Lessons Learned – Advice for Others
Key insights and lessons learned from migrating a small business website to AWS, including cost savings, challenges, and best practices.
Published on Jan 30, 2025
Table of Contents
Introduction
Migrating to AWS has been a transformative experience for my business. It has not only reduced costs and simplified management but also provided a scalable foundation for future growth. Along the way, I encountered challenges, learned valuable lessons, and discovered insights that could help others considering a similar migration.
In this case study, I’ll share the key benefits, challenges, and practical advice for small business owners or developers looking to transition away from traditional hosting providers like WordPress and VPS services.
Benefits of Migrating to AWS for Small Businesses
Migrating to AWS has made managing my business far simpler and more scalable. Instead of worrying about infrastructure, I can focus on growing my business while taking advantage of AWS’s affordable, on-demand pricing.
Cost Efficiency Without Fixed Overhead
One of the biggest advantages of AWS is that I only pay for what I use. Unlike a VPS or dedicated server, AWS allows me to scale up or down as needed without wasting money on underutilized resources.
- I don’t have to pay a fixed price for infrastructure I may not fully use.
- APIs can be implemented without maintaining a server, using AWS Lambda and API Gateway.
- The AWS free tier covers a lot of my needs, making AWS incredibly cost-effective for a small business.
Performance and Security Advantages
AWS provides enterprise-level security and performance that I wouldn’t be able to set up on my own without significant costs.
- CloudFront’s CDN speeds up my website globally without extra effort.
- AWS Shield protects my site and services from DDoS attacks.
- AWS’s global infrastructure makes my website more resilient and highly available.
Simplified Billing Under One Provider
Before migrating, I was dealing with multiple vendors—one for my domain, another for my VPS, and another for additional services. With AWS, everything is consolidated under one account, making billing simpler and easier to manage.
With AWS, I don’t feel burdened by infrastructure costs or management—instead, I feel empowered to build new features and grow my business with confidence.
Challenges During Migration and How I Resolved Them
Migrating to AWS came with its challenges, but each one taught me valuable lessons that made future projects much smoother.
Learning That CloudFront Is Not Ideal for APIs
One of the biggest challenges was getting my API connection to work with my website. Initially, I was determined to use CloudFront for APIs, but after extensive testing, I realized:
- CloudFront is designed for caching content, not handling dynamic API requests efficiently.
- API requests require real-time processing, and CloudFront’s caching behavior caused unexpected issues.
The breakthrough came when I switched to API Gateway, which allowed me to:
- Use a custom subdomain for API URLs (
api.devscreativestudio.com), keeping my API and website under the same domain. - Easily configure security settings, ensuring my website and API worked seamlessly together.
This lesson has been invaluable and has made future AWS projects much faster because I now know how to properly configure APIs within AWS.
Quickly Learning and Integrating Stripe Payments
Another challenge was integrating Stripe for payments. Since it was my first time working with Stripe, I expected delays due to learning a new system. However, Stripe’s:
- Clear documentation
- Self-service testing tools
- Well-structured API design
…allowed me to fully integrate payments in just a couple of days. In contrast, my past experiences with other payment providers involved confusing documentation, long email wait times, and unnecessary troubleshooting calls.
Now that I have experience with Stripe’s webhook-based payment processing, future payment integrations will be even easier.
Tips for Others Considering This Approach
If you feel weighed down by a WordPress website overloaded with plugins, there’s a lighter, cheaper, and more secure way to run a small business website.
Consider AWS if Your Website Has a Small Footprint
If your website consists of:
- A homepage
- An about page
- A services page
…then AWS offers a more lightweight and cost-effective alternative to WordPress. Hosting a static website on AWS S3 with CloudFront can eliminate plugin bloat, reduce maintenance costs, and improve site performance.
However, if you run a blog with frequent updates, you might need a CMS. Services like:
…can provide a headless CMS experience while keeping AWS as your hosting solution.
That said, if you hire someone to post articles on your behalf, AWS might still be a great fit—and my team would be happy to help manage article publishing for you.
Start with a Personal Website First
Before migrating a business website, I experimented with my personal site (www.theluismiranda.com). This gave me the confidence to:
- Understand AWS services better.
- Optimize my website’s performance.
- Avoid making mistakes on my business website.
I highly recommend starting small before moving a more critical site.
Use the AWS Free Tier and Look for Credits
One of the best perks of my migration was receiving a $300 AWS credit after responding to an AWS email. This allowed me to:
- Experiment with different AWS services
- Test new features without worrying about costs
If you're considering AWS, start with the free tier and keep an eye out for promotional credits—they can help you get started without upfront expenses.
AWS is Not for Every Website (Yet)
I am not saying every website should migrate to AWS. If you have a complex site with dynamic content, I haven’t personally tested such a migration yet. However, for my needs, it has worked out twice already—for my personal and business websites. I’ll be migrating my second business website soon.
Final Encouragement: Simplify Your Business Operations with AWS
Migrating to AWS has simplified my business operations, cut costs, and improved security—but I understand that it may not be the right fit for everyone.
If you're still unsure, the best step is to discuss your situation with someone who has gone through the experience.
If you don’t have anyone in your immediate circle to guide you, I’m happy to share my experience and answer any questions to help you decide if this migration is right for you.
Feel free to reach out to me at:
📧 luis@devscreativestudio.com
The right hosting solution shouldn’t feel like a burden—it should give you the freedom to focus on your business rather than constantly maintaining a website. AWS has done that for me, and it might do the same for you.