Flawless Migration From ManageWP: The Story of Smack Happy Design

Founded in 2008 in San Francisco, CA, Smack Happy Design has grown from its modest roots into a full-scale endeavor. Over more than a decade, the agency has expanded its team, truly living up to its name with a distinct vibe of vibrancy and positivity. At the core of Smack Happy is a commitment to create designs that embody an honest, welcoming, and inspiring aesthetic.

In 10 years, Smack Happy Design has had the opportunity to try several multiple WordPress management tools, and have finally decided to adopt WP Umbrella. In this case study, Nicole Hanusek, the founder of Smack Happy Design, delves into the reasons behind moving from ManageWP to WP Umbrella and shares insights on the seamless transition process.

Why did you start using WP Umbrella? What support challenges were you trying to overcome?

We were on the lookout for a more reliable managed maintenance tool. The inconsistency and inaccuracies of our previous tool led us to seek a better alternative, and WP Umbrella came to our rescue. It offered the essential features we needed to provide top-notch service to our clients.

What are the benefits of having WP Umbrella as your WordPress management tool?

WP Umbrella has been a game-changer! It enables us to manage everything efficiently and effectively. Our clients appreciate that we handle the intricacies of website maintenance for them, ensuring their websites run smoothly. WP Umbrella’s comprehensive coverage plays a crucial role in this seamless service.

Why did you leave ManageWP for WP Umbrella? Has WP Umbrella allowed you to leave other tools (like backup plugin, monitoring solutions, etc)?

Our shift from ManageWP to WP Umbrella was driven by the need for a more dynamic and updated tool. ManageWP’s lack of recent updates and some other issues, including performance reporting were concerning. WP Umbrella’s proactive approach and commitment to improvement won our trust, and its comprehensive features allowed us to streamline our toolset.

How was your experience with the migration service of WP Umbrella? How easy was it to transition from ManageWP to WP Umbrella?

The migration from ManageWP to WP Umbrella was smooth, thanks to the exceptional support from our Customer Success Manager, Boris. His responsiveness and helpfulness made the transition effortless, and the WP Umbrella team ensured a quick and efficient setup.

The WP Umbrella team played a key role in streamlining our migration process, assisting us in transferring all our sites, tags, and client information. This was a huge time-saver. Adapting to the new tools involved a bit of a learning curve, primarily due to our familiarity with our previous tool. However, the transition was smooth and quick, enabling us to be fully operational on the same day.

How does WP Umbrella fit into the rest of your WordPress stack? What tools or plugins do you also use?

WP Umbrella integrates seamlessly with our WordPress toolkit. We use a variety of plugins for updates, security, and site management, ensuring each site remains optimized and secure. WP Umbrella’s monitoring capabilities complement our mix of tools, helping us maintain high-performance websites.

• Updates and Security: WP Umbrella, Akismet, Jetpack/Jetpack Protect, FluentSMTP, WP Activity Log.
• Client Site Management: White Label CMS, Video User Manuals, Termageddon, CookieYes.
• Performance and Hosting: Pressable (hosting service with access to premium security plugin features).
• Design and Functionality: Beaver Builder/Themer, FontAwesome, Formidable Forms, Gravity Forms, Rank Math.
• Project Management/CRM: Monday.com, Slack, MixMax.

Our approach emphasizes minimalism and efficiency. We prioritize using only the necessary plugins for each specific use case. If a single plugin can provide multiple functionalities, thereby reducing the need for others, we welcome such solutions to ensure less clutter and more optimized performance.

What do you think is the biggest benefit of WP Umbrella?

The biggest benefits of WP Umbrella are its stellar support, user-friendliness, and transparent pricing. Our switch to WP Umbrella was largely influenced by the exceptional customer service and ease of onboarding, marking a significant improvement over our previous tools.

Are there any opportunities you’re excited to unlock with WP Umbrella in the future?

We’re excited about everything on WP Umbrella’s roadmap! Features like safe updates, advanced alerts, and the integration of additional services are particularly intriguing. It’d also be really cool if there is a way to check for abandoned plugins. We look forward to leveraging these advancements to further enhance our services. 

What advice would you give to others considering using WP Umbrella?

If you’re considering WP Umbrella, go for it! It’s a decision you won’t regret. Should you have any hesitations, their team is always ready to answer your questions and assist you.