How WebWize Survived 33+ Years in Web Design and Hosting

TL;DR

WebWize has survived 33 years in web hosting by following market signals, pivoting from ColdFusion to WordPress when clients demanded it, maintaining existing systems during transitions, and building expertise before demand peaked. Three technology shifts taught me: decision frameworks matter more than platform choices.

• Watch adoption velocity (who’s learning/using it next) more than current market share.
• Compare staying costs vs. moving costs—including lost opportunities.
• Protect clients during transitions: never break working systems just to modernize.
• Build expertise before demand becomes obvious.
• Specialize instead of trying to serve everyone.

The 1994 Starting Point

I started WebWize in 1994 with a single Macintosh Quadra 700 workstation—Apple’s early “graphics powerhouse” era—with a hard drive that would be considered microscopic today.

Back then, there were only a few thousand websites on the entire internet. The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) was being established to create standards that didn’t exist yet. Amazon was founded that same year, and the first banner ads were just beginning to appear.

Today, hundreds of thousands of web hosting companies operate globally. Many of the companies who started in the same era are simply gone.

WebWize is still here—and we’ve learned that survival isn’t a “pick the perfect platform” story.  It’s a repeatable decision framework story.

ColdFusion: From Perfect Choice to Market Casualty

In the mid-90s, ColdFusion and ASP changed everything for developers. Before it, dynamic websites meant painful back-end work—often using low-level CGI scripts for simple database-driven functionality.

We chose ColdFusion; which made dynamic site creation dramatically faster. It became the obvious choice for a certain moment in web history.  I went all-in on ColdFusion hosting and development. Our infrastructure and workflow were built around it, because it delivered what businesses needed at the time.

And here’s the important part: ColdFusion didn’t “fail” because it was bad. It faded because the market moved.

When Client Requests Signal Market Movement

The shift didn’t start as a technical argument. It started as a pattern.

In the early 2000s, I began hearing the same lines from potential new clients:
“We’re already on WordPress.” and “We only want WordPress.”
Not once. Not twice. Month after month—enough to make it undeniable.

Within about a decade, ColdFusion moved from “common in certain circles” to “legacy.” Meanwhile, PHP-based systems and WordPress accelerated.  That’s the lesson: recognize when the market decides to move on—and move with it.

Why We Pivoted to WordPress in 2008

When clients tell you what they want, you have two choices: explain why they’re wrong… or learn what they’re seeing before you see it.

WordPress launched in 2003. By 2008, it had momentum, but it wasn’t yet the giant it would become.
Many hosts treated it like “just another blogging platform.”

But my potential clients weren’t asking if we supported WordPress. They were stating it as a requirement.
That’s when we pivoted WebWize to focus on WordPress hosting, development, and support.

The Transition Strategy

Here’s what we didn’t do: we didn’t torch our existing platforms, and we didn’t force clients to migrate just so our internal stack felt cleaner.

Here’s what we did:

• Maintain existing systems while launching new projects on the new platform.
• Migrate when it made business sense for the client—not when it was convenient for us.
• Build expertise early so we weren’t learning on clients when demand hit.

As of early 2026, WordPress powers roughly 43% of all websites and accounts for about 60% of sites with a known CMS. That’s exactly why those early client requests mattered—WordPress wasn’t just a tool, it became a market standard.

Timing Matters More Than You Expect

Technology pivots have a window. You don’t wait until everyone validates the decision—because by the time it’s “obvious,”
you’re late to the expertise and late to the positioning.

Companies that pivoted after the market already crowned a winner had to compete against businesses that had years of head start in capability,  process, and credibility.

The Decision Framework for Survival

After navigating multiple technology shifts, I developed a framework for deciding when to pivot and when to stay the course.  Use this whether you run a hosting company, a web agency, or any business that depends on technology choices.

1) Watch Adoption Velocity Over Current Market Share

ColdFusion’s decline showed up in how few new developers were learning it and how rarely new projects were choosing it.  WordPress rose because the ecosystem, community, and client demand grew fast.  Adoption velocity tells you what’s next.

2) Evaluate Staying Costs Versus Moving Costs

If clients consistently request a platform you don’t specialize in, the cost of staying is lost opportunities, weaker hiring options, and increasing friction over time.

3) Never Force Clients Into Migrations That Break Systems

Some clients stayed on ColdFusion for years after I stopped actively developing in it. Their systems worked.
Forcing a migration would’ve served my convenience—not their business.

4) Invest in Gradual Transitions

The smoothest pivots happen when you can run the “old world” and build the “new world” at the same time.
You don’t restructure everything overnight—you build new capabilities alongside existing stability.

5) Build Deep Expertise Before Demand Peaks

As we migrated to WordPress, we became experts in WordPress design, development, and business-grade hosting options quickly.  The point wasn’t to chase trends—it was to be ready before clients demanded excellence at scale.

The Secret Weapon Most Web Companies Don’t Have

Here’s what many web companies skip: understanding what makes people buy.

WebWize’s foundation runs through print, graphic arts, advertising, and marketing—back when you had one shot to get someone’s attention, because ink on paper doesn’t have a back button.

Most web designers learned to code first. We learned to sell first.  There’s a difference between making a website work and making a website work for your business.  Human psychology doesn’t change as fast as technology does.

Knowing how to build is table stakes. Knowing how to persuade, position, and convert is the advantage most web companies never develop deeply.

The AI Transformation: Applying the Same Framework

I’m watching a new shift unfold right now: AI is transforming web development, content creation, and customer support—much like WordPress transformed content management and PHP accelerated dynamic websites.

And the playbook is the same:

• Watch adoption velocity (tools, workflows, hiring, client demand).
• Evaluate staying vs. moving costs (time, money, opportunity loss).
• Maintain existing systems while building new capabilities.
• Develop expertise early, before clients demand it at scale.

The technologies change. The patterns repeat. If you can recognize the pattern early, you get time—the one advantage money can’t buy.

Key Takeaways

• Decision frameworks outlast platforms. The ability to pivot matters more than being “right” about one technology.
• Adoption velocity beats market share. Watch what new projects and new talent are choosing.
• Protect client stability. Don’t break working systems to satisfy internal preferences.
• Build expertise early. The window closes faster than most people expect.
• Specialize. Companies that try to serve everyone rarely master anything deeply enough to win long-term.
• Optimize for adaptability, not correctness. Survival favors the business that can change fast without chaos.

What This Means for Businesses Hiring a Web Partner

If you’re hiring a web hosting or web design company, don’t just ask what platform they use.
Ask how they handle change, how they protect clients during transitions, and how they make websites perform as a business tool.

If you want to talk through a strategy—hosting, WordPress, SEO, email, or where AI fits next—WebWize is here.

Call to action: Call us now to schedule a free consultation: 713-416-7111

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you know when to pivot from one technology to another?

Watch adoption velocity, not current market share. When new developers stop learning your platform and clients consistently request a different one, the market is telling you where it’s going. Repeated “We only want WordPress” requests were the signal.

Should you force existing clients to migrate to new platforms?

No. Never force a migration that risks breaking working systems. Some clients stayed on ColdFusion for years after I stopped actively developing in it. Their systems worked. Forced migrations serve convenience, not client outcomes.

How long does it take to build expertise in a new platform?

It depends on your team and focus, but the key is starting before the market demands it.
When demand hits, you want to be experienced—not experimenting on client projects.

What’s the biggest mistake web hosting companies make?

Trying to be everything to everybody. When you spread too thin, you don’t become truly excellent at any one thing.
Specialization builds repeatable quality and credibility.

How do you evaluate the cost of staying versus moving?

Look beyond infrastructure costs. Include lost opportunities, shrinking talent pools, rising maintenance friction, and what clients are asking for by name. The cost of staying is often missing the future.

What signals indicate a technology shift is happening?

Three main signals: (1) fewer new developers learning the old platform, (2) clients repeatedly requesting the new platform by name, and (3) rapid ecosystem/community growth around the new platform.

How do you maintain existing clients while pivoting to new technology?

Gradual transitions. Maintain existing systems while building new projects on the new platform, and migrate only when it benefits the client.  Stability + parallel capability wins.

Is the AI transformation similar to previous technology shifts?

Yes. The tools are different, but the pattern is familiar: adoption accelerates, workflows change, and the winners build expertise early while protecting client stability.