Things We Don’t Really Know When We Sign Up with Wealthy Affiliate (But They’re Already

byRobbyofstone

465 followers

3 weeks ago

Things We Don’t Really Know When We Sign Up with Wealthy Affiliate (But They’re Already Taken Care Of!)

When I first signed up with WA, I was mainly focused on learning how to build a website and hopefully earn some income online. And as many of us have found out, there is just so much to learn—and unless you have resources like AI (as we now do), how can you be expected to know or learn all the integral parts needed to make it all work?

What I didn’t realise — and what many people miss — is just how many behind-the-scenes technical things WA handles for you. Quietly. Automatically. Without asking for more money. Things that, once you start managing domains or hosting elsewhere, can turn into sneaky upsells or confusing extra charges.

Kyle leads you through most of this as soon as you become a paid member, and you may not even realise just how much is being taken care of in the background.

Let me explain what I mean — and how I found out the hard way.

A Real Wake-Up Call from GoDaddy

I recently got a series of renewal notices from GoDaddy in a drip-drip format. I assumed they were just repeat reminders, but it turned out there were two separate charges for “Managed WordPress Basic” plans — each priced at £119/year.

On top of that, I was prompted to pay for “Full Domain Protection,” malware scanning, marketing tools, and a “free” website builder that was about to convert into a paid plan. Add two Microsoft 365/email renewals into the mix, and it all seemed to total around £279—based on just one of their many reminders.

And it didn’t stop there.

When I logged in to follow up, GoDaddy doubled down. Now, if I accepted their “recommended” add-ons, I was looking at nearly £600.

Most of these are things you might assume you need — or you accidentally end up paying for — just because the interface makes them look important or urgent.

After some deeper research, I realised I was walking straight into a bundle of unnecessary charges. Worse, they made it difficult to turn off auto-renewals or deselect all the extras. It felt like scare tactics — and I’ll be honest, they might’ve worked, if not for the help of my trusty friend Mr Chat, Mr Gemini, and at least three helpful WA members when I asked about part of this inside the community.

Domains by GoBaddy

What’s a Registrar? Hosting? DNS? (A Quick Explanation)

If you’re new to all this, it’s easy to get confused — and it’s not your fault. Most platforms don’t explain these basics clearly. Here’s a simplified breakdown:

Domain Registrar
This is where you buy your domain name (like mywebsite.com).
Think of it like registering a new car — you now “own” the name.
Popular registrars include GoDaddy, Namecheap, Google Domains, and WA’s SiteDomains.

Web Hosting
Hosting is where your website’s actual files and content are stored.
If the domain is your street address, hosting is the house that holds everything inside.
WA includes secure, fast hosting for up to 10 websites with every Premium membership.

DNS (Domain Name System)
DNS is like the internet’s phonebook. It translates your domain name into the real server address where your site lives.
When someone types in your domain, DNS tells their browser where to go.
If it’s not set up correctly, your site might not load — which is why WA’s automatic setup is a major advantage.

WHOIS Privacy
By default, anyone can look up who owns a domain. WHOIS privacy hides your personal information (name, phone, address) from public view.
WA includes this automatically for all domains purchased via SiteDomains.

Why This Matters

When you register a domain elsewhere (like GoDaddy), you’ll often see:

• Add-ons for WHOIS privacy
• Paid hosting plans
• DNS configuration screens that can be confusing
• Upsells for builders, security, and marketing tools

WA either includes these or handles them for you automatically, so you’re not stuck navigating hidden fees or messing something up by accident.

The Tech We Don’t Think About — WA Just Does It

Here’s where WA really shines. When you build your site here, WA includes all of this without charging extra:

• Domain locking (to prevent unauthorized transfers)
• WHOIS privacy
• SSL certificates
• Hosting (for up to 10 sites)
• WordPress pre-installed
• SiteSupport team
• DNS management handled
• The freedom to move your site if you ever leave

All of this happens quietly in the background the moment you start building.

If You Ever Move Away from WA

Something else many don’t realise:
If you decide WA isn’t for you, you still own your domain and you can export your site.

That’s not the case with every platform. Some make it hard — or outright impossible — to leave with your content.

Why This Matters for New and Free Members

When you’re just starting out, the learning curve is steep enough.
WA removes most of the tech stress so you can focus on learning, creating, and growing your traffic.

There are no hidden fees. No surprise bills. No need to pay for things you already have.

Final Tip: If You’re Using Another Registrar (Like GoDaddy, Google Domains, or Namecheap)

Be sure to:

• Turn off any paid tools you’re not actively using (like “Managed WordPress” plans if you're not hosting there)
• Be careful with auto-renew — it’s easy to miss
• Don’t pay for domain protection if WHOIS privacy is already included
• Make sure your DNS is correctly pointing to WA (SiteSupport can help)

In Closing...

In the end, I only paid £54 for two sites for one year — after cutting through the noise.
It pays to do your research, and I want others to avoid falling into the same traps I nearly did.

Sometimes the best tools are the ones you don’t even notice — because they just work. WA has saved me time, confusion, and a surprising amount of money by simply doing things right from the start.

If you’re just starting out, or even if you’ve been around a while, take a second look at what’s already working for you behind the scenes.

And if you’ve ever had a GoBaddy or other domain registrar-style surprise, I would like to hear of any of your experiences in the comments. I do hope none of you have paid any money out that you didn’t need to have.

I hope you find this useful.

Rob