‘The websites have stayed the same, but the performance is now good’

For WPG Uitgevers, websites and online platforms are of great importance. The publisher manages many websites for various labels and uses them not only as a calling card, but increasingly as an important sales channel. When the organisation ran into performance problems with their hosting provider, the IT team went looking for a reliable party that could act quickly and truly understood the organisation. They found that partner in LJPc.

An important digital environment

Lucas is Teamlead IT at WPG Uitgevers and responsible for the IT team within the holding. From that role he deals with suppliers, IT processes and the digital infrastructure of the organisation.

“Our websites are incredibly important,” says Lucas. “They form the face of our publishers to the outside world. In addition, we are also explicitly looking to have more sales run through our own websites.” With about twenty websites under management, a stable hosting environment is essential. Yet WPG Uitgevers ran into more and more performance problems.

When performance became a problem

Although the previous hosting solution met requirements in many areas, more and more concerns arose about the performance of the websites. “Ultimately we mainly ran into performance issues,” Lucas explains. “More and more complaints came from the publishers that websites were not performing well. That was an important reason for us to look further.”

For WPG Uitgevers it was not so much about costs, but mainly about quality, speed and a party that could think along.

Trust through short lines

The collaboration with LJPc did not arise out of nowhere. Lucas already knew Lars from earlier collaborations around website development at WPG Uitgevers.

“The advantage of Lars is that he already knows our organisation and websites well,” he says. “Few words are needed to put him to work. In addition, the lines are short and we always have direct contact. That works incredibly pleasantly.”

It was precisely that personal contact that ultimately made the difference. Where a large, international hosting party felt mainly distant and like an online product, WPG Uitgevers experiences the collaboration with LJPc as direct, accessible and close. “Those short lines are really a relief,” says Lucas. “When something is going on, we can act quickly.”

Prior to the collaboration, it was moreover clearly established which assurances WPG Uitgevers considered important, including uptime and performance. As a result, it was clear from the start what the hosting environment had to meet.

A smooth migration without worries

A hosting migration often brings tension with it, especially when multiple important websites have to be moved. That is why a lot of attention was paid in advance to testing and preparation. LJPc first started with a trial run, after which the most important websites were transferred step by step. Thanks to that approach, the migration went remarkably smoothly. “Within two weeks we were over,” says Lucas. “First a trial migration ran and then the most important websites followed. That went really exceptionally smoothly. Of course there were a few small things that had to be adjusted, but those were minor issues.”

According to Lucas, it was precisely that careful approach that created trust during the process.

“What would I advise companies? Take the time for a good testing phase and do not work hastily. We did that too and it helped enormously.”

More peace of mind and better performance

Since the switch, WPG Uitgevers mainly notices a difference in stability and performance. Not all websites are hosted with LJPc, but an important part of them are. The websites run faster and more reliably, while the IT team spends less time on hosting issues. “I no longer get complaints from the publishers,” says Lucas with a laugh. “The websites have stayed the same in content, but the performance is now simply good.”

In addition, the IT team experiences much more peace of mind because LJPc takes a large part of the technical worries off their hands. “As an IT team we have become considerably smaller over the years,” Lucas explains. “That makes it extra important that suppliers know their stuff and that you can rely on them. We absolutely have that feeling with LJPc.”

A collaboration based on trust

For Lucas, a good hosting partner ultimately is not only about technology, but mainly about trust, accessibility and involvement. “I would describe the collaboration as smooth, customer-friendly and close,” he says. “It feels personal. You notice that there is thinking along and that things are handled quickly.” And that, according to Lucas, makes the difference.