Holos is a vegan Irish skincare brand that hand-produces luxurious, ethical skincare in Co. Wexford. It began when founder Niamh Hogan, a natural health therapist, started blending plant oils for clients seeking relief from stress and wellbeing concerns. Today the brand is built on a single philosophy: harmonizing nature, science, and consciousness. Holos bridges the gap between eco-friendly green skincare and science-based cosmetics, using pure botanical ingredients and scientifically proven active plant extracts so its community never has to choose between environmental ethics and high-performance results.
Behind that brand is a busy WooCommerce store, and for a direct-to-consumer business, the store is the business. Before moving to Levamo, Holos ran on SiteGround, where unexpected traffic spikes meant website crashes, server interruptions, and glitches. Every campaign or promotion came with a familiar anxiety: would the server hold up when it mattered most?
In this case study, Fiona McGuire, who leads digital development at Holos Skincare, shares why they switched to Levamo, what changed after the migration, and how it felt to watch a live Irish TV appearance drive a surge of traffic without a single hiccup.
Levamo: Tell us a bit about your role at Holos and what you focus on day-to-day.
Fiona: I'm Fiona McGuire, and I handle digital development at Holos Skincare. I've been part of the team for eight years, first as a freelancer and now in-house. My background is in running my own web design and online marketing company. I love the creative side of the work as much as the problem-solving. My degree was in communications and audio/visual production, but I went back to college to study multimedia design instead. Day to day, I focus on keeping the Holos eCommerce store running at optimal performance and making sure customers have a smooth transactional journey. Beyond the design and build side, I also get involved in marketing, helping to design and run online campaigns across different platforms.
Levamo: For anyone who hasn't come across Holos yet, what's the story behind the brand, and what makes it different in the skincare space?
Fiona: Holos began when our founder, Niamh Hogan, started blending personal plant oils for clients seeking relief from stress and wellbeing concerns while she was working as a natural health therapist. What makes us different in the skincare space is our core philosophy of harmonizing nature, science, and consciousness, bridging the gap between eco-friendly green skincare and science-based cosmetics. We hand-produce luxurious, ethical skincare in Co. Wexford, using pure botanical ingredients and scientifically proven active plant extracts, so our community never has to choose between environmental ethics and high-performance results.
Levamo: What hosting were you using before Levamo, and what challenges did you face running your WooCommerce store?
Fiona: Before Levamo, we were using SiteGround, which had been recommended to us and which I'd consider a fairly middle-of-the-road hosting solution. We ran into frequent performance issues: unexpected spikes in traffic that resulted in website crashes, server interruptions, and glitches. It meant we felt we could never fully rely on our server, and we were always nervous whenever we were planning campaigns or expecting an increase in visitor numbers.
Levamo: What made you choose Levamo over other hosting options?
Fiona: I'd worked with Levamo before on a BuddyBoss website and had always been impressed with the technical support and the performance of the hosting. So when we were discussing a server move for Holos, there was only one company I had in mind, and that was Levamo.
Levamo: Have you noticed any measurable improvements since migrating?
Fiona: We had a televised appearance on a popular Irish afternoon TV show this week, and I was confident we wouldn't have any issues with our server or website response. Previously, I'd have been extremely nervous that even a small increase in numbers would cause website timeout errors. Knowing I could rely on our Levamo server for uptime made the whole event so much easier to manage.
Levamo: How has your experience been with Levamo's support team?
Fiona: Once our migration to Levamo was complete, we had a couple of caching issues. The Levamo support team were very helpful in dealing with them and fixed the problem quickly. Unlike other companies, when you reach out to support you can speak with an agent easily, without having to navigate a lot of automated responses.
Levamo: Is there a specific Levamo feature that's been a game-changer for your online store?
Fiona: For me, it's the level of service we've received. Levamo has been proactive in reaching out to flag security issues and alerts about the WordPress framework, with clear steps to keep our website safe. It's so reassuring to know our site is being continually monitored for any security concerns.
Levamo: Would you recommend Levamo to other eCommerce businesses or small brands selling online?
Fiona: Yes. For any eCommerce business or brand looking for a secure, feature-rich hosting environment they can rely on, make Levamo your first choice.
