View source for Webs (web hosting)

{{Short description|Freemium Web hosting and website building service}}
{{Distinguish|Web.com}}
{{Infobox dot-com company
| name = Webs
| logo = WebsLogo.JPG
| company_type = [[Subsidiary]]
| foundation = {{start date and age|2001}}
| dissolved = August 31, 2023
| successor = Vista x Wix
| founder = Haroon Mokhtarzada <br> Zeki Mokhtarzada
| location = [[Silver Spring, Maryland]], USA
| services = [[Web hosting service]]
| owner = [[Cimpress]]
| num_employees = 0
| parent = [[Vistaprint]]
| divisions = Pagemodo<br />ContactMe
| url = {{URL|http://www.webs.com}} (Dead link)
| website_type = Web hosting
| language = English
| launch_date = {{start date and age|2001}} (as Freewebs)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://whois.domaintools.com/freewebs.com|title=FreeWebs.com WHOIS, DNS, & Domain Info - DomainTools|work=[[WHOIS]]|access-date=2016-07-16}}</ref>
| current_status = Defunct
}}
'''Webs''', formerly '''Freewebs''', was a [[freemium]], primarily [[static web page|static site]]-only [[website hosting service|web host]] founded in 2001 and active until 2023. The service offered free and premium website hosting plans, and their own templated website building service. Unusually, Webs did not offer any dynamic content support aside from their own dynamic "apps", despite offering FTP access and allowing HTML uploads.

==History==
Webs began in 2001 as Freewebs just after the [[dot-com bubble]]. It was a [[Startup company|start-up]] launched by brothers Haroon and Zeki Mokhtarzada during their last year at the [[University of Maryland, College Park]] with the help of their younger brother Idris.<ref>{{cite news | title=CEO Haroon Mokhtarzada Interview | date=April 3, 2009 | publisher=Social Networking Watch | url = http://www.socialnetworkingwatch.com/2009/04/haroon-mokhtarzada-ceo-of-webscom.html}}</ref><ref name=WashingtonPost1>{{cite news | first=Kim | last=Hart | title=Venture Capital Drawn to Freewebs | date=April 9, 2007 | newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] | url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/08/AR2007040800909.html | access-date = 2008-03-05}}</ref> Their goal was to enable anyone in the world to express themselves through the creation of their own website.<ref name=CNETNews1>{{cite news | first=Greg | last=Sandoval | title=The free-speech fundamentals of Freewebs | date=April 26, 2007 | publisher=[[CNET News]] | url = http://www.news.com/The-free-speech-fundamentals-of-Freewebs/2100-1030_3-6179465.html | access-date = 2008-03-05}}</ref> Between 2003 and 2007, the company grew 1704%.<ref>{{cite news | title=Webs.com (Freewebs) Ranks 119th Fastest Growing Company in North America on Deloitte's 2008 Technology Fast 500 | date=November 12, 2008 | work=Reuters | url = https://www.reuters.com/article/2008/11/12/idUS246560+12-Nov-2008+MW20081112| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140424192430/http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/11/12/idUS246560+12-Nov-2008+MW20081112| url-status = dead| archive-date = April 24, 2014}}</ref>

By April 2007, the site recorded 18 million unique visitors a month.<ref name=WashingtonPost1 />

On November 14, 2008, Freewebs changed its name to Webs, but users' URLs remained in the freewebs.com domain unless they chose to change over. Now, new websites are given subdomains of webs.com, but the old freewebs.com/''sitename'' format still works, even for new websites. Users can also upgrade to a premium package and receive a custom web address without a Webs subdomain.

On December 28, 2011, the online printing service [[Vistaprint]] completed its acquisition of Webs for $117.5 million.<ref>{{cite web|last=Mitroff|first=Sarah|title=Vistaprint completes $117.5M acquisition of DIY website builder Webs Inc.|date=29 December 2011 |url=https://venturebeat.com/2011/12/29/vistaprint-acquistion-webs-inc/|publisher=VentureBeat|access-date=22 August 2012}}</ref>

On June 4, 2012, Webs released a new version of their Sitebuilder product, called Sitebuilder3. The new version includes a new drag and drop interface, more customizable themes, and simple social media integration.<ref>{{cite web|title=Announcing the Newest Version of the Webs Sitebuilder|url=http://www.webs.com/blog/2012/06/04/announcing-the-newest-version-of-the-webs-sitebuilder/|access-date=4 June 2012}}</ref>

In early 2013, Webs underwent a redesign of the internal site, which overhauled the user’s building experience.  It involved the removal of ads, the modernization of the user interface, and the addition of a step-by-step “successful website” checklist.

On May 3, 2013, Webs introduced a [[SEO]] Booster, a [[search engine optimization]] tool that helps users identify the best keyword phrases to build into their website in order to improve its position in search engine results.<ref>{{cite web|title=Introducing Webs SEO Booster|url=http://www.webs.com/blog/2013/05/03/introducing-webs-seo-booster-the-easiest-way-to-improve-search-ranking/|access-date=3 May 2013}}</ref>

In late 2020, the parent company, Vistaprint, announced that on March 31, 2021 all the paying websites hosted by webs.com will be migrated to the Vistaprint domain and all the free websites deleted, with their owners' accounts removed. This change was postponed to June 30, 2021.<ref>[https://support.webs.com/hc/en-us/articles/360048554451-Webs-to-Shut-Down-March-31st-2021?mobile_site=true Webs to Shut Down March 31st 2021]</ref> The last free subdomains were finally shut down on August 31, 2023, with all existing domains transferred to ExactHosting.com.<ref>{{Cite web |title=I received an email advising my WEBS site will be shut down and my domain and email is being transferred to the company Exact Hosting, what does this mean? - VistaPrint Help Center |url=https://www.vistaprint.com/customer-care/help-center/16116844818573/ |access-date=2024-02-28 |website=www.vistaprint.com}}</ref>

==Product==
Webs offered a "drag-and-drop" interface and professional-looking themes for users creating a new website. For pro-level websites, there were additional e-commerce features. including unlimited "webstore" items, and Google and Facebook advertising credits. All users could also link their websites to social media sites such as [[Twitter]] and [[Facebook]].{{citation needed|date=June 2013}}

Webs offered its own themes and site builder, as well as a selection of its own dynamic "apps" such as a blog, photo gallery, or webstore.

Free websites were limited in features and also had a Webs banner on the bottom of the screen. The company offered premium plans with more tools and features and also allowed customers to buy custom [[domain name]]s.

Webs offered 80% uptime guarantee, after many customers had complained about excessive downtime.{{Citation needed|date=April 2018}}

== References ==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

== External links ==
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* {{Official website|http://www.webs.com/}}

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[[Category:Internet properties established in 2001]]
[[Category:Internet properties disestablished in 2023]]
[[Category:Free web hosting services]]
[[Category:Companies based in Silver Spring, Maryland]]