Can I Switch from Hatchling to WP Engine?

Hatchlings are the perfect little web hosts for newcomers who are just getting started. The best part? You can launch a free account with them and get hosting for just £2.95 per month. Plus, they offer a 60-day money back guarantee if you meet the right criteria (like hitting 500 bucks in monthly revenue).

While Hatchlings are a perfect choice for a first-time web host, they aren’t built for scaling or maintaining a fast-paced site. For that you need a web host that’s more suitable for big projects. Enter WP Engine.

Here’s a quick comparison of the two hosting platforms:

Features

Hatchlings include some pretty nifty features that make setting up a WordPress site much simpler. For example, the platform boasts an intuitive one-click installer that drops you into a WordPress dashboard once installation is complete. You can also choose to install pre-built WordPress themes or select from a wide range of beautiful fully-customizable options.

WP Engine does not offer any pre-built wordpress themes so you’ll have to build your website yourself, using one of the many pre-made templates that the platform provides. However, building your website is much simpler with WP Engine as you don’t need to worry about setting up a database or figuring out which plugins to use (as the platform handles almost all the integration).

Furthermore, WP Engine offers a free domain privacy option that hides your actual website address from public view. This is great if you’re looking for a simple and secure setup that doesn’t display your website’s hosting address (which can be scraped by bots or annoying spammers).

Support

Hatchlings’ support is great if you’re just getting started. They have a knowledgeable team of support agents that are available via live chat at all times. Furthermore, their guaranteed 60-day money back guarantee, combined with their free domain privacy, makes it easy to try out the platform without risk. If you run into any problems during that time, all you need to do is contact them and they’ll sort you out.

WP Engine’s support is much different. While their ticketing system is relatively easy to use, their knowledge base is rather limited. If you’re looking for proactive support that can help you solve complex problems, then you might want to look elsewhere.

Security

Hatchlings’ primary function is to make hosting simple and secure. Their top priority is security, as you’d expect from a company that’s designed to be a one-stop-shop for all your web hosting needs. To this end, they have several layers of security in place to protect your WordPress site from unauthorized access, tampering, or deletion. The best part is that you don’t need to worry about a thing. All you need to do is set up your WordPress account and go live.

WP Engine does have a pretty high security rating, too. However, their priority isn’t security as much as it is usability and cost (which makes sense, given their target audience). So while you may feel safer knowing that your personal information is secure, the truth is that your choice of web host may not actually impact your safety much. The key takeaway from this part of the comparison is that you should take security into consideration when choosing a hosting platform, but it should not be your only factor.

Scalability

One of the things that makes WP Engine unique is their exclusive focus on delivering blazing fast performance. The truth is that scaling a WordPress site can be rather tricky. It requires a certain level of technical knowledge that most people don’t have. Luckily, WP Engine was designed with scalability in mind. As a result, they’ve optimized their product to make running a website faster and easier for even the most novice user. The good news is that they support scalability via their Cloud 66 plan. This plan basically gives you access to more servers (and thus more storage and faster download speeds) as your site grows in size.

If you’re looking for a web host that’s designed for scaling, then WP Engine is your best bet. As for Hatchlings, they’ll do just fine for the average blog or website, but if you’re looking for something more complex, then you might want to consider another option.

Managing WP Engine

Managing a WordPress site can be a pain. There’s a lot of technical complexity that you need to deal with on a day-to-day basis. Fortunately, WP Engine aims to simplify the process and make it easier for anyone to get up and running with a WordPress site. To this end, they designed their product to be highly customized and user-friendly.

First off, setting up a new account with WP Engine is incredibly easy. You can do this via the dashboard or via the one-click installer, which will walk you through the process step-by-step. And from the get-go you’ll need to choose between Basic and Pro versions, with the latter coming with a few extra perks like free backups, free domain privacy, and free marketing.

Once set up, you can begin configuring your site. You can do this via the dashboard or via the control panel, which provides you with all the tools you need to make your site exactly how you want it. You can also use their search bar to find a theme or plugin that will fit perfectly with your needs.

Backups are one of the most important aspects of having a reliable web host. You never know what could happen, so it’s essential that you have a system in place that allows you to recover your website quickly and easily if a disaster were to strike. Luckily for you, WP Engine offers a free daily backup, which will automatically zip and secure your website’s content so you can sleep easy at night knowing that your web content is being protected. This is in addition to their regular backups, which are done every week. Rest assured that you can get all the details about their backup solution and pricing on their website.

With a successful web host behind you, you can start creating content and engaging with your audience. The truth is that creating content is one of the most effective ways to draw in interested parties and grow your audience organically. As for engaging with your audience, you can do this via simple emails, direct messages, or through your site’s comment section. To help you get the most out of your blog, they’ve also provided you with several tools to maximize your content’s visibility on social media channels, like Twitter.

So, while you may already have a solid base of readers on your own site, you can continue building on that by engaging with others across social media. And, if you implement their various tools effectively (like their built-in SEO and content placements tools), you’ll be able to drive more traffic to your site and consequently boost your income.

One of the big frustrations when running a WordPress site is dealing with spam and malicious attacks. If you use a third-party email service to send out content updates and welcome emails, then you need to make sure that your email is either monitored or approved by the company. Otherwise, you’ll simply end up in someone’s spam folder. Luckily, WP Engine includes an approved email senders list, which you can use to send email to people on the list without fear of being marked as spam by their servers.

Final Takeaway

While all web hosts are not created equal. and WP Engine is far from perfect. It’s crucial to remember that each option has its perks and drawbacks. And, as your needs and goals change, so should your web hosting choice. If you’re looking for a completely free host that’s perfect for getting started, then check out the limited functionality of Hatchlings. Otherwise, if you’re looking for a reliable and secure host that’s also flexible enough to handle large traffic spikes, then consider WP Engine.