Helping businesses affected by WP Engine restrictions
It's time for a better approach
Restrictions to WP Engine are preventing you from updating your website, which means it's a good time to consider other options.
What's going on with WP Engine?
WP Engine, despite their name, is not Wordpress. Instead they hook you up with an altered version of Wordpress, while also selling you additional services. Due to a trademark dispute with Wordpress, WP Engine users have been restricted from accessing the Wordpress repository. This is a huge problem: the Wordpress repository is a critical component of any website that runs Wordpress.
To put it bluntly, your website just got left wide open to hacking and other security vulnerabilities.
Update: As of this writing, the restrictions have been temporarily lifted. They are scheduled to go back into effect October 1.
How is Killer Pom different?
We don’t just upsell you on those all-in-one, “managed” hosting solutions.Â
We provision our own servers. We manage our own DNS. We use professional-grade tools. You get the true, core Wordpress experience. We don’t cut corners to save an extra buck.
That means we aren’t locking our clients into a limited ecosystem or the proprietary software of some mega-corporation. We build better websites, because your business deserves better.
Why you should care
How this affects you
This isn't just a problem for WP Engine. This has real-world implications for your website and your business. Here are a few takes from around the industry:
Plugin Risk
Hackers frequently target WordPress plugins, with several recent attacks affecting millions of users across the world. Insecure plugins can offer hackers full access to vulnerable websites, or allow them to install malicious or harmful software without warning.
Are There Security Risks Involved?
One of the biggest risks WP Engine users now face is the threat of security breaches. Plugins are frequently targeted by hackers looking to exploit weaknesses in outdated or unpatched systems. With WP Engine customers cut off from automatic updates, they may find themselves using outdated versions of plugins that are vulnerable to attacks.
Why you should consider trusting us with your website
Your success is our success
You need someone who has your best interest in mind.
We don’t want to be a billion dollar company that takes your money and hides layers of automated phone systems and chatbots, because that doesn’t actually help you.
We’d want to be digital partners with our clients, working with you to continually improve your online presence for years to come.
Focus on fundamentals
We focus on the things that make a website truly successful. We care about things like SEO and accessibility, security and performance optimization, and messaging and copywriting.
Up-to-date protection
An outdated website is a vulnerable website. Security issues happen all the time, and the best prevention is ensuring that your website is up-to-date. If you’re still a WP Engine user, then you don’t have an easy way to keep your website protected.
It’s also difficult to read though changelogs, create backups, and understand all that is happening on your website. And sometimes updating will create new bugs instead of fixing them which adds even more headaches.Â
That’s where we come in. We offer several website management plan options to help keep your website safe, secure, and fresh, and we have some other perks depending on the plan.
The WP Engine situation has exposed over 1.5 million websites to security vulnerabilities. Don't be one of them.
Get in touchWe'll also be expanding our Growth Plan offerings soon!
Digital Roadmap
We develop a data-driven plan to learn where you currently stand in the market and how best to get you to your goals.
UX Design
Designing the user experience sets the layout and flow of the website and how it will guide people into your sales funnel.
UI Design
This is what you think of when you hear "web design": adding a beautiful, branded design that keeps users engaged.
Copywriting
Crafting the perfect message is a critical part of the process that can determine the success or failure of your website.
Performance Optimization
Each site is optimized to keep it quick and responsive, while also incorporating the latest "AA" accessibility (a11y) practices.
Ongoing Support
After it has launched, we offer options to actively manage the technical stuff so that you can keep your focus on your business.
How to get started
Working with us
Our process probably looks nothing like WP Engine's. Here's a quick look at what you can expect when working with Killer Pom on your new website.
- Connect
Scheduling a free call
We need to know more about you and your business. Connect with us, and we’ll set up a time for a short call. We want to know more about your website and your business so that we can create a plan to help get you where you want to be.
- Proposal
Proposing a plan of action
Now that we know what we’re working towards, we’ll create a proposal for you to sign off on. This will have details for things like the work that will be performed, the things we’ll need from you, the timeline, and the pricing.
- Agreement
Signing the contract
Once everyone is happy with the proposed plan of action, we’ll sign a Master Service Agreement (MSA). This is the actual contract that helps to solidify the plan and protects everyone involved in the project.
- Production
Beginning work on your project
Once everyone has signed the MSA, your project will officially begin. You’ll be a partner in all of this, so we’ll be in constant communication to make sure that we’re moving in the right direction while moving your website away from WP Engine.
- Launch
Getting your website live
Your new website is scheduled to go live! There’s actually a lot of technical, behind-the-scenes stuff that needs to happen beforehand to make sure the launch goes smoothly. I’ll spare you the boring details, but the point is that all of that hard work is finally about to pay off!
- Post-Launch
Ongoing support and management
The launch of your website is just the beginning. An ongoing management plan will take effect, and we’ll continue to monitor and update your website to keep things running smoothly. Growth plans will also be available soon aimed at continuing to improve upon your investment.
Frequently asked questions
Still not sure?
Why can’t I update my website?
If your website was built using WP Engine, then your website will be unable to make updates, install new plugins, or do a number of the things that a modern, professional website needs to do. If you aren’t sure if your website is built with WP Engine, you could ask the web designer that you worked with or contact us for us to look into it.
Could my website be affected if I work with you?
While it’s impossible to say something couldn’t ever happen, the tools we use have not been impacted by the WP Engine situation in any way. This problem is limited to WP Engine, and we have never used WP Engine nor any similar type of “managed” hosting solution.
What makes Killer Pom a safer solution?
We don’t put all of our eggs in one basket. Our domain name solution is separated from our hosting solution, which is also separated from our backup storage solution. Everything works together well, but no single piece is reliant on another. So if one piece of the puzzle did become the next subject of restrictions, that piece could be quickly and easily swapped out for a better option.
Does my website qualify for the Lite management plan?
Only websites that are Transferred as-is from WP Engine qualify for the Lite management plan. If you are unsure if you website can be Transferred, please contact us.
Does my website qualify for the Transfer option?
For a website to qualify for the Transfer option, it must be in good health (meaning the website has not been hacked and does not have malware). You must also own the rights to the entirety of the website, including the domain name, design, text, images, graphics, and any licenses for software that the website uses. An audit of your website might be required before this option can be approved.
Management plan pricing
Choose the management option that best fits your needs
Your website is like any other piece of software: it needs regular updates to run smoothly. That takes time, effort, and a bit of know-how, so Killer Pom offers several options to manage that for you. You can rest easy knowing that your website is getting the maintenance it needs (and a few other perks depending on the plan).
Basic
$149$99
MonthlyBest for people who don't need to update their website often.
- Premium Web Hosting
- Weekly Software Updates
- Premium Software Licenses
- Weekly Offsite Backups
- Daily Uptime Monitoring
- Website Caching
- SSL Certificate
- DNS Management
- Email Sending Server
- Ongoing Image Optimization
- 3-5 Business Day Response Time
Advanced
$279$199
MonthlyBest for businesses who want to continually improve their investment.
Recommended- Everything included in the Basic plan, plus..
- Daily Offsite Backups
- Daily Server-Level Backups
- Backup Restoration
- Advanced Security
- Database Optimization
- Spam Cleanup
- Three 30-Minute Tasks*
- 3 Business Day Response Time
Pro
$399$279
MonthlyRequired for websites with advanced functionality and Growth Plans.
- Everything included in the Advanced, plus...
- Hourly Server-Level Backups
- Dedicated Server
- Hack Fix Guarantee
- Unlimited 30-Minute Tasks*
- 1-2 Business Day Response Time
Lite
$99
$49
monthlyFor people who transfer their website as-is from WP Engine.
*30-Minute Tasks include content edits, updates, or changes that can be completed in 30 minutes or less. Does not include new functionality or additional pages. Maximum one 30-Minute Task per day. Support time does not roll over each month.
The Lite plan is only available to websites who are able to Transfer their website as-is. You must own the exclusive rights to the website content, design, imagery, and licensing, and your website must be in good health. For questions regarding qualifications, please contact us.
Get in touch with us today
Let's talk about getting your website off of WP Engine. Fill out the form and we'll be in touch with you soon.
- Free strategy call
- No pressure and no obligation
- A detailed, custom proposal