Q&A with developer and WordPress expert Rene Morozowich

A few months ago I was doing some research looking for newer articles on MainWP.

That’s when I came across an article by Rene Morozowich.

The article is Why (And How) I Switched From ManageWP To MainWP.

The article was dated February 4 of 2022, so it was definitely new.

In the article, Rene does a great job of documenting her journey from using her previous vendor to joining the MainWP family.

She noted the difference in price and how she could save lots of money each month for her 50 websites.

Before switching, she took MainWP for a test ride which is something anyone can do with the free features.

“The free version of MainWP does quite a bit, but the pro version is $399. That’s it. Since I’m paying about $80/month now, I’d only need to use MainWP for about 5 months before I broke even.”

With the help of some MainWP power users Scott Carter of Barrel Roll and Kari Sletten of Iceberg Web Design, she got her MainWP up and rolling.

“Changing from ManageWP to MainWP took a lot of time. Now that it’s set up, I don’t expect it to take up as much of my time in the future, but it was a decent initial investment. One great thing that came out of this change was a VERY streamlined process. All of my sites are now configured the same way, which wasn’t really the case before.”

Today we visit Rene Morozowich about her change to MainWP, her favorite features, and some of the business tools she uses.

First, can you tell us how you got started in WordPress and how long it has been?

I started blogging on WordPress at the end of 2016. At the time, I was working as a programmer, but I was unhappy. I signed up for a 3-month Skillcrush class at the beginning of 2017 and started freelancing halfway through. I quit my job later that summer and started freelancing full time. This is the happiest I’ve been in any of the jobs I’ve had.

How many websites do you manage?

I currently manage 50 websites.

When did you decide you needed help updating multiple websites? What is that story?

I had used ManageWP from the beginning, as a few colleagues recommended it. It was a great place to not only update my websites from one place, but to be able to access them all.

Can you tell us the story of why you felt you needed to change how you manage your websites?

I had one website that just wouldn’t stay connected to ManageWP. I went around and around with them, the host and Sucuri, but everyone kept pointing the finger at the next company. 

I was also managing more sites, and the price kept increasing, even though I would use other tools when possible (for example, half of my sites were using the ManageWP backups and half were using UpdraftPlus).

At the time I left, I was paying about $80/month. Switching allowed me to not only get everything in one place, but to have a consistent process and toolset across all of the websites that I manage.

What are some of your favorite features of MainWP?

• I like that I can customize the interface. MainWP looked dated to me, which was almost a deterrent, but I modernized it with new fonts and colors to freshen it up.
• It’s great that I can install the add-ons/extensions that I will use
• And they have so many add-ons to explore
• Their support is great (shoutout to Bogdan who is always very nice and helpful when I have a question)
• I liked that there is a large user base—I talked with two other agencies who used MainWP before switching to learn more about it
• I like that I can get to some settings globally—like WP Rocket, Wordfence and Updraft across all of my sites
• Customizing my monthly reports was fun (although I do wish I had a few more options there)

What are some of your non-WordPress related tools?

• YNAB to keep my finances in order
• ClickUp to manage my projects
• Cleanshot for screenshots
• ColorSlurp to check color accessibility
• Alfred for snippets and workflows

What kind of goals do you have for the future of your business?

I want to keep helping small businesses with their websites and email marketing. I would like to specialize a bit more to be able to serve a specific niche.

What do you like to do when you aren’t updating and building websites?

I love reading business books, spending time with my son and my partner, organizing/making plans/setting goals, talking about finances, traveling and exercising. 

Wrapping it up

MainWP is a great option because you can customize the features you wish to use and “a consistent process and toolset across all of the websites” as Rene mentions above. 

If you have also switched to MainWP, feel free to share your story. We would love to hear the story and share with others who are considering MainWP.