This article on scalable hosting was written by DEMA Marketing CEO Mariana Krasteva. A WP Engine Agency Partner, DEMA Marketing is a comprehensive digital marketing agency focused on elevating their clients’ brands and driving growth through content, SEO, web design and development, and branding and creative design.
Running a growing marketing agency often feels like juggling; only you’re blindfolded… And someone keeps adding more balls… Sounds familiar? It sure felt like this when DEMA Marketing started working with multiple clients and hosting providers.
But what if one decision could simplify everything, save hours, and boost client results? That’s what switching to WP Engine did for us. In this post, we’ll share the challenges we faced, the solutions we discovered, and the lessons we learned along the way.
The challenges of multiple hosting solutions
The fragmentation problem
Managing multiple hosting providers felt like assembling IKEA furniture with instructions in five languages. Each platform had its quirks, leading to inefficiencies that sapped our time and patience. Here’s what we struggled with:
Administrative overhead:
- Diverse control panels: Each hosting provider often utilizes unique control panels (e.g., cPanel, Plesk), requiring team members to familiarize themselves with multiple interfaces, which increases training time and the likelihood of errors.
- Varied support channels: Different providers offer support through various channels with varying response times. Coordinating with multiple support teams can delay issue resolution and strain resources.
- Inconsistent security protocols: Ensuring uniform security measures across different hosting environments is challenging, potentially exposing client sites to vulnerabilities.
Performance inconsistencies:
- Resource allocation variability: Heavy traffic on one site can slow down others if sharing the same server.
- Unpredictable uptime: Some hosting providers don’t promise consistent uptime, hurting your site’s SEO and user trust.
- Server location disparities: If hosting servers are far from your audience, it can lead to slower loading times and a less pleasant experience for visitors.
SEO limitations:
- Lack of SSL certificates: Some hosting plans do not include SSL certificates, which are essential for site security and have become a significant ranking factor in SEO.
- Limited support for SEO tools: Certain hosting environments may not support advanced SEO plugins or tools, restricting the ability to optimize sites effectively.
- Slow page load times: Hosting providers with inadequate resources can lead to slow-loading websites, negatively impacting user experience and search engine rankings.
DEMA’s real-life example
One of our clients had a beautiful Squarespace site. However, all the pages were loading slowly, which hampered their SEO. We rebuilt their site on WordPress with WP Engine, keeping the same design but supercharging performance. The result? A 50% faster load time, a jump in search rankings, and a happier client.
This transformation taught us a key lesson: A stunning site is worthless without robust hosting to back it up.
One hosting to rule them all: The WP Engine partnership
Switching to WP Engine wasn’t just a tech upgrade but a strategic pivot. Here’s why it worked for us:
Pay-as-you-go flexibility
Tailored hosting plans for every client meant no wasted resources.
Time-saving tools
WP Engine became our secret weapon for efficiency, from automated updates of WordPress plugins to advanced solutions like:
- Genesis Pro providing advanced developer tools, such as Genesis Blocks Pro and Genesis Custom Blocks Pro, enabling the rapid creation of custom content blocks and themes for tailored client solutions
- Smart Plugin Manager automatically managing plugin and theme updates, ensuring sites remain secure and functional without manual intervention, and reverts changes if issues are detected
- Global Edge Security ensuring enterprise-grade security with a managed Web Application Firewall (WAF) and advanced DDoS mitigation, protecting sites from common vulnerabilities and attacks
Such tools significantly reduced the time spent on maintenance tasks, allowing us to focus more on strategic initiatives and client growth.
Built-in performance boosts:
Enterprise-level features that ensure faster, more reliable websites for our clients.
- Content delivery network (CDN) distributing site content across global servers, reducing latency and improving load times for users worldwide
- Automated backups, providing daily and on-demand backups, ensuring data is securely stored and can be quickly restored in case of issues, enhancing site reliability
- Staging environments, allowing for testing changes in a safe environment before deploying to production, minimizing the risk of site disruptions and ensuring seamless updates
These features collectively contribute to delivering high-performing, secure, and dependable websites for our clients.
How did it work in the long run?
The results of our switch to WP Engine spoke for themselves. Here’s what we gained:
- Streamlined workflow: With one dashboard, we saved hours every week.
- Improved client SEO: Faster sites translated to higher search rankings and a 20% boost in eommerce.
- Cost savings: Consolidation cut hosting costs by 15%, freeing us to onboard three new clients.
- Happier clients: One client called their new site ‘the most stable it’s ever been.’ That’s the kind of trust we aim for.
Reliable, scalable hosting fostered stronger client relationships. With reduced downtime and consistent performance, clients had more confidence in our ability to deliver.
Scalable hosting lessons learned from our WP Engine experience
Our journey wasn’t without hiccups. Here’s what we’d do differently and what you can learn from us:
- Start small: Migrating all clients simultaneously was ambitious (and stressful). A phased approach would’ve been smoother.
- Leverage support: WP Engine’s 24/7 help was a lifesaver—once we remembered to use it. Don’t hesitate to ask for help early.
- Fully utilize tools: WP Engine’s tools, like Performance Insights, are gold. Don’t wait months to dig in.
Pro Tip: For agencies evaluating hosting solutions, consider platforms that align with your long-term growth objectives. Performance metrics are important, but scalability and support are equally critical.
The broader impact on our agency
The switch to WP Engine didn’t just solve our immediate challenges; it also transformed our business model. Here’s how:
Improved team productivity
With a centralized hosting solution, our team was free to focus on core competencies like strategy and creative development. The time saved on administrative tasks translated into more innovative client solutions.
Enhanced client offerings
The robust features of WP Engine enabled us to expand our service portfolio. From advanced security measures to performance optimization, we could offer clients a comprehensive package that meets their evolving needs.
Unified reporting and analytics
One unexpected benefit of consolidating all client websites onto WP Engine was the ability to unify reporting and analytics. With all sites managed under one platform, we could easily track performance metrics across our entire client portfolio. This gave us a clear picture of trends, bottlenecks, and successes, allowing us to make data-driven decisions quickly.
Competitive advantage
In a crowded market, the ability to deliver reliable, high-performing websites became a key differentiator. Clients viewed us as a strategic partner capable of driving measurable results.
The takeaway: scalable hosting matters
Switching to WP Engine was more than a hosting decision; it was a strategic move that redefined how we operate as an agency. The streamlined workflows, improved client outcomes, and cost efficiencies set the stage for scalable growth.Learn more about working with DEMA Marketing here, and visit WP Engine to learn more about our Agency Partner Program and our industry leading hosting platform for WordPress.
