GoDaddy buys local social content start-up

US-based Web hosting company GoDaddy has acquired South African social content start-up Over for an undisclosed amount.

With offices in Cape Town and London, Over helps entrepreneurs and small businesses grow their brands by creating impactful visual content for any platform online.

GoDaddy, the world’s biggest Web host by market share, entered the South African market last year.

Six months after formally entering the South African market, GoDaddy said growth and response in the local market had been “extremely positive”.

Over has grown from humble beginnings in 2012 as a simple “text over photos” app for sharing goals and inspirational quotes, into a multifaceted tool for businesses and individuals, used around the world.

The app enables anyone to create inspiring content quickly on a mobile phone for Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and other popular social platforms, as well as e-mail marketing campaigns and Web sites.

It features a library of hand-curated, professionally-designed templates and layout for quick customisation that standout and grab attention.

The Over app has more than one million monthly active users and is used by people in over 150 countries.

With a Net Promoter Score of 80, the Over app is mostly used by entrepreneurs and small businesses that use it to create more than 220 000 projects every day, GoDaddy says.

It was recently recognised by Apple as a “Best of 2019 App Trend of the Year”.

GoDaddy says the app will help bolster its focus on enabling small business owners “to look great everywhere online that matters via its Web sites and marketing product, giving customers a mobile tool for creating visual content that drives awareness and engagement online with customers and prospects”.

“No matter how easy Web site and marketing tools get, customers still face the challenge of creating engaging content that reflects their unique brand,” says Lauren Antonoff, president of GoDaddy Experiences.

“Over has gained momentum with entrepreneurs because it takes this challenge head-on. Over is a perfect complement to Web sites and marketing. Together, we’ll help entrepreneurs succeed online by building an engaging online and social presence that fuels business growth. Over has an incredibly talented team and we can't wait to get started.”

“Putting our best-in-class social content creator together with GoDaddy’s Web site and marketing tools is a powerful combination,” says Over CEO and co-founder Matt Winn.

“Over's mission is to empower people's dreams through creativity. With our combined products, everyday entrepreneurs can go from an idea to a successful online presence faster than ever before.”

The Over app will continue to be offered as a standalone app on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, says GoDaddy.