Customer Story Mini Travellers

Karen Beddow, a Legal Director, entrepreneur and blogger, has worn many hats throughout her career. Over the years, she has built and managed multiple websites for both personal and professional projects. Her journey with 34SP.com began when she needed reliable hosting for her award-winning family travel blog, Mini Travellers.

Mini Travellers is a highly regarded blog dedicated to family travel, sharing practical tips, itineraries, and reviews to inspire parents to explore the world with their children. The blog has received numerous accolades, including recognition as one of the UK’s leading family travel blogs. 

As Karen’s ventures grew, so did her relationship with 34SP.com, which became her go-to hosting provider for everything from personal blogs to her current employer’s corporate website.

The challenge

Managing a portfolio of websites comes with unique challenges and Karen’s experience was no exception. The migration process for Mini Travellers, a large and content-heavy site, was complex and required cleaning up old themes and plugins left behind by previous hosting setups.   Karen explained, “It’s a big, chunky site, and that posed quite a few challenges during the migration process.”

Karen also faced difficulties navigating the technical aspects of hosting as a non-technical user. Previous hosting providers often responded to her queries with generic, article-based support, which left her frustrated. 

Adding to these challenges, a technical issue caused a key affiliate platform to mistakenly sever ties with her blog, citing low traffic. This abrupt decision disrupted her revenue and underscored the need for reliable hosting support to help unpick and solve similar issues in the future.

Karen needed a hosting partner who could handle complex migrations, simplify website management, and provide personalised, reliable support whenever challenges arose. 

Our solution

Karen discovered 34SP.com through a recommendation from a fellow blogger and quickly recognised the value of having a hosting partner with a personal touch. She was particularly drawn to 34SP.com’s UK-based support, where real people were available to provide tailored assistance. 

“The big positive about 34SP.com is that they’re UK-based. You can have a proper conversation with someone, and you know they care.”

The migration of Mini Travellers further cemented Karen’s trust in 34SP.com. While moving such a large site posed challenges, the team’s hands-on support made all the difference. Karen explains, “Laura and Kay treated me like I didn’t know anything and that’s okay! They guided me through the entire process, and that’s invaluable.”

Beyond technical expertise, 34SP.com’s intuitive portal allowed Karen to manage her growing portfolio of websites with ease, making it a perfect fit for her diverse hosting needs.

The results

Since moving to 34SP.com, Karen has successfully hosted multiple websites, from her large travel blog to smaller websites and brochure sites. She highlighted the intuitive management tools and dependable uptime as key benefits of the service.

“Hosting providers aren’t invincible and what is important is how they handle problems. When 34SP.com has had issues, the communication is good. They get it back up quickly and it’s never been down for very long,” 

Encouraged by her positive experiences, Karen moved additional websites to 34SP.com, including her husband’s property business and one of her employer’s corporate sites.  Reflecting on her decision, she said, “Anything I’ve been involved with, I’ve moved to 34SP.com. That says a lot.”

Karen’s Advice

When it comes to starting a blog, Karen highlights the value of focusing on a specific niche. “I think going niche is the way forward. Creating content that’s targeted and meaningful allows you to stand out and connect with the right audience,” she said.

For bloggers and website owners considering a hosting provider, Karen’s advice is to prioritise customer service and personal support above all else. “You only really know how good a hosting provider is when there’s a massive problem. 34SP.com has proven they’re there for you when it matters most,” she explained.

Karen also advises striking a balance between cost and quality. For high-traffic or revenue-generating sites, reliable hosting is a critical investment. “If your site is down, every moment counts, especially when you’re earning income from it,” she said.

Finally, she recommends choosing a hosting partner that can grow with you. “Whether you’re just starting or managing a large, established site, having a provider that grows and evolves with you is crucial,” Karen shared.