United Kingdom, and Latin America. Lastly, it has been ranked the fourth largest search marketing firm in the U.S. by Advertising Age.

Channels

Web.com’s main channel is its set of websites. It also sells its offerings through a direct sales team and a network of resellers and affiliate partners. The company promotes its offerings through its social media pages, online/TV/radio advertising, e-mail marketing, direct marketing, sponsorships, and participation in seminars and conferences.

Finally, it hosts free “Webwise Workshops” on online marketing across the country for small business owners.

Customer Relationships

Web.com’s customer relationship is primarily of a self-service, automated nature. Customers utilize its platform while having limited interaction with employees. The company’s website provides articles, tips, and tools on website design, and answers to frequently asked questions. It also features a “Document Library” with useful tools such as white papers, surveys, data, and infographics.

Despite this orientation, there is a personal assistance component. Customers have the option of delegating all website design processes to company staff. Also, Web.com provides sales and technical support through phone service.

Key Activities

Web.com’s business model entails maintaining and updating its platform for its customers.

Key Partners

Web.com maintains the following types of partnerships:

  • Resellers - The company works with third parties that sell Web.com web hosting plans in order to extend its reach; partners include web designers, developers, and IT professionals
  • Licensing Partners – The company offers firms licensing opportunities in various aspects of web service delivery, including web hosting, website design, graphic user interface, web server management, and data center management
  • Affiliate Partners – The company works with third parties that promote its offerings on their platforms (websites, mobile apps, etc.) in exchange for a commission of up to $200

Key Resources

Web.com’s main resource is its proprietary software platform.  It depends on human resources in the form of engineers that maintain and update its platform, web design professionals that build customer websites, and customer service personnel that provide support.

It maintains important physical resources in the form of data security facilities in Florida, Georgia, Texas, Virginia, New York, Washington, Pennsylvania, Ontario, and Nova Scotia. It places a high priority on its intellectual property, with 49 issued U.S. patents and several patent applications pending. Lastly, it has relied heavily on outside parties, raising millions of dollars from investors.

Cost Structure

Web.com has a cost-driven structure, aiming to minimize expenses through significant automation and low-price value propositions. Its biggest cost driver is cost of revenues, a variable expense. Other major drivers are in the areas of sales/marketing, administration, and technology/development, all fixed costs.

Revenue Streams

Web.com has two revenue streams:

  • Subscription Revenues – Revenues it generates from subscription fees charged to customers for its web, eCommerce, online marketing, and domain registration services
  • Professional Services and Other Revenues – Revenues it generates from fees charged to customers for its custom website design, eCommerce store design, and support services

Our team

David Brown,
Chairman, President, and CEO

info: David earned a B.A. in General Studies at Harvard University. He previously served as Founder and CEO of Atlantic Teleservices and held senior management positions at Riggs National Bank, Carlyle International, and Florida National Bank.

Kevin Carney,
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

info: Kevin earned a B.S. in Accounting and Finance at Boston College. He previously served as Senior Vice President and Director of Finance of Web.com and as Chief Financial Officer of Atlantic Teleservices.

Roseann Duran,
EVP and Chief People Officer

info: Roseann earned an undergraduate degree at Pennsylvania State University and an MBA at the University of North Florida. She previously served as Chief Marketing Officer of Web.com and as Founder and Managing Director of Odyssey, Inc.

Faisal Chughtai,
EVP, Retail, Domains, and International

info: Faisal earned a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics at the University of Texas at Austin and an MBA in Finance and Strategy at the University of Chicago. He previously served as SVP of International at Web.com.