Can you give us a brief overview of Cloud Nine Web as a company and its founding story?
Cloud Nine Web is a specialized web design and development agency based in Illinois, founded in 2014 by Ed Ellingham. With a strong background in IT, Ed brought a technical depth to the company that quickly set it apart in the world of WordPress and website management. His early experiences ranged from computer repair and networking to Linux tinkering, all of which became invaluable as Cloud Nine Web began to take on increasingly complex web projects. The company’s mission from the start was to provide small businesses and nonprofits with the kind of creative, effective, and technically robust web solutions usually reserved for much larger organizations. Ed’s approach was hands-on and client-focused, building systems and automation around each client’s unique needs and leveraging his IT expertise to solve problems that often stump other agencies. Not long after its founding, Jessica Ellingham joined as an equal partner and Support Manager. Together, Ed and Jessica have grown Cloud Nine Web into a trusted partner for organizations that need more than just a pretty website—they need a site that’s secure, high-performing, and expertly managed. Their reputation for technical problem-solving means they’re often called in by other agencies to resolve issues that require a deeper level of expertise. Today, Cloud Nine Web is known for its blend of creative design, technical know-how, and reliable support. The team’s commitment to listening to clients and delivering tailored solutions has helped them build long-term relationships and a strong reputation in the industry.What is your approach to web design, and what are some key features to consider when designing a new website in 2025?
Our approach to web design in 2025 is all about combining proven fundamentals with the latest tools and trends to deliver websites that are not just beautiful, but also secure, high-performing, and conversion-focused. We exclusively build with WordPress, which gives us the flexibility and reliability our clients need. Our design process starts in Figma, where we can collaborate closely with clients and iterate quickly on ideas. Once the design is dialed in, we develop using Bricks Builder, which allows us to create fast, responsive, and easily maintainable sites. A big part of our 2025 strategy is leveraging AI to add real value for our clients. For example, AI-powered chatbots are becoming a must-have—they can answer questions, guide users, and save countless hours for organizations by automating routine interactions. We’re also exploring other AI-driven features to enhance user experience and streamline site management. On the visual side, we’re seeing a shift away from the ultra-bright, high-contrast palettes of recent years. Instead, we’re embracing more pastel colors and Bento Box-inspired layouts, which create a softer, more inviting look while still keeping things modern and fresh. This aligns with broader trends in web design, where user comfort and accessibility are front and center. Of course, some things never go out of style. Security, performance, and conversion optimization remain at the core of every project we take on. With more sophisticated threats and higher user expectations, these priorities are more important than ever. We make sure every site is protected, loads quickly, and is designed to turn visitors into customers or supporters. In short, our approach is to blend the best of new and established practices: thoughtful design, robust development, smart use of AI, and a relentless focus on what matters most—security, speed, and results.What can you tell me about your hosting services?
Our hosting is designed for speed, security, and peace of mind. We run everything on highly optimized AMD Epyc servers with all NVMe storage, so your site loads fast and handles traffic with ease. We also have high availability servers, which means your site stays online, even if something unexpected happens. We use a finely tuned Nginx setup, paired with FlyingPress, to squeeze out every bit of performance. Redis runs on all our servers for lightning-fast database caching, and we always use the latest stable versions of PHP and MySQL to keep things running smoothly and securely. For security and extra speed, we use Cloudflare for DNS and as an additional layer of protection and performance. Cloudflare helps block threats, speeds up content delivery, and keeps your site resilient against attacks. Our servers are proactive about security—they automatically scan for vulnerabilities in both server software and your WordPress plugins, themes, and core. We also use cPGuard for malware protection, a web application firewall, and IP reputation checks, so threats get stopped before they become a problem. Every server is monitored around the clock for uptime and performance. If there’s ever an issue, we know about it right away. And when we migrate clients from other hosts—even those “premium” managed providers—they almost always see a noticeable boost in speed and reliability. Migrations are always free, and hosting is included with every Care Plan. That way, you get top-tier hosting and ongoing support, all in one place.What does your Essentials plan include, and what are the differences between Essentials and Essentials Plus+?
The Essentials plan covers everything you need to keep your WordPress website running smoothly, securely, and reliably. Here’s what’s included:- Premium Managed WordPress Hosting: Fast, secure hosting with high-frequency AMD CPUs, NVMe drives, Redis object caching, and Cloudflare integration.
- Weekly WordPress Updates: Core, plugin, and theme updates to keep your site secure and up-to-date.
- Daily Backups: Your site is backed up daily in two separate locations for extra peace of mind.
- 24/7 Monitoring: Uptime, malware, SSL, and domain health are all continuously monitored.
- Monthly Care Reports: Easy-to-understand reports showing your site’s health and performance.
- Performance Optimizations: Tools like LiteSpeed Cache, image optimization, and a global CDN for fast load times.
- Security: Web application firewall, malware scanning, DDoS protection, vulnerability monitoring, and more.
- Free Migrations: Moving your site to Cloud Nine Web is included at no extra cost.
- Fully Managed Hosting: They handle all the technical details, so you don’t have to.
- Friendly Support: Fast, human help whenever you need it.
Can you please elaborate on the security aspect of your work?
Security is at the core of everything we do. Every site we manage benefits from a finely tuned set of Cloudflare WAF (Web Application Firewall) rules, which means most threats are blocked before they even reach our servers. This instantly raises the security bar for all our clients. We stand behind our work with a Hacked Site Promise. If your site is ever compromised while under our care, we’ll fix it at no additional cost. No stress, no surprise bills—just peace of mind. On the server side, we handle security at the infrastructure level, so your site isn’t bogged down by heavy security plugins or extra overhead. This approach delivers stronger protection and better performance. We also use cPGuard for an extra layer of defense, including advanced WAF, IP reputation monitoring, and continuous malware scanning. For WordPress itself, we go beyond the basics with hardening measures like disabling XML-RPC, blocking user enumeration, hiding your WordPress version, and more. These steps help close off common attack vectors and keep your site locked down. And above all, we make sure your software is always up to date. Keeping WordPress, plugins, and themes current is the single most important thing you can do for security—and we handle it for you, every week. In short, we combine proactive tools, smart server management, and hands-on expertise to keep your site safe, fast, and worry-free.Is there anything else about your work that you’d like to share that we haven’t covered?
We take customer support seriously, and it’s one of the things our clients love most about working with us. Whether you reach out by email or phone, you’ll always get a friendly, helpful response from a real person who’s ready to solve your problem—no robots, no runaround. Most support tickets are resolved the same day, because we know your time is valuable and your website is important. Our team is quick to respond, and we pride ourselves on making every interaction as easy and positive as possible. Need to talk something through? We’re happy to jump on a call, too. You can reach us by email at [email protected] or by phone at (815) 585-4800. We’re here to make sure you get the support, performance, and security you need to thrive—not just online, but in your organization as a whole.To learn more about Cloud Nine Web, you can visit cloudnineweb.co
