IONOS Review 2023: Expert Rated 3.9/5

What Are The Pros and Cons of IONOS?

IONOS is not a fully dedicated e-commerce platform. It provides other services, including domains, hosting, website building, and more. So it’s crucial to understand how it stacks up on its e-commerce performance.

I did a detailed study of IONOS to understand what works and does not. Here’s a brief overview of it all.

Online store builder

IONOS offers an easy drag-and-drop editor called MyWebsite Creator for users who lack coding knowledge or are new to online store creation. Using this editor, you can launch your store in as little as three steps. However, I would advise spending more time customizing your website to accurately represent your business.

MyWebsite Creator lets you select templates, color palettes, images, and other customizations. The website builder will produce templates and images in sync with your chosen subject. But you don’t have to go with these auto-generated suggestions.

You can pick any templates, images, features or apps to build your online storefront. The editor is intuitive, clutter-free to look at, and easy to use. I loved how seamless the user experience was.

Even non-coders can somewhat customize their e-commerce stores. I wasn’t able to make hardcore changes; that feature is not available with the basic plan. But if you wish, you can edit/modify the HTML/CSS code for a custom website on the pro plan and above.

After testing the MyWebsite Creator, I found it does deliver on its promise of getting fancy websites quickly up and running.

Two other features of the website builder also stood out to me::

• Business card: While your website is under construction, IONOS creates a “business card” with the name of your store, physical address, and contact information. So, your visitors will get to know you even before you go live. I love the amount of exposure and visibility IONOS gives a brand. To my knowledge, no other popular e-commerce platform offers this feature.
• Personalization: With this function, you can create unique experiences for different types of customers. For example, returning customers can enjoy discounts, while first-time visitors can use a referral bonus. This kind of targeted marketing is highly effective in boosting conversations.

I’m impressed with how resourceful and instinctive IONOS’s MyWebsite Creator is.

Shop integration via Connectastore

Another handy feature that IONOS provides to its e-commerce sellers is shop integration. So if you have an existing website and want to start selling on it, you can simply integrate your shop to get started.

This feature reminds me of Ecwid. Like the e-commerce plug-in, IONOS’s Connectastore feature lets you turn any website into an online storefront. Highly impressive, if you ask me. And you can use this feature free for the first month.

You can also sell anywhere between 5,000 to unlimited products depending on your chosen pricing plan. Your integrated store can be multilingual, multichannel, and as effortless as a store you build from scratch.

Social buy button

We are in the age of social selling, and there’s no denying it helps your business grow. The social buy button is IONOS’s way of acknowledging the impact of social selling in growing a business.

The purpose is precisely what you think it is: It lets you start selling from your social media page. Your customers can still enjoy IONOS’ shipping wizard and multiple payment options.

The only drawback I found is that you cannot sell more than 10 products. Given that you can control everything from a central dashboard via a mobile app, the social buy button does seem like a good addition.

Shipping

IONOS’s shipping wizard lets you choose from several popular courier services and compare real-time shipping rates. These include FedEx, UPS, U.S. Postal Service, and Canada Post. Your customers can also opt for in-store pickup.

Because there are multiple options, you can choose the provider that suits your budget. However, you will not be able to get real-time tracking details on the starter and the plus plans.

Payment processing

IONOS does not charge any transaction fee on its pricing plans. While that’s a plus, you still need to handle the charges from your chosen payment provider. You can simply go to Settings>Payments and choose a payment method that works for you.

The payment methods offered by IONOS include:

• PayPal, BillSAFE, and others
• Direct debit
• Direct debit by fax
• Fixed price
• Exemption limit (not applicable to all)

You can easily integrate PayPal or Stripe or go for a third-party payment provider. IONOS also lets you accept payment through all major credit and debit cards.

COD and checks are some of the manual payment methods you can also accept.

IONOS’ payment processing options meet accepted industry standards.

IONOS app 

The IONOS app for Android and Apple is essentially a digital store manager. You can add products, check your inventory, update your order status, and more using the app.

The app lets you keep tabs on your business from anywhere in the world.

If you have an IONOS website, definitely download the app. It’ll make life easier for you. While many e-commerce platforms come with such apps, IONOS’ offering is efficient and has a pleasing user interface.

SEO

SEO plays a crucial role in the success of any e-commerce business and I’m not sure why IONOS falls short here. I experienced only average support from IONOS where SEO is concerned. You get very little SEO support if you’re using the starter or the pro plan.

Sure, you can edit the site title and shop description. You can even add keywords to make your shop SEO friendly, but that’s about it.

The page and product URLs are autogenerated by IONOS, so you cannot edit them for better SEO performance. You’ll need to turn to third-party apps for help. Even then, IONOS does not have many app integrations, which hampers effectiveness.

The only positive thing I could find was the one-click “lazy loading” function, which helps improve page load speed.

IONOS’ SEO support needs significant improvement to compete with some of the top providers. There’s no valid reason to be this frugal with your SEO capabilities, especially when one of your core functions is to help create e-commerce stores.

IONOS offers a MyDefender plan that acts as an added layer of data protection that can protect your website against ransomware attacks. It performs regular scans and backs up all data for safekeeping.

While the service does cost extra, it’s worth it since compromising the safety of your website can not only cripple your business but also potentially put your customers’ data at risk.

Contacting IONOS’ customer support is easy. Here’s how you can get in touch with them:

• Phone: Dial (484) 254-5555 from your IONOS-registered telephone number. You will need a temporary PIN and your customer ID to connect with tech support. In case your call goes unanswered, you can expect a callback within 24 to 48 hours. The helpline is not toll-free. You will incur charges depending on your location, carrier plan, and other factors.
• Online support: IONOS also gives you the option to file an online ticket. You will get step-by-step instructions to resolve it. But if you still have problems, IONOS will connect you to an expert who will address them.
• Help center: The help center has guides that address every possible query you could have. You can download these guides as a PDF or print them for quick reference. The downloadable PDF is one handy feature unique to IONOS, and I love it. It makes life more convenient for users.
• Social media handles: You can also get help from the content IONOS posts on its social media channels, including YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.
• Personal consultant: The best IONOS feature is you get a personal consultant for every account you create. Your dedicated support personnel can provide one-on-one guidance for any problem you encounter on the platform. However, you need to complete a few steps before using the service.

Although IONOS support is always available and prompt most of the time, delays happen. I’ve had queries that were immediately resolved and others where I waited a considerable time for a callback. If IONOS can ensure a consistent turnaround time for query resolution and support, it’d be one of the best in the business.

Compare IONOS Alternatives

With its versatile e-commerce solutions, inexpensive pricing plans, and excellent support team, IONOS has established itself as a reliable website builder. But so have other platforms. I have compared IONOS with its immediate and most popular competitors, so you can better understand which suits you best.

How I Rated IONOS

At Digital.com, we know how important it is to test products thoroughly and compare how they measure against the industry leaders. I spent hours familiarizing myself with IONOS’ dashboard, setup process, website builder, and all of its features. While my definition of “easy to use” may differ from others, I approached this as though I was new to website builders and compared it to my experience with some of the top site builders we’ve also reviewed.

This comprehensive overview of IONOS can quickly answer whether it’s the right website builder for you. We also drilled down to specific features, so you can have a more detailed look at features or services. I gave more weight to some parameters, including features, security, support, pricing, ease of use, and how IONOS has improved since our last review.

I test website builders based on the following factors:

• Customization options: Can you change the look and feel of a template or add your own code?
• Ease of use: Is the navigation intuitive with built-in tools, such as an in-app photo editor?
• Value: Can you get a free plan or trial to give the builder a test drive? Are there extensive features on paid plans that justify the cost?
• Security: What does the website builder do to keep your site and your customers’ data safe?
• Templates: Are the templates attractive, updated, and generally high quality? Can you find many to choose from?
• Support: Can you get help when needed, whether it’s from a human or support center articles?
• Recent improvements: Has the builder done anything lately to step up its offerings?

Learn more about our review methodology.